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A recent News & Record article describing Guilford County Schools' Newcomers School got Barry Smith and Jarrod Holmes thinking, "How could the Boy Scouts help these students?"

The Newcomers School houses students in grade three through high school who have recently arrived in the U.S.

The students speak English as a second language, most are refugees, and they represent 35 different countries and 25 different languages.

"Our goal is to prepare them for the transition into regular public school classrooms," said principal Jake Henry. The students attend the school for one year.

Holmes, district director for the Old North State Council of Boy Scouts, and Smith, vice president of district operations, talked with Henry, who jumped at the chance to have the Boy Scouts involved with his students.

"They have the resources to do team-building activities that we can't do on our campus," Henry said.

Several local troops and Boy Scout volunteers are involved in the effort.

"There are things they've never experienced that Scouts do every month," Smith said. "We wanted to give them a taste of that and expose them to something very traditionally American."

The Scouts organize two to three activities a year with the school to give the students the opportunity to learn about things such as branding, crafts, knot-tying, fishing, archery, pitching a tent and more.

"We plan games and activities which provide students opportunities to become a team," said Lee Long, assistant scoutmaster of Troop 101.

Four busloads of Newcomer students participated in activities this fall at the Woodfield Scout Preservation.

Eighteen-year-old Quinn Wagner, a Scout since age 7 and now an assistant scoutmaster for Troop 101, said he learned it's not as easy to overcome the language and cultural barriers as he thought.

"Once you get the message across with body language and doing by example, teamwork follows, and they all understand we're on the same team," Wagner said. "I enjoy helping others and passing along the experience of Scouting."

The Scouts do not wear their uniforms while working with the students.

"Many are from countries where they were suppressed by their government," Long said.

Henry believes leaving the school campus and working with boys close to their own age allows students to let their defenses down.

"I realized they spoke more English than I thought because they're so at ease," Henry said with a laugh. "This really encourages the building of self-esteem."

Henry said he looks forward to continuing the Newcomers School's partnership with the Boy Scouts.

The Scouts also provide the students with materials to have their own Scouting program or become involved regularly with a local troop.

"I love to see the smile on their face when they learn to tie a square knot," Smith said. "To have a hand in that is wonderful."

Holmes agreed.

"I'd love to see some of these kids become enamored with Scouting," he said.

Contact Jennifer Atkins Brown at 574-5582 or jennifer.brown@news-record.com.