Mentorship program at Avondale Middle School connects students, firefighters FOX 10's Anita Roman reports. AVONDALE, Ariz. - A unique mentorship program connecting firefighters and middle school students in Avondale is starting its second year, establishing a long-lasting relationship with one school and the city's fire department. The campus of Avondale Middle School is home to roughly 400 sixth through eighth graders. "Kids are facing so many challenges nowadays, whether it's social media, whether it's drugs and alcohol, whether it's truancy," said Lillian Linn, principal of Avondale Middle School. "There's so much out there that kids have to face nowadays that wasn't out there when we were growing up."