FCPS Elementary Creates `Tiger Team' of Students to Welcome Newcomers
Being the new kid in school is never easy. At Mason Crest Elementary School in Annandale, the Tiger Team is out to change that.
Mason Crest sees a lot of changes in their student population every year. During the 2023-24 school year, Mason Crest had a 21.7% mobility rate (a measure of how many students move in and out of a school during the school year), almost double the average mobility rate of 13.25% across Fairfax County Public Schools.
A year ago, three Mason Crest teachers — fifth grade teacher Monica Buckhorn, and multilingual learner teachers Ellyn Pearson and Kimberley Mathews — came up with the idea of creating a student-led welcome committee to boost community, assist new students in adapting to their school, and hopefully improve attendance rates simultaneously.
They received applications from 26 existing students, all of whom answered questions about how they believed they met Tiger Team requirements such as “I am a good communicator” and “I am kind.” The team was formed and got to work.
“We had students receiving special education services, students in advanced academics, students who were learning English, students of all different economic backgrounds and races apply to be part of this group,” said Pearson, who is also the equity lead at Mason Crest. “They all really embraced each other to show pride in our school.”
Then the group mapped out goals and plans for the year — which included having team members give a tour to every new student when they started at the school, building a mailbox for students to leave notes to communicate with Tiger Team members, representing Mason Crest at school events and being a friendly face for new students in need of help during the school day.
The Tiger Team’s work highlights one way in which Mason Crest is meeting the FCPS Strategic Plan’s Goal #2 - “Safe, Supported, Included and Empowered,” by amplifying student voice, honoring student identity and experiences, and ensuring well-being in an inclusive school culture.
In November, fifth graders and Tiger Team members Sawyer Clark and Anaya Waseem had the privilege of leading one of the first new students of the year, first grader Abdias Gomez, on a tour of Mason Crest.
“We’ve both been here for 7 years!” Anaya said to Abdias. “My name is Anaya, I’m in the classroom right next to you so if you have anything you need, I’m right here.”
As they weaved through hallway after hallway with Abdias, Sawyer said he was careful to ensure they walked alongside the new first grader and matched his pace. Sawyer reflected on the reasons he joined the Tiger Team.
“Sometimes I feel a little embarrassed when I walk into a room and I don’t know anybody or what they're playing,” he said. “I thought that I don’t want others to feel that way.”
Both Anaya and Sawyer proudly showed off Mason Crest.
“This is the library, we have a bunch of books, this is the nonfiction section — all about true things that have happened,” Sawyer said. “Do you play soccer? I play football too!”
Anaya jumped in: “Do you speak Spanish? Should we show him where the Spanish books are?”
Sawyer pointed out the counselor’s office as they passed: “The counselor is kind of like a place to express your feelings. If you’re sad you can go here and tell them and they’ll help.”
To Abdias, the highlight of the tour, however, was the gym, he said. Adorned with flags from many different countries, he lit up when he saw a flag from Guatemala, where he was born.
“It felt good to get a tour, I liked everything,” Abdias said. “When we saw the library, I saw Dog Man, my favorite books, and now I know where to find those ones here.”
These small connections and familiarities will hopefully make new students feel they belong at Mason Crest, fifth grade teacher Buckhorn said. And they’ll also pay off for the Tiger Team members when they head to middle school next year, she says.
“It’s an opportunity for our students to shine, they brainstormed ways to make students feel more comfortable, devised surveys to give to new students to see if they’re being effective, worked on conversational skills like how to introduce yourself, how to make someone feel welcome,” Buckhorn said. “These are all skills that will benefit the Tiger Team students themselves in the future too.”
The surveys administered last year showed the Tiger Team was having an impact, Mathews said.
“We didn’t have ANY students say they didn’t make a friend or didn’t have an adult they could trust in the building,” she said. “Anything we can do to make school more fun or to make kids feel like they belong here, we certainly try to do that.”
Learn more about progress on the FCPS Strategic Plan’s Goal #2: Safe, Supported, Included and Empowered.
