Everyone knows the horrible feeling of being new to something and feeling lost. Regardless of what that new challenge may be (as life always seems to present new ones), the fear of unfamiliarity is something that we can all attest to, and something that doesn’t go away overnight. In those moments when you feel lost and feel like giving up, sometimes all you need is a friend – someone who can give you reassurance and show you how to make the best of a scary situation. Sometimes all it takes is one friendly face to completely change our perspective on everything going on in our lives.
At Fenwick, we understand that the transition from middle school to high school is one of the biggest changes in anyone’s life, and something that can take a lot of getting used to. However, one of the biggest aspects of Fenwick life is community; the idea that no one who calls themself a Friar should ever feel like they have to face a problem on their own. That principle is the reason for Fenwick’s SHIELD program, and the reason that so many people are so proud to call themselves Friars.
As the 2025-2026 school year begins and Fenwick welcomes in a new batch of Friars in the Class of 2029, the SHIELD program will officially be starting up again shortly. For one late start morning every month, the Class of 2029 will join together with a group of upperclassmen and staff members to participate in various games and activities to help them find new faces in this field of Friars, and ultimately build meaningful relationships.
Fenwick has had this program since 2018. Although Fenwick has seen many changes in the past years, SHIELD has always been a constant. The heads of the program, Ms. Mary Visteen and Ms. Kate Whitman, have been planning since March, and many hours have been put in by both student and adult mentors; 175 applications were submitted this year, and only 93 were accepted. The 93 Friars that were accepted were said to have the traits of the best leaders, and the leaders that Fenwick needs in its community.
So now for the important question: why SHIELD? Why should students, parents, and even faculty/alumni care about SHIELD?
“It’s a program that helps both students and parents feel reassured as the high school journey begins,” said Mr. Tim Menich, the head of Fenwick’s science department and the adult mentor for Team Navy. Being a freshmen biology teacher means that Mr. Menich teaches and interacts with freshmen everyday; so when asked about why the program is so important for freshmen, he said that it helps freshmen to “build confidence, make connections, and learn the habits they need to be successful.”
However, it’s not just the faculty members and the mentors who believe in SHIELD, but it’s also the freshmen themselves who have felt the positive effects of SHIELD. Freshman Mason Aguilera said his first day of SHIELD “basically brought me around to all my classes so the first day I knew where I was going, which saved me a ton of time.”
If nothing else, SHIELD teaches you this: if you are willing to invest your time and energy into Fenwick’s community, then you will be repaid in more incredible ways than you ever could have imagined. If the Class of 2029 continues to keep an open mind and an open heart as they participate in SHIELD for the rest of the year, they will in turn receive the support and guidance that they need during the transition into high school.
As Fenwick continues to evolve and change, SHIELD will always be a constant, and as a result, so will Fenwick’s drive to help every student that walks through their doors feel a sense of belonging and worth in and outside of the classroom.
