Dublin High School’s Freshman Mentor Program Welcomes the Class of 2021

DUBLIN, CA–Now in its third year, Dublin High School’s Freshman Mentor Program (FMP) continues to provide each freshman with a welcoming and supportive environment that helps ease their transition from middle school to high school. Incoming FMP mentors and some faculty advisors attended an orientation at the District Office on Wednesday, August 9 to kick off the program for the 2017-2018 school year, as well as prepare for the upcoming freshman orientation on August 11.

FMP was started in 2015 by Dublin High English teacher Jennifer Angel-Diaz and then-Vice Principal Maureen Byrne, in an effort to help support and guide freshmen as they navigate through their first year of high school.

FMP is intended to nurture the “personal, social and academic growth” of each freshman “through an ongoing orientation that includes information about school policies, procedures and programs, academic and social counseling and relationship building through upperclassmen mentors.” Freshmen are grouped by counselor into FMP Advisories, each of which have about 26-30 students, and meet during the first 20 minutes of lunch every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Each advisory is led by 5-6 junior and senior student mentors and a faculty advisor. This year, there are about 148 mentors and 28 faculty advisors for 806 incoming freshmen.

The orientation began with opening remarks by FMP directors Ms. Angel-Diaz and Ms. Sara Hollison, followed by a presentation from student members of the FMP Executive Board. Student mentors then participated in several team-building exercises and prepared for the freshman orientation on Friday. The mentors learned information regarding the structure of the program, as well as strategies for successful advisories — all in all, to make it a smooth and enjoyable transition for incoming freshmen.