Roaring Fork High School (RFHS) is welcoming its biggest freshman class ever this year — 132 students and counting as high schoolers entered their second week.
With such a large class, it could be easy to get lost in the shuffle between middle school and high school. But a unique ninth grade orientation program that involves a committed group of juniors and seniors who are part of the Link Crew, is designed to ease that transition.
On Aug. 14, the day before the official start of classes, incoming freshmen gathered with staff coordinators and student Link leaders for a half-day orientation, called the Link Crew Program.
The day included group and one-on-one activities to help the students get to know each other better and to start building relationships. Afterward, they spent time with their smaller Link groups to delve into deeper discussions around some of the harder questions about what to expect as a high school student.
“It gives them a safe place to be able to talk with someone who’s been through it a year or two before them, and to share their experiences,” said Link Crew coordinator Michael Black, a RFHS alum (2009) who now teaches industrial arts at his alma mater and has helped lead the freshman orientation for the past four years.
“We didn’t have this program when I was in high school, but I would have loved to have been part of it when I was,” Black said. “I just see the extreme value in being able to get the freshmen in here before the first day of school to get to know one another and start building those relationships.”
Eric Lamb, who teaches English Language Development and French, is another of the Link Crew coordinators.
“We want our new students to feel safe and to have some friendly faces when they come in for that first week of classes,” Lamb said. “And we want to give our upperclassmen an opportunity to establish a relationship with the younger students and to be a role model.
“As a ninth grader, it’s important for them to feel like, not only do we want you here, but we want you in the circle and we want you to be involved in what’s going on here.”
The Link Crew Program was put together by the Boomerang Project, a peer mentoring and student transition program designed to foster better academic performance and fewer discipline issues in high schools.
RFHS junior Johan Soto is a Link leader, and said he appreciated that support when he was a freshman.
“It just made me feel a bit more at ease and less tense, just having that upperclassman helping to guide me through some of my choices,” Soto said.
He recognized the value in that, and decided to become a Link leader himself this year.
“I’ve noticed a lot of students, in every grade really, kind of feel trapped in this bubble where they feel like they have to do something that they don’t really want to do,” he said. “I became a Link leader to try to break that and let the incoming freshmen know that they can enjoy high school at their own pace.”
That advice also extends beyond the school to some of the life decisions they’ll be faced with, which can affect them either positively or negatively, Soto said.
Link leaders are asked to check in with their students throughout the year to see how they’re doing and help them through any rough patches.
Senior Morgan Fink is in her second year as a Link leader. Her initial thought was that it would look good on a college application, but she soon realized it was also fun and fulfilling to see that she could have an impact on younger students.
“One of the things I try to show them is how to have a good school-life balance,” she said. “Between school work, sports, friends … It’s a lot.
“It’s important to get them out of their comfort zone … and to learn how to fail, because you’re going to make some mistakes, and that’s OK.
“Also, just learning to be a good person is as important as doing good in school.”
Cora Carballeira is the Dean of Culture for RFHS, and has been a teacher and administrator in the Carbondale schools for more than 20 years. This was her first year helping out with freshman orientation.
“I believe in a strong start for ninth graders,” she said. “When we support them by welcoming them and teaching them how to use their skills, they are much more successful in high school and beyond.
“I’m also invested in creating student leadership opportunities at Roaring Fork for all students, and this is a nice way for our upperclassmen to be leaders.”
The Link Crew program also provides opportunities for one-on-one mentoring and academic peer tutoring throughout the school year.