Eighth-graders at Rockwood South Middle School will spend Tuesday, August 11, learning how to welcome the building's newest students when the school year begins later this month.

The training is part of WEB (Where Everyone Belongs), a national transition program that pairs older student leaders with incoming sixth-graders to ease the jump to middle school. The Aug. 11 session at the Fenton campus runs in morning and afternoon blocks starting at 8:30 a.m.

The student training day lands in the middle of a busy preparation stretch for Rockwood R-VI, St. Louis County's largest school district. New Teacher Orientation is already underway as of Friday, Aug. 7.

Superintendent Dr. Curtis Cain set the tone for the year at the district's Administrative Conference on July 21-22 at Eureka High, where more than 150 administrators, staff members and Board of Education directors gathered. "I am so excited to come back together as a team to plan how we can best support our students, staff and each other in the coming school year," Cain said at the conference, as reported in a district news post.

Once trained, WEB leaders serve as mentors throughout the school year, not just on the first day. Rockwood South Middle's website separately lists a "WEB Day" for sixth-graders and a sixth-grade orientation as distinct upcoming events, though specific dates for those have not been announced.

What families should know: The first day of school is Monday, Aug. 24. Families can find school-specific supply lists on the Rockwood district website at rsdmo.org.