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Six years ago, composition teacher Lynn Scalf noticed that many of the elementary students who walked by the high school looked intimidated by the older students. She decided to start a program that would let the elementary kids from St. Matthew’s, Elrod and Edgerton schools interact with FHS students, a program that would come to be known as the “writing buddies”.
“The reason we got this started was for a mentoring program,” said Scalf. “This reputation has built from year to year and now both elementary and FHS students look forward to the program each year.”
Children’s Literature teacher Susan Supola is also hosting the writing buddies activity this year with St. Matthew’s and Elrod classes.
During the times that the students get together, activities include making leaf people and writing a poem about them , and identifying objects in painting designs and composing a story about it.
“We should do it more often,” said junior Chris Larcom. “It’s fun to be with the kids because it reminds you of when you were little.”
Some students involved with the program feel that they become role models for the elementary kids.
“Writing buddies is a way for little kids to look up to us,” said senior Courtney Fisher. “It also teaches them to interact with older kids.”
Students also feel that they would enjoy being friends with the kids because they can identify personality traits that they might want to follow.|
“I think we’re more like a friend than anything,” said junior Nawnie Pierce. “If we’re their friend, they can start to form their opinion on what they want to be like.”
The mixed feelings of Elrod students during the first meeting of the writing buddies ranged from nervousness to fright to excitement.
“I was sort of scared (at the first meeting), but after the second time, we were friends,” said Elrod student Daniel Wellman.
The students at Elrod agreed that their favorite part of the program was making new friends. One second grade writing buddy was so crushed that her partner had moved that she cried all the way back to Elrod.
“This shows the impact that the high school students have on the these kids,” said second grade teacher Tony Gunnerson. “The bond that forms between the students is deep.”
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