DERRY — With the new Pinkerton Academy Mentor Program, faculty are hoping to ease the transition for incoming freshmen as they move from smaller middle schools to the larger high school in the fall.

The key component to the program is training upperclassmen student mentors to help the freshman with that transition.

Pinkerton teachers Roger Konstant and Brewster Bartlett have been training more than 70 students over the past quarter. Once trained, the upperclassmen will be able to help lead freshman seminars next fall.

The program takes pressure off the teachers who have been leading the seminars and also gives the freshmen more peer-to-peer contact and insight on how the school really works, according to Konstant.

The seminars cover topics such as reviewing handbooks and planners, study skills, club information, bullying implications and overall school rules.

“The upperclassmen will meet with the freshmen twice a week, and we also hope they spend time with them in the lunchrooms and the hallways,” said Konstant. “That’s where they are really needed. The students are really excited about this and are looking forward to it.”

As the mentoring program progresses, Konstant said he would like to see the upperclassmen train additional students to help them in the mentoring process with the freshmen.

In addition to helping the transition for the younger students, Konstant said the program helps the mentors become better leaders and public speakers.

Sophomore Amy Soraghan said she decided to get involved as a mentor after hearing about her brother’s experience in the freshman seminars this year.

“The kids were disruptive and not learning,” she said. “At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to join as a mentor, but then I thought that if there were other kids talking to the freshmen, they would be more receptive.”

Sophomore Anisha Mendonca said she signed up for the program to help improve her public speaking and leadership skills, and to help prepare the freshmen for their time at Pinkerton Academy.

The mentors are expected to work with the seminar groups four days a week, working alongside a faculty member for one seminar period.

Students who complete the training and take part in the program through the first semester of next year will earn a quarter credit.

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Adam Swift may be reached at aswift@newstote.com.