• Freshman find support in fellow students.Peninsula High School’s Linkcrew program put on the Back To Zoo BBQ on Sept. 29 for all freshman.
Linkcrew is a program that is implemented across high schools nationwide. The program aims to help freshmen adjust to high school and incorporate them with upper classmen.
A Linkcrew leader is a position open to juniors and seniors who have an interest in helping the freshmen. These students go through a series of tryouts in April and those who make the program start to prepare for the new freshmen class in May.
Even before school starts, Linkcrew members put in time and effort to prepare for their new freshmen. Through two days of training, these leaders learn important leadership skills and learn diverse ways to help freshmen. The leaders then use these techniques in the freshmen orientation, which takes place the day after registration.
At orientation, two Linkcrew leaders are paired together and each pair has a group of 10 students. Large classes of more than 600 students require there to be more than 120 students involved in Linkcrew as leaders.
Throughout the year the leaders are responsible for making sure that their 10 freshmen are having an easy adjustment into high school and incorporate them into the high school environment by informing them and encouraging their presence at school events
Linkcrew hosts several events throughout the year, including Cookies and Cram — a way to help freshmen study for their first set of finals — lunchtime events in the amphitheater, and their biggest event: Freshfest.
Freshfest is a week-long event meant solely to represent the freshmen at Peninsula. Throughout this week, the leaders have lunchtime activities and decorate the school according to the theme of the event. The week ends with a big event on that Friday night that provides food for the freshmen and has bouncy houses, music and photo booths.
Linkcrew is an important program for all high schools. It aids those who have no prior experience with the high school environment feel more welcome during one of the toughest transitions of adolescence. At Peninsula, the program does just that.
– Lily Shaw
