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World Language Middle School Program Offers Music and Mentorship to Elementary Students
February 14, 2023 -- Thirty instrumental students from World Language Middle Schools lined up on stage to perform a concert before Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy fourth and fifth graders.
During breaks between the songs, each performer read and answered questions submitted by elementary students wanting to know about middle school life.
Performances at Columbus Spanish Immersion and Ecole Kenwood were part of a new program launched at World Language Middle School - Music Mentors. The goal is to help students from World Language’s feeder schools transition to middle school a little easier.
“Our music teacher, Ryan Swartz, and I were talking about what we could do for the elementary school students transitioning to middle school,” said Alexandra Miller, immersion coordinator at World Language Middle School. “We also wanted opportunities for our middle schoolers to serve as role models to others.”
Thus, the Music Mentors program was born, with 2023 being the inaugural year. The program consists of sixth- through eighth-grade students, beyond the 30 who performed, who share their music and middle school experiences.
“Some of these students went to Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy, and some went to Ecole Kenwood,” Miller said. “Others are newcomers to our district. The thought is to give fifth graders an idea of what the next year will be like but also give fourth graders a little insight of what’s to come, so it is a little less daunting when fifth grade comes around.”
Elementary students from Ecole Kenwood and Columbus Spanish Immersion can write questions throughout the school year and drop them into Music Mentor boxes at each school. The boxes give elementary students a chance to ask any pressing questions they have about middle school life. Then, each week, Music Mentors will respond individually in writing.
“This program helps bridge communities,” Miller said. “The elementary schools have been here for a long time and have a longstanding history and tight-knit community. We want to continue that community and begin growing it before they are even students at World Language Middle School.”
Another benefit to the program is that it is student-led and amplifies student voices. The program exemplifies a whole child focus and strong learning communities in every region and works to increase authentic engagement. Additionally, students embody Portrait of a Graduate attributes of adaptability, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and global empathy.
“We want to continue building relationships so that students coming to middle school will have faces they are familiar with beyond what they would experience during an open house,” Miller said. “Also, even when students are present, the information is mostly exchanged amongst adults. This program shifts that perspective to give students more opportunity to have a voice on both sides of the equation.”