The beginning of the 2018-19 school year has been an exciting and busy one for 77 of Lynbrook South Middle School’s eighth-graders who volunteered to participate in the school’s L.I.N.K. program. L.I.N.K., which stands for Lynbrook Students Independently Networking Kids, was created in an effort to decrease school anxiety, promote a positive hallway environment and provide a friendly face for the sixth-graders.

The students met last June to prepare for the arrival of the sixth-graders this year and 50 L.I.N.K. volunteers assisted with sixth-grade orientation at the end of August. The eighth-graders were an integral part of helping the sixth-graders get familiarized with the building as they assisted with their new lockers and helped them find their new classes by providing tours.

Continuing to build relationships among the students, every sixth-grade student was paired with an eighth grade L.I.N.K. student at the beginning of September. They broke off into small groups where they participated in ice breaker games. This provided the sixth-graders with an opportunity to ask questions about middle school. It also allowed the eighth-graders to speak about their experiences at Lynbrook South Middle School.