Today is the second day of school for West Central Valley Community Schools, but it’s the first day for a new program at the elementary level. Students at the Dexter and Stuart buildings are starting the weekly Friday Friend Groups.

Dexter Elementary Principal Drew Stonewall explains how the groups are formed and the lessons that are taught. “Basically each teacher has their own group but the group is made up of a couple kids from each grade. So they might have two or three kindergarteners, first graders, second, third, fourth, (and) fifth. And they work on certain ‘Character Counts’ lessons such as respect and trustworthiness.”

Stonewall says he hopes the program will make the school feel more like a community, increase school pride, and develop leadership opportunities for students in the upper grade levels. Each group will meet at the end of each Friday for 30 minutes. There will also be an assembly on the last Friday of every month to recognize students that display the monthly lesson. Along with respect and trustworthiness, the other four Character Counts pillars are responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.