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There’s a brown box labeled “Tiger Team Mailbox” sitting on a desk against the wall on the second floor of Mason Crest Elementary School in Annandale, Virginia.
The box was created for students new to the Fairfax County school, offering them an opportunity to write letters to their peers on the Tiger Team with questions or concerns as they get acclimated.
Wearing red shirts with the word “welcome” printed in different languages on the back, 16 fifth graders are paired with students who are newly enrolled at the school. They lead personalized tours, and act as a sounding board for students as they begin to adjust.
The program started last year as part of a plan to help new students feel like they belong, according to Ellyn Pearson, who teaches multilingual learners.
That mission is critical. During the 2023-24 school year, the campus reported a mobility rate of over 21%, meaning many students come in and out of the school during the academic year. That’s compared to the 13.25% mobility rate across Fairfax County Public Schools.
“What we wanted to do was get our fifth graders as our leadership group,” Pearson said, “to work on welcoming all students that came to Mason Crest, whether they’re from a military family or coming from another country, we wanted them to have a place and a space here at our school.”
When Joey Vide welcomed a new peer, Christian, to the school campus, he became more confident and considered himself a role model.
Beyond the tour, the fifth graders answer questions focusing on topics the new students may be worried about, such as what clubs are offered and how many times a week students go to the library.
“Making friends, that’s the big one,” Vide said. “It’s hard to make friends when you’re the new guy, so you just got to get used to it.”
To help with that, Vide tries to wave whenever he sees Christian in the hallway.
Larken Gilbert also waves to the student she works with and makes sure to ask how their day has been going.
“They feel welcomed, and they feel glad they have someone who knows the school a lot,” Gilbert said. “They know the person to help them.”
The fifth graders had to apply to be part of the program, and the group has meetings twice a month. The goal is to not only help new students feel connected to the school building, but also to introduce them to other students in the building.
While the approach focuses on new students, it helps the fifth graders build leadership skills as they prepare for middle school, said Monica Buckhorn, a fifth-grade teacher.
“They could also learn to be taking some of these skills with them, learn how to be welcoming as they’re entering a new school, and then also helping to welcome others,” Buckhorn said.
During one tour, a new second grader was amazed by the gym. There are flags on display, and he was struck to see his country’s flag. He was proud to make the connection.
“We’ve taken the surveys that kids tell us, ‘Yes, I have a friend, and yes, I have a connection,’” Pearson said. “So it’s been really great.”
Dean Katsikes-Newman said he wanted to be part of the program “to help new people and make new friends.”
Sofia, meanwhile, “felt it was important for other people to feel welcome.”
For some new students, Kaia Daniels said, “It’s hard for them if they speak a different language to be welcome, and that’s what we try to do, to help them feel welcome, even if they’re coming from a different place.”