Serra High School Student2Student Club Mentors Vista Grande Students

Serra and Vista Grande students talk about transitions.

Vista Grande Elementary School Student Council members wanted to ease the transition of students entering their school. With a mobile military student population of 35-40 percent, they were concerned about how difficult it sometimes is to be “the new kid.” Serra High School students came to their aid, traveling to Vista Grande recently to share some of the strategies used by Serra’s extraordinary Student2Student (S2S) Club.

The S2S Club helps students face the daunting experience of changing schools. Club members offer incoming students a forum to quickly feel welcomed, comfortable, included, and accepted into their new school community. Student tours, welcome packets, and social gatherings during the school year help to diminish the stress and uncertainty of the first days and weeks at a new school. At Serra, friendships often start with S2S.

Serra students shared tools and experiences and demonstrated icebreaker and team-building games that helped Vista Grande students develop their own plans for a Student Ambassador Club at their elementary school level. They answered questions and shared ideas, leaving the student council members with a clear plan for their new club.

S2S, and JS2S (Junior Student2Student) are powerful high school and middle school programs designed by the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC). Serra students and staff received extensive training from MCEC to customize an individualized program for implementation at their school site.

For more information about Serra’s S2S Club, contact Jason Demendonca, Club Advisor, at 858-496-8342 x163 or Marie Byrd, Parent Support Liaison and S2S Activities Coordinator, at 858-496-8342 x231.