In a few weeks the annual return of students back to school commences:  welcome to the new incoming freshman and 6th graders as well as the returning upperclassmen.  It is a moment of nervousness and excitement and the faces of students (and parents) display both!  The new year is ahead; students hopeful for class subjects they can pass and at least one friend in each.  There is also the angst of the new: new peers, new teachers and classrooms and new school and surroundings.

In the midst of all this commotion and jumble are the Campus Life staff and volunteers to share a welcome and reassuring smile, encourage fearful students and rekindle friendships with those returning. Oscar was one such incoming 6th grader; anxiety and confusion marked his features.  A simple, “Good morning, can I help you?” established a welcome that started a conversation and swayed his discomfort toward momentary ease.  This simple interaction established a relationship that was continued in the lunchroom and into Campus Life. Now in high school, Oscar comes back to Club as a student leader on the same campus where he was welcomed years ago.

This has been one of my favorite school year rituals.  It is a moment for us to serve the school in a very tangible way and to be present in the lives of the students at a time when anxiety is high. Just as it is a new school year for students and faculty, it is also a new year for us.  We exhibit the same conflicting feelings as well: how will the students respond to us? Will we be greeted with excitement by returning students or given the cold shoulder?  

Yet, we go… because we pursue opportunities to initiate friendships with students and the school community.  This is the commencement of the school year ministry and the opportunity for us to say, “Hey, welcome to school.  My name is…”

Would you like to be a part of the team that brings relationships to young people in schools across Pierce County this fall? Click here to learn more.