Children live with stress. Most stressors involve a transition of some kind. Stress and change often go hand in hand. For a child, moving away from a school and/or home can be traumatic. Middle school is a difficult period of transition for most children. Moving to a new community and being the new student in middle school can be not only stressful but frightful as well.

Cheney Middle School wants to make new students feel welcome and help them develop some attachment to their new surroundings. The primary responsibility of a student ambassador is to serve as a new student mentor. Specific duties are:

• act as hosts for building tours, new student orientations, special events and open house

• be information givers at special events (i.e. Mix-It-Up Day, 5th Grade Orientation)

• guide new students around the school and introduce him/her to students and teachers

• eat lunch with the new student

• arrange for the student to attend a school event

• make a follow-up phone call to the assigned student

• be a positive representative of the school