Dalers Take Charge With Smiles And Enthusiasm

The Howitt Middle School Fun Bunch is a remarkable group of student leaders recommended by their teachers. During the summer, the Fun Bunch members engage in team-building activities such as relay races, pizza tag, group projects, and tie-dying. They also undergo leadership training while completing about 30 hours of community service. These activities help to sharpen their leadership skills, foster teamwork and prepare them for their responsibilities in the upcoming academic year.

One of the critical responsibilities of the Fun Bunch is to create a welcoming environment for incoming 6th-grade students. The group achieves this by painting hundreds of welcome signs around the school, placing personalized notes in each 6th-grade student’s locker, distributing QR Code magnets with after-school club schedules, and teaching students how to open combination locks. These small but impactful gestures significantly help students transition from elementary to middle school.

However, the Howitt Fun Bunch volunteers provide the most impactful community service is the one-on-one tours of HMS. During these personalized tours of student schedules, incoming sixth graders can ask any questions they want about HMS. Our student leaders can demonstrate that HMS is a fun, creative, and friendly school. The tours provide an excellent opportunity for the students to get a feel for the school environment, ask questions and learn about the school’s culture from their peers. Ultimately, the Fun Bunch is a fantastic initiative that helps students transition to middle school and fosters a welcoming and inclusive school community.

For more information about the Farmingdale Union Free School District, please visit the district’s website at https://www.farmingdaleschools.org and like our Facebook page: @FarmingdaleSchoolDistrict.