By ETHAN HARTLEY

Data from student surveys handed out before and after SIMS – a week-long summer introductory program held prior to entering their respective middle schools this summer – revealed that the program significantly eased concerns the students had about starting the year at their new school.

Dr. Anne Siesel, Coordinator of Federal Programs and Grants for Warwick Public Schools, reported during the Sept. 25 meeting of the Warwick School Committee that the five highest causes of concern for students entering middle school – getting lost, getting to class, changing classes, fear of failing grades and using lockers – were all reported in significantly lower rates among students exiting the program than when they began.

According to Siesel, concern over getting lost was reduced from 68.4 percent of students to 39 percent; students concerned about getting to classes reduced from 64 percent to 40.8 percent; concern over changing classes were reduced from 56.1 percent to 25.1 percent; concern over grades were reduced from 52 to 39 percent and concerns over using lockers were reduced from 40.2 percent to 31.1 percent.

“We were very happy with that because we were attempting to have students follow a regular schedule and see what a regular day was like in a caring environment and non-threatening environment to sort of ease in,” said Siesel. “We knew we weren’t going to alleviate everybody’s fears, but we certainly reduced them significantly.”

It was the second year of the SIMS program, which began last summer as a pilot program with just 100 kids who would be entering Winman and Vets. Due to construction at Vets, the program was exclusively held at Winman. This summer, the program expanded significantly to 400 students, with over 200 kids that wound up on a waiting list for Vets. The program was held at both schools, meaning students got to actually get a sense for the school they would be attending.

The program cost around $70,000 to pull off this summer, which was primarily paid for through a grant. Busing of the students came out of the school department’s general fund. Siesel said that, as the interest and value of the program has been clearly demonstrated, the hope is to be able to secure a more consistent funding stream and expand the program.

“We can’t always count on grants to pay for it,” she said. “I am taking this evaluation report and am going out to various communities and looking around to see if we can find a permanent benefactor who would be willing to fund this.”

Siesel said the program couldn’t have been successful without the work of program coordinators like Warwick guidance department chair Brenda Resendes, Chief Academic Officer Sheryl Rabbitt and the numerous teachers who assisted in leading demonstration classes and activities. Siesel also commended the 16 eighth graders who performed the role of student ambassadors to help their incoming classmates.

“Without them working together and communicating and following the theme that we came up with, it wouldn’t have been as successful,” Siesel said. “It was a team effort from start to finish.”

Survey results showed that students found the program valuable, as 86.7 percent of the 331 responses gathered at the end of the week reported that the SIMS program was either excellent (45.6 percent) or good (41.1 percent). Another 12 percent said the program was okay.

Parents, too, felt the program was helpful, as 92.2 percent of the 141 parent respondents following the conclusion of the test week of school felt the program made their child more confident on the first real day of school and 92.2 percent, as well, said that they liked the program.

The school committee lauded the program as well, with at-large committee member David Testa saying, “I think this is a model we can use for so much of what we do. It’s not hard to get around the table and talk.”