When next year’s freshman class walks through the doors of Lindbergh High School for the first time next fall, they will already know a few upperclassmen and have buddies to help them find their way.

That’s because 115 LHS Link Crew juniors and seniors will be united by a common goal: to help ninth-graders make a successful transition from middle to high school, according to a district news release.

Next year’s Link Crew had its first official meeting during the last week of school. All of the 2013-2014 Link Leaders gathered for the May Play Day, a day of team-building and inspirational activities. Besides welcoming freshmen on the first day of school, Link Crew Leaders stay in touch with their new ninth-grade friends throughout the school year and participate together in organized study sessions and activities.

This year, Link Crew Co-Coordinator Sarah Rausch added another layer to Link Crew — the Assistance Team, or “A Team,” which is a group of current ninth-graders who will be sophomores in the fall. A Team members essentially are Link Crew interns, and students apply for the position by creating YouTube videos about themselves. The A Team helps Rausch with support on tasks related to running Link Crew, and they also serve as a test group for games and activities.

“I’m able to be a better Link leader because I have support with day-to-day logistical tasks,” Rausch stated in the release. “Also, I run games by them and try out ideas ahead of time to see what will work well with the larger Link Crew group.”