New BHS Ambassadors Group 'Great Benefit' for New Students

Editor's note: The following is a release from Valley View School District 365U. 

Even though the start of school is still weeks away, several dozen students are hard at work preparing to help make life as easy as possible for classmates who are new to the district for the 2012-13 school year.

Known as BHS Student Ambassadors, the newly formed group is dedicated to fostering support in academic performance, student achievement and social development.

“Many students coming into our district for the first time are in culture shock,” said BHS social worker Julie Mueller, who is a member of the three-person sponsor team. “We plop them in the middle of our school without knowing a soul.”

“Having these great kids reaching out and helping like this will be great for the school and the community,” said BHS Assistant Principal Teno Geritano.

Students were selected from a list of applicants following interviews with their parents, an examination of their character references and personal interviews.

“There aren’t necessarily any requirements except that they are good, responsible people,” Mueller said. “This has nothing to do with their academics.”

Mueller and her co-sponsors, guidance counselor Pete Noel and Spanish teacher Mario Urso, spent most of June 4 with the new Ambassadors detailing expectations and helping them sharpen their skills in preparation for working with students moving in from out of the country, out of state or out of district. Some students are transferring from alternative schools back to BHS.

With assistance from the Guidance Department, the sponsors hope to be able to link each Ambassador with several new students in early August.

“We hope each Ambassador will reach out to the new students as soon as they get their information,” Mueller said. “And then when school starts, they will walk their students to the classroom the first week.”

Plans also call for the Ambassadors to eat breakfast and lunch with their students, attend campus mixers, and go to BHS-sponsored activities such as football games together.

“There will be that familiarity,” Mueller said. “It will give them an opportunity to get involved in things with people they know.”

“This will be a great benefit for the new kids,” Geritano said.

Student Ambassadors include: Esmeralda Barajas, Jasmine Bavaro, Eric Sarpong, Maddie Rollins, Ana Bertha, Alexis Chambers, Nick Cosme, Alexandra Schwartz, Natalie Dominguez, Janae Dunn, Marie Hagenauer, Andrea Hernandez, Abby Kieffer, Heather Kwarten, Natalia Langham, Daizha Mason, Imani Mann, Anh Nguyen, Devin Oliver, Jessica Perez, Alexa Piekarski, Zyren Mae Posadas,  Admaira Roman, Aldo Roman, Michelle Rocha, Paulette Robinson, Sargun Singh, Taelar Scott and Noor Zeenab.