- Columbus City Schools
- Newsfeed
CCS Strategic Plan: The Power of One
Page Navigation
Students Leading the Way Through WEB Program at Dominion Middle School
September 13, 2022 -- Helping sixth graders adjust to middle school life and cultivating a sense of belonging is the goal of the WEB program at Dominion Middle School.
WEB, or Where Everyone Belongs, is a nationwide program at the middle school level where eighth graders mentor incoming sixth graders and help them transition from elementary school. Every year, program advisors at Dominion pick a group of about 50 incoming eighth graders who apply to the program.
“We put out an application and invite anyone interested to apply,” said Abby Holmes, a school counselor for Dominion and program advisor. “We ask them a few questions like why they want to become WEB leaders, how they would like to help out, and then based on their answers and teacher recommendations, we pick the newest group of WEB leaders.”
Iris Hambach, Kip Hansen, Shrijana Ghimirui, and Kimberly Gonzalez Pacheco are four of this year’s WEB leaders at Dominion. They applied to the program because they wanted sixth graders to feel welcome.
“I remember when we did orientation,” Ghimirui said. “We were doing activities with the sixth graders, and it was the best part because they were all shy at first, but then they got to know each other and enjoyed the activities.”
Holmes, who has worked at Dominion since 2014, has seen this same benefit over the years. She said she has seen the effects of the program in alleviating first-day jitters from students and parents alike.
“Parents drop off their new sixth graders, and they are super nervous, and students are super anxious coming into the building,” Holmes said. “Then, after picking their kids up from orientation, many parents have called saying their children came out smiling and excited to start school. They say their kids are just overall really happy! I think it’s a good way to get students integrated quickly and feel like this is their new home.”
During the last few years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school conducted WEB orientation virtually. Holmes said her hope for this year is to build a sense of community.
“Building a solid sense of community is important,” she said. “I hope we can build that sense of community and positive feel, and I hope that this can help lower their anxiety in coming back to school.”
Hambach and Gonzalez Pacheco were part of the group of sixth graders who did their orientation online. They said it inspired them to make students feel as welcome as possible.
“When we did WEB when I was in sixth grade, it was online, and there wasn’t a lot of face-to-face communication, so I never got to experience what it was like,” Hambach said. “I wanted to be a WEB leader to see what it would have been like for me if I would have gotten to do it in person.”
Gonzalez-Pacheco said she wanted to give sixth graders the experience she wished she had.
“I never got to experience WEB leaders as a normal thing, so I want sixth graders to experience what I didn’t get to experience,” she said. “I hope they can get something out of it, maybe what I didn’t get out of it when I was in sixth grade.”
Hansen and Ghirmirui were not at Dominion during their sixth-grade year. Still, they hoped to use their experience to help new students adjust.
“I was in Texas for the sixth grade, so I didn’t get to experience it,” Ghirmirui said. “When I moved here in seventh grade, my first thoughts were wondering how I would fit in because people already have their friends, but as soon as I entered the doors, they welcomed me. I felt happy here, and I like this school.”
Hansen said she hopes students will have fun.
“I went to a different school, but I felt bad for those who didn’t get to experience WEB leaders,” she said. “I wanted them to experience what we didn’t get to experience and to make it fun.”
All four WEB leaders recommended the program and encouraged future eighth graders to apply.
“Future eighth graders should become a web leader,” Hambach said. “You have the chance to make sixth graders have a good first impression of middle school, and that’s special.