Wester sixth graders gain weekly mentors from Centennial High

Sixth graders at Wester Middle School are getting a weekly visit from someone who has already navigated the jump to a bigger campus: a student mentor from Centennial High School.

The Frisco ISD partnership pairs younger students with members of Centennial’s Peer Assistance and Leadership program, or PALs. Visits at Wester can include homework, games and conversation, the district reported Oct. 19, 2026.

High school mentors receive six weeks of training before being matched. Wester counselors use their questionnaires to arrange pairings with sixth graders identified by school staff. PALs usually work with feeder elementary schools, according to the district, making the middle-school partnership a different approach.

Students met their matches in October at a pep-rally-style gathering. Pairs and trios created handshakes and began getting acquainted ahead of a year of visits.

For the younger students, the program offers another person to turn to during the transition to middle school. For the Centennial mentors, it provides practice in listening, communicating and leading. Those are the goals described by the district, rather than measured results from an evaluation.

Source: Frisco ISD.