Ninth-grade Peer Educators from Syosset High School visited third-graders at J. Irving Baylis Elementary School in the Syosset Central School District over the course of four days to teach students about friendship, accepting others, bullying and the steps of conflict resolution.
The Peer Educators visit all seven of the district’s elementary schools as part of the program throughout the winter and spring. The ninth-graders participate in a full yearlong class, part of a four-year series, where they learn crucial communications, public speaking and leadership skills, as well as teamwork and confidence building. In order to be considered for the class, students must submit an application, obtain teacher recommendations and go through a panel interview. Next year, a second session of the class will be added due to high demand, which will enable the ninth-graders to focus on peer-to-peer programs on the high school level. The program supports the districtwide character education program PRIDE, which stands for patience, respect, integrity, dignity and empathy. PRIDE encourages students to display positive behavior both in and out of school.
