All Kelley School fifth grade classes took turns visiting Newark Middle School June 2-6 for orientation purposes to prepare them for the experiences that await them as they move up to the grades 6-8 school in September.
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School Psychologist Rebecca Battle said orientation was divided into four components.
1. A presentation that compared and contrasted 5th and 6th grade.
2. A building tour provided by NMS Student council or National Junior Honor Society members.
3. A question-and-answer session for visiting students with the student volunteers.
4. Tims Classroom In-Community Program.
Each 5th grader participated in the team building/leadership experiences run by the Tims Classroom In-Community Program. The first session occurred at the Middle School and the second session was in Perkins Park.
The Tims Classroom In-Community is a program funded by the Tim Horton's Foundation whose mission is to provide life-changing opportunities to underserved youth. Three camp trainers from the Tim Horton Camp Kentahten in Kentucky were brought in to work with Newark 5th graders.
The In-Community Program offers the best of the Tims Camps Summer Program, free of charge, to schools and community groups that serve youth from low-income neighborhoods. The program focuses on youth leadership and prosocial skill development and is intended for students, in grades 5 and 6.
“I was so impressed with the 5th grade students. They were eager to learn as much as they could,” Battle said. “The Newark Middle School student volunteers were also a huge help and really provided an important perspective.”