Albuquerque Public Schools
Caught – and Helped – in a WEB
Sixth-graders’ sense of belonging is the aim of a district-wide program.
The newbies paraded into Jefferson Middle School’s gym – some terrified, some excited, some confused – not knowing what to expect.
It didn’t take long for Superintendent Gabriella Blakey and a bunch of neon-shirted eighth graders to set the sixth graders straight.
Their message? You. Are. Not. Alone.
Schools throughout APS on Wednesday debuted the Where Everybody Belongs effort – a proven middle school transition push meant to connect middle school newcomers at a critical time. A good start at sixth grade is critical, and schools don’t want any student – not one – to feel like they’re on an island.
With that as prologue, Superintendent Blakey welcomed hundreds of Jefferson sixth graders to the gym, and immediately gave them a homework assignment: meet at least three people they didn’t know, and then tell their families who they met.
It wasn’t the toughest ask in the world. The gym bleachers at Jefferson were dotted with neon-shirted eighth graders, all determined to welcome the sixth graders, introduce them to others and to show them around the campus.
Helping students to meet and greet and feel welcomed is just part of Where Everybody Belongs. It’s not a program; it’s a way of operating at a school. Leaders throughout the year regularly check in with their assigned sixth graders, and even work on peer-led academic and life skill lessons.
And this year, every middle school in the district is taking part, said Associate Superintendent Kenneth Salazar.
Roosevelt and Eisenhower have pioneered WEB in previous years, and found great success in terms of students’ sense of belonging – a key tenet of Albuquerque Public Schools’ Goal 4.
Salazar pointed to Roosevelt’s results – the highest sense of belonging statistics – as a guiding light for other schools that debuted WEB on Wednesday, the day before the 2025-26 school year begins.
“What (Roosevelt Principal) Dave Roberts says is that the culture has changed ever since they started in sixth grade,” Salazar said. “Those sixth graders, they want to become WEB leaders. So when they (get to) eighth grade, they give back to the sixth graders. It’s like every single grade level. They rarely have discipline issues. Their sense of belonging is super high. If you look at their Goal 4 statistics, to any other middle school, it’s the highest.”
Middle school is a critical push for APS in any year, but particularly this one. The district is debuting the New Education Workforce Initiative at six middle schools, in which teachers will operate on a team approach, both to know and help their students more effectively, but also to reduce instructors’ feelings of isolation.
WEB approaches those concerns from the student side. Being a WEB leader is not just a designation – students clamor to apply, and from the greeting the eighth graders gave to their new schoolmates, were excited to show them around their campus.
“Middle school is sometimes a really exciting time for students, but also some of them are scared because it’s something new, different, they're going to different classes,” said Dr. Blakey, herself a former middle school principal. “And so, being really able to offer this opportunity to students to get a sense of belonging, get to know their teachers … it’s also a great way for eighth graders to mentor other students.”
Salazar said WEB has other possibilities beyond middle school, noting pressure points like senior/freshman connections in high school, or fifth grade/kindergarten links in elementary. From the looks of relief on some of the new Jefferson Middle School Jets Wednesday, the program offers a welcoming safety net of friendship and experience on an exciting new chapter.
As the dawn of a new school year approached, Dr. Blakey saw it that way as well.
“The first day of school, personally, is always something as an educator I always look forward to,” she said. “It’s kind of like our Jan. 1.”