New kindergarten and first-grade students at Christ the King School became a part of the community long before the first bell of the new school year rang on Aug. 14. The school’s Guardian Angel program, a long-standing tradition, pairs fifth- and sixth-grade students with younger students to welcome them before the first day of school.

Clare DiBiase, right, keeps a close eye on her younger friend, Lizzie Nevin, as part of Christ the King School’s Guardian Angel program for new primary grade students.

Guardian Angels meet the students during the summer. The students and their families get together to have ice cream or enjoy an afternoon of bowling. Guardian Angels then meet the younger children daily by the “Angel Pole,” as the year begins, and guide the younger students to their classrooms in addition to being a new friend.

“I love being a Guardian Angel because you get the chance to welcome students into our school. I took my kindergarten student out for ice cream, and it was a lot of fun,” said fifth-grader Clare DiBiase in a news release.