At Frisco ISD middle schools, students have a lot of supporters in their corner — teachers, counselors and more, helping them navigate a new campus and new routines. At Wester Middle School, they have another group of supporters: the PALs of Centennial High School.
PALs — high schoolers in the Peer Assistance and Leadership program — are leaders on their campuses, creating a positive school climate and modeling responsibility for their peers and younger students. They receive six weeks of peer mentorship training before being matched with students at feeder elementary campuses, which makes the Wester-Centennial partnership unique.
“This has been such an amazing experience to partner with CHS and build this program at the middle school level,” said LeShae Belt, a counselor at Wester.
In August, Centennial PALs fill out a questionnaire for Wester counselors to match them with sixth grade “PALees,” identified for the program by staff at Wester and feeder elementary schools. Matched students meet weekly at Wester, doing everything from homework to playing games to just talking.
And all of the matched students are benefiting: While high schoolers strengthen their leadership and communication skills, sixth graders gain another person to turn to as they navigate middle school.
“PALs gives Wester students someone else to connect with in school,” LeShae said. “They learn how to engage with other people and how to interact in groups, how to lean into someone else's thoughts and views.”
Matches were announced this month at Wester during a high-energy, pep rally-style “draft.” After PALs/PALees were drafted into pairs or trios, they ran between two rows of students whooping and cheering, slapping high-fives down the line.
They then broke off to create a secret handshake and chat about their favorite ice cream and TV shows. These conversations were short, but just the start of a yearlong journey.
In one corner of the Wester gym was Centennial senior Riley Zhao, doing cartwheels with her PALee as part of their handshake.
Riley heard about the program from one of her cheer teammates and instantly signed up, wanting to be able to support students facing the same anxieties she had at their age.
“I think it’s easier for younger students to talk to high school students because there is less of an age gap than if they were talking to an adult,” she said. “They usually see us as more relatable and are able to open up more to us when they feel they can trust us. I like to do that by sharing similar experiences.”
Henry Hill and Mackenzie Reeves, Centennial coaches and PALs teachers, are excited for the year ahead and the growth they expect to see in students like Riley.
“Our Centennial PALS are awesome this year,” Hill said. “We have great officers that have set the tone early to be great role models and build leadership skills, while Wester students get someone they can connect with and look up to.”
Their PALs students were just as pumped up as the Wester students for draft day.
“It’s the most exciting day in PALs,” Riley said. “I was so nervous and excited to find out who my PALee was. Even though we only hung out for a little bit, I am so excited to return and get to learn more about her!”
LeShae said that Wester PALees really seem to enjoy playing games and spending time with their PALs, because that is where the most social learning and leadership building takes place.
Centennial PALs teachers have noticed the same about their own students.
“Seeing the relationships they build throughout the year is what makes the partnership so special,” Hill said.
- Rachel McReynolds