TORRINGTON – “Hi, I’m Mrs. Fox. I teach sixth grade math.”
The introduction was not, in fact, from the math teacher. Rather, physical education teacher Tory Bugher raised his voice to a falsetto and prompted giggles from the middle schoolers with his impersonation.
“Mrs. Fox is gone today. I told her that I would be Mrs. Fox.”
On Monday, approximately 80 new sixth graders gathered anxiously on the bleachers in the Torrington Middle School gymnasium for a four-hour orientation.
“This eliminates a lot of tears on the first day of school,” explained Principal Marv Haiman.
Kids not knowing where their classes are. Not knowing how to use their lockers. All of that was on the schedule for the day.
“We don’t do the boring stuff like go through school rules and handbooks,” Haiman said, adding that the “boring stuff” would happen eventually, with every student, just not today.
Each of the teachers introduced him or herself, and a few instructors took the opportunity to ham it up.
“Look to the person to your left. Look to the person to your right,” geography teacher Joshua Jackson barked into the microphone. “That may be your date one day!”
A loud chorus of “ewww!” erupted from the children as Jackson attempted to announce the upcoming school dances.
It was up to science teacher Matt Gordon to perform damage control.
“I will explain why you should not kiss that person on the right or the left of you,” he promised. “Look at the person on your right and look at the person on your left and tell them, ‘I’m not going to kiss you today.’”
The sixth graders complied.
As the day unfolded, however, the educators faded into the background and the older students took the lead.
“You probably don’t see this too often, where middle school students are totally running stuff,” commented Bugher, gazing at the circles of students on the gym floor, each managed by two seventh or eighth graders.
Six years ago, Torrington Middle School began a leadership program, a daily elective class whose members plan assemblies, spend two weeks organizing the orientation, and serve as tutors to younger classmates.
Leadership students get into the class through a process more akin to college admissions than a middle school course registration: teacher recommendations and a written questionnaire are the first step. Then applicants move on to an oral interview with current students.
Robb Nicolay, the leadership co-teacher, said that approximately 50 people will apply for 15-30 spots.
“We’re looking for a certain role model. Somebody that displays respect and responsibility throughout the building.”
In the gymnasium, sixth graders circled up, holding tiny containers of M&Ms. Two leadership students called on each person in turn as they picked a piece of candy - each color signifying an icebreaker question.
Favorite animal? Favorite hobby? Favorite color?
What scares you most about going into middle school?
“The lockers,” admitted one sixth grader sheepishly.
“Oh, they’re really not that hard,” reassured a leadership student in a brown pigtail.
Bugher directed groups of a dozen students to different stations around the school. Some exited to the playground. Others started their school tour. The first group to use their lockers cheered.
For some students, opening their blue locker came easily. The leadership students and Assistant principal Jim English hung back to assist if called upon.
“You stop at that first number. Then I go a whole lap past that number,” English murmured, demonstrating how to spin the dial.
“I’m two for two this year!” he exclained when the locker popped open.
Two girls went to work hanging a mirror and miniature white board inside the door. A few lockers down, a couple of boys climbed inside their lockers to see if they could fit.
“Are you nicer than your sister?” a teacher teased an incoming student.
“I’m not a troublemaker like she is,” the girl shot back.
Back in the gym, one group tossed a tennis ball around a circle, with students calling out each other’s names as the ball pitched back and forth. Outside, another group swung a jump rope. A third raced with wet sponges.
Bugher surveyed the activities off to the side. Dropping his voice, he acknowledged that there was another, more subtle purpose to the playtime.
“The last group, I already had two of my leadership kids come up and say, ‘the little girl on this side? Really shy, doesn’t seem to have any friends.’ Right away, it lets us see those kids to try and pair them up with a mentor.”
He said the older kids help identify instances of social isolation.
“Some things that we pay attention to is - if they’re alone - if they sit alone at lunch - to try to make the other kids step up to make them feel like they aren’t alone,” said Jadyn Wunder, 13, an eighth grade leadership student.
She said that last year, the sixth graders noticed the intervention.
“They would come up to me and say that they were grateful for what I did to help them.”
Not all orientation attendees were about to enter sixth grade. Seventh grader Mekhi Porter, 13, recently moved to Goshen County from Cheyenne.
“I’m really shy when it comes to this stuff. I was just afraid of making friends,” Porter said.
The orientation, however, relaxed those fears.
“They felt really welcoming and kind. None of them are mean,” she said They greeted me, shook my hand. Now that I know all the teachers and they’re really nice, I won’t be afraid to talk to them.”
At the end of the day, as the new students sat quietly in the cafeteria, Bugher answered any lingering questions.
Can we wear the same shoes to gym and class? Yes. Can we bring our own basketballs? Yes. Can we go to our lockers? Yes, shortly.
“Hopefully tomorrow won’t be quite as nervous or scary because you were here today,” added Haiman as students raced to give their lockers one more try.
