On the Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus, students in Grades 4 and 5 are embracing leadership through yearlong mentorship programs with Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten students. These older Bulldogs meet regularly with their younger peers, helping them adjust to school life while building friendships and modeling The Bolles Way.

Recent activities have brought these mentorships to life in joyful ways. Grade 5 students shared stories and laughter with their Pre-K buddies during a reading and coloring session on September 19, building early literacy skills and meaningful connections. Meanwhile, Kindergarten and Grade 4 students teamed up as STEAM buddies, enjoying a bracelet-making activity that celebrated creativity, community and friendship.

These mentorships reflect a broader culture of leadership and service that spans all four Bolles campuses. On the Lower School Whitehurst Campus, students take on meaningful roles that promote responsibility and kindness – such as leading morning announcements and Flag, assisting younger students during arrival, participating in cross-grade projects and giving back through campus-wide service initiatives.

Upper school students also play an important part in this leadership journey, often visiting both lower school campuses—as well as the middle school campus—to volunteer and speak with younger Bulldogs. Select eighth graders on the Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus also welcome incoming sixth graders and new students every year as part of the WEB program. WEB, which stands for “Where Everybody Belongs,” is an international middle school program that trains Grade 8 students to mentor sixth graders throughout the first year of their middle school experience.

View more pictures from the Ponte Vedra Beach Campus mentorship programs in our online photo gallery.