For sixth graders in the Massapequa School District, their secondary years have just begun and a lot of promise and potential lie ahead. On Dec. 18 and 19, high school student leaders visited Berner Middle School to give their younger peers some tips on how to successfully navigate the next six plus years.
Student council leaders and class officers led presentations for sixth graders in the library during their MS 101 classes. Each grade covered a different topic. Ninth graders from the Ames Campus focused on time management. From Massapequa High School’s main campus, sophomores gave an anti-bullying presentation, juniors spoke about resisting peer pressure and seniors discussed the importance of getting involved in student life, such as clubs, community service and sports.
“A majority of my memories in high school are from being involved,” said senior Dan Walsh, who is part of student government and a member of the football, wrestling and lacrosse teams.
Seniors said that they wanted their presentations to have an impact on the sixth graders to help grow the next generation of Massapequa student leaders. They noted that there are so many ways to get involved in middle school and high school that sixth graders might not know about yet.
“We feel so connected to the high school because of all of these opportunities we have," senior Tatum Brennan said. “We genuinely want them to have the same experiences we had.”
Before the presentations, students from MS 101 classes wrote down questions, which were given to the high school student leaders to answer at the end of each session.
In the weeks leading up to the Berner visit, student leaders got together to prepare their presentations. Beyond digital slideshows, high school students shared their own stories and experiences, which made the most impact on their younger peers.
“It seemed clear that all students benefitted from the experience,” said Dr. Brian Trapani, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. “The high school student council enjoyed speaking to the sixth graders about these important topics and practiced the important skill of public speaking to engage others. The sixth graders enthusiastically shared questions and comments with the high school students as they learned the value of time management, how important it is to avoid peer pressure and bullying, and how they can get involved in all the middle school and high school has to offer.”