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NORTH ATTLEBORO - After sending a bowling ball down the lane and picking up a spare, North Attleboro Middle School student Matt Conway joyfully began high-fiving his fellow classmates.

Conway, who has Down syndrome, was greeted with cheers and hugs from a big contingent of both mainstream and special needs students from the school.

It's just the kind of moment that teacher Julie Etter and special education teacher Becky Fisher were hoping to create when they started the Best Pals program at the school this year.

Through the program, special education students are paired with typical middle school students. The students get together for activities on Wednesdays and Fridays - which can include anything from training for the Special Olympics to just having a snack together.

"We watched similar programs in other schools, and knew it was something we wanted to do here," Etter said. "It helps the special education students socially by getting them out of the classroom and giving them exposure to the rest of the school." Eighth-grader Joe Piantedosi, who is paired with Matt Conway, said he has enjoyed participating in the program. It has created a friendship that will continue even as Piantedosi moves on to high school next next year.

"It's been a lot of fun," he said during a break at North Bowl on Route 1. "He's a lot of a fun - sometimes (Matt) can be grumpy, but we're all like that.

"In my eighth-grade graduation essay, I wrote about Matt and said he feels like he's a son to me. Before Best Pals, I had no clue who Matt was, but now I'll definitely come back to visit him next year."

The regular education students who participated were hand-picked by Etter and Fisher as matches for the special education students.

Some were straight-A honors students, some were average students, others were students who had their own behavioral issues.

"Basically anyone we thought would benefit from serving as a role model," Etter said.

The pairings were beneficial for all students: Grades improved for some of the typical students, while the special education students were able to interact with more people.

Eighth-grader Ryan Roche said he was excited to be picked for the program.

"I was chosen to be a role model," he said. "I was glad to be picked because I like helping people out, especially people who may not have the same opportunities that I do."

Roche, who was paired with special needs student John Kelly, said he has learned a lot during his year of serving as a Best Pal. "John and I are similar in a lot of ways. We both have a lot of of energy and we usually want things done our own way," he said.

Fisher said that the special education students really look forward to the activities with their Best Pals.

"My kids ask me every day, 'Is today the day our best pals are coming?'" Fisher said.

Etter added, "It's been amazing. Some of the special education students were in a classroom all day with the same 10 people. Now, they're walking through the halls high-fiving everyone like they're the mayor.

"It's been really great and brought a lot of pride into the schools."

As word about the program spread, students throughout the middle school were asking to participate.

Among them was Liz Wallace, an eighth-grader who joined the Best Pals program after friends raved about it. After seeing some of the everyday challenges her best pal Katie faces, Wallace said it helped her see things from a new perspective.

"It's incredible. It's really changed me as a person," she said. "It made me realize how lucky I am."