‘Falmouth Friends’ Initiative Brings High School and Elementary School Students Together on Friday Mornings
At Falmouth Public Schools, high school students start their Fridays by greeting elementary school students through an initiative called “Falmouth Friends.” Launched at the beginning of the 2023/2024 school year by the Service Learning Department, this program continues to bring students from various high school clubs, teams, and classes together with their younger counterparts.
Every Friday morning, a different group of high school students wearing their team uniforms or club apparel welcomes elementary students as they arrive at school. These interactions often include high-fives, and sometimes, the teams bring something to engage with the younger students. For example, the girls’ volleyball team recently played catch with elementary students, and the high school theater group once performed in costume.
“Younger students are immediately drawn to high school students, and the teams always wear their uniform or other team apparel to identify their sport or club,” John Carter, Service Learning Coordinator for Falmouth Public Schools, said.
Falmouth Public Schools’ unified campus setup allows this program to operate smoothly, as high school students with first-period study halls can easily walk to the elementary school to engage with kids. About five to six high school representatives participate each week, greeting elementary students during their school arrival window between 8:30 and 8:50 a.m.
“This is just one way we connect as one campus,” Carter said. “The goal is to create community, and I find that the high school students enjoy it as much as the elementary school students.”
The rotation of high school greeters continues until all sports teams and extracurricular groups have had the opportunity to participate. As Carter noted, “It has been amazing to see students make connections with each other over shared interests across the schools, and it is the best way to start a Friday morning!”
Information for this story was provided by Falmouth Public Schools. To share good news from your school, please fill out the Maine DOE good news submission form.
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