Mr. McComsey has initiated the new Mentoring Program at DHS East. The program was made to help new freshmen feel safe and included. Select upperclassmen have been trained to be paired with freshmen and help navigate their high school life. The upperclassmen were trained by the CCIU and practiced team building exercises at Paradise Farms. This past April on Move Up Day the upperclassmen were introduced to their freshmen. The mentors will meet with their assigned freshmen throughout the year. 

“It actually wasn’t my idea, it was a student’s idea,” said Mr. McComsey, Assistant Principal. The program was constructed by the school’s student leaders. The group felt it was a need for the school. They based the need off the fact that many freshmen did not have many people to go to. It was meant to be a way to transition freshmen into high school. 

Upperclassmen striving to be mentors had to fill out an application made by the student leaders that had certain criteria needed. The upperclassmen were then interviewed by the student leaders, Ms. Welch, Ms. Whalen, Mr. McComsey, and Mr. Hurley. All of the freshmen class will take part in the mentoring program.

“I think this year will definitely be a trial and error. We’re seeing some things we want to change along the way, different ways we tweak it so, after each mentoring day I have a feedback session with a couple of the teachers that are involved and we discuss ways to improve each mentoring day. I think it will probably take a couple of years to really get concrete,” said Mr. McComsey. The freshmen have taken part in Google surveys after they meet with their mentoring groups and the school has received positive feedback. The students believe that roughly 70% see a value in having the program. 

The program will be done each year from now on and the school is hoping to expand to more mentors and teachers. The school reportedly has roughly eighty-five mentors and a dozen teachers involved. 

The newly introduced mentoring program at Downingtown East has already received a lot of positive feedback and made dozens of freshmen’ transition into high school more welcoming.