Centralight

CMU Today Making more than the grade Will my locker open? Who will I sit by for lunch? What happens if I can't find my classroom? CMU teacher education students took the guessing out of the questions many middle- school kids have during their first day. They helped ease the tension and anxiety for Mount Pleasant area students as they transitioned into middle school. Organized by CMU students, Transitions Camp – now in its third year – is a weeklong day camp for seventh- graders heading to Mount Pleasant's West Intermediate School for the first time this fall. Enrollment in the camp has doubled since it first began in 2009. The team of CMU student counselors focused on the basics of getting ready for middle school: finding classes, managing time, and a number of other hands-on learning activities in math, social studies, science and language arts. "Transitions Camp helps the students create new friendships and know more familiar faces for the first days of the school year, and this is very important for these kids," says CMU teacher education professor Norma Bailey. The CMU students – who are in the middle-level endorsement program, which prepares them to work with fifth- through ninth-graders – also find value in leading the camps because it CMU traditions, build friendships and learn leadership skills – like time management and teamwork. This fall nearly 1800 freshman and transfer students gathered on the Mount Pleasant campus to learn Leading and learning featured more than 30 activities and performers. "Leadership Safari is incredible," says CMU 2011's Leadership Safari, a weeklong event, ready to learn about CMU. The people here have so much positive energy and it is contagious. Student Government Association President Vince Cavataio, who attended opening day activities. Everyone is excited to be here and That explains why Leadership Safari is the largest freshman leadership event of any in the nation." supported by the Leadership Institute, Leadership Safari began in 1997 with 65 participants. • Sponsored by the Office of Residence Life and Faculty and staff members meet with students during Leadership Safari's Pizza with Professionals event. centralight winter '11 3 gives them real experience in planning lessons, managing a classroom, and using a number of different ideas and theories in teaching. CMU senior Chad Crary said he was excited to work with the kids. "They're smiling, and we can hear confidence in their voices now," Crary says. "In the end, this is why we do what we do. It's very rewarding." •

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