Freshmen survival 101 at North Brunswick
High school seniors give middle schoolers lessons on surviving first year
BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK - There is no freshman beat-down. There is no dungeon in the basement. There is no parking lot strictly for bicycles. There is no daily locker-stuffing.

Entering high school for the first time is a scary thought for most middle school students. At North Brunswick Township High School, a select group of students is working to dispel those freshman myths and assist first-time high schoolers in their path toward adulthood.

As part of the senior leadership course at the school, a group of 56 seniors satisfy their physical and health education requirements by conducting lessons for freshman students. The seniors brainstorm and create workshops for the ninth-graders and discuss topics such as stress management, connectivity, communication, safety and closure. The objective of the program is to develop leadership skills, effective group facilitation, a sense of belonging, self-expression, problem-solving and decision-making strategies, and the balancing of responsibilities, both academically and socially.

Communication was key during Friday's outreach session, which usually occurs every two to three weeks. The students played the Name Game, in which they had to describe themselves with an adjective that started with the same letter as their first name; Silent Leader, where one student led the group in hand motions and an outsider had to figure out which student was responsible for changing those movements; and Seven-Up, the classic heads-down, thumbs-up game where selected students have to guess who picked them.

The purpose of the activities was to portray how communication can be a result of eye contact, body language and listening skills rather than just verbal methods.

"I think it's interesting because the seniors are helping us get involved with the class and each other. Right now we're playing the Name Game, and you can tell not everyone knows each other, so this can help introduce us to everyone," freshman Chandni Patel said.

The program was developed by Debra Serafin, the supervisor of health and physical education and the assistant principal for the class of 2009. Previously an employee of the Freehold Regional school district for 24 years, she noticed in her first year in North Brunswick that the freshmen needed help transitioning into high school. With a grant from the New Jersey Department of Education and sponsorship by the Princeton Center for Leadership Training, she decided the Transition Project would be the most beneficial route to help students become acclimated to their new school environment.

"This is a wonderful tool that addresses school issues such as diversity in school, mixed communication between males and females, … appropriate attire, appropriate dress, … dating violence, that's a problem, bullying, another problem. All of these issues can be addressed through the peer leadership program without having an assembly and without getting large groups together," she said.

To participate in the program, which is in its first session this year, students had to apply, submit teacher recommendations, uphold proper disciplinary standards, maintain a decent grade point average, and commit to being alcohol- and drug-free.

"These are the role models for the school. They're peer leaders, so we want them to be role models," Serafin said.

This year there were 80 applications received by course teachers Ann Valerio and Tracy Latchaw and guidance counselor Rachel Darge, but only 56 students were selected. They attended two full days of training before school started, to properly initiate them with the program and to help prepare freshmen during orientation.

"We know when we were freshmen that we didn't have any guidance from the upperclassmen and we were lost, so this gives freshmen a chance to identify with us and teach them different things they need in life and in high school," senior Kaitlyn Calhoun said.

Senior Ashley Petrasek said that certain issues need to be addressed as teenagers, especially being able to find yourself and become comfortable in your own shoes.

"The conversations we get into at the outreaches are conversations people normally are scared to talk about or they don't get a chance to talk about, so with the outreach it's good for freshmen and seniors to talk," she said. "The importance of high school [is that] you come into high school and don't realize the growth that goes on. Now as a senior, I realize how much growth actually happens."

Especially with more sensitive issues, young students may be hesitant about discussing their problems with adults.

"Today's society is more difficult in terms of the things we face, so there is always someone here to help them," senior Richesh Shah said. "If they're worried about their friend drinking, they may not go to a teacher because they're worried about getting them in trouble, but they will tell us."

The students, therefore, believe that peer involvement is effective because students are more likely to listen to their friends than pay attention to a textbook or to a lecture given by a teacher.

"Sometimes they are uncomfortable speaking in front of one another, so when we get up there and give examples and make fools of ourselves, they're more comfortable in front of their other classmates," senior Adam Rudin added.

"It is more comfortable, if you have a problem, to talk to them, the seniors, … because if you talk to your parents, they tell you you're wrong, but [the seniors] will tell you [their opinions] because they've been through it," freshman Stephanie Genovese said.

The program is in its first session but will be offered to incoming seniors next year. Serafin expects the application rate to once again be high.

"I think it has been very successful. The lessons are trial and error; some work better than others, every period is different. … This is the first year, so we will see what works [and find] the best lessons to use to keep kids interested," she said.