Before Middle and Senior School students arrived for their first day of classes at St. Michaels University School, some of their peers were already on campus preparing to welcome them.
Grade 8 WEB Leaders and Grade 12 Link Leaders returned early for training, learning how to lead activities, facilitate introductions, give engaging campus tours and help new students feel comfortable asking questions. While orientation is designed to be energetic and fun, the students leading it prepare thoughtfully for an important responsibility: helping others find their place within a new school community.
Where Everyone Belongs in Middle School
WEB—short for Where Everyone Belongs—is the Middle School’s student leadership and transition program. Grade 8 WEB Leaders welcome new Middle School students, including those moving from the Junior School and those joining SMUS for the first time. This year’s leaders prepared for the day with guidance from Middle School teachers Mike Danskin and Amy Stark.
During orientation, WEB Leaders help students get to know one another, become familiar with the campus and begin navigating the routines of Middle School. Just as importantly, they offer something only another student can provide: a friendly face who understands what it feels like to be new.
Most memorably, new students parade into the gym through a tunnel formed by WEB Leaders linking their arms overhead, making their way through a stream of bubbles and balloons. The event kicks off with a cartwheel entrance from Richard Brambley, Director of the Middle School, setting an energetic and playful tone for the day ahead.
Creating Connections in Senior School
That same student-led approach continues in the Senior School through the Link Leader program. Before orientation, Link Leaders spent two days working with SMUS staff and faculty Brady Doland, Reagan Daly, Melanie Bendfeld, Nicole Carvalho and Kyle Shaw to prepare for their roles and practice the activities they would lead on the first day of school.
The Grade 12 leaders welcome students entering Senior School—particularly Grade 9 students and new boarding students—and help make a larger and more complex school environment feel a little smaller. Through themed tours, energetic group activities and informal conversations, Link Leaders offer practical guidance while beginning connections that continue throughout the year.
For new students, the programs provide reassurance, encouragement and an immediate sense that there are people looking out for them. For the Grade 8 and Grade 12 leaders, the experience is an opportunity to practise empathy, communication and leadership through service to others.
The first days of school may be the most visible part of WEB and Link, but the relationships do not end with orientation. Leaders reconnect with their groups through activities and informal support throughout the year, providing familiar touchpoints as students encounter new experiences and challenges.
Together, WEB and Link reflect a simple but powerful idea: students are often among the best people to help other students feel that they belong.
