We are grieving the loss of a lovely young woman from LHS. Her name is Kailia and indications are that it was by suicide. Our hearts go out to the family, staff, and students at LHS and all those who have been touched by the trauma of this loss. We greatly appreciate the outpouring of … Read more
Here is a great resource to be aware of. There is an organization called Only 7 Seconds (focus on relationships, mental health) that our district is connecting with through the Northwest Conference and our athletic programs. Explore more at their website www.only7seconds.com Jeff and Diana Bedlington (Cascade Farms) are sponsoring this initiative due to their own personal … Read more
Stories to share: Mentees care about their Mentors, too! A mentor had surgery this month and let her student know they would not be able to meet for a couple weeks while she recovered. The student made a “Get Well” card for their mentor and BTO mailed it to the mentor. The mentor loved her … Read more
Stories to Share Impact Beyond Mentoring One mentor received a huge surprise in the mail. A former mentee had sent her a heartwarming letter. The mentee has been struggling since she moved away. She was facing a new school and some other major changes in her life. She even experienced some hardship from the floods … Read more
Stories & snippets A new match at the middle school brought with it a shift in attitude by a 6th grade student. His music teacher reported that Albert had been disengaged and not willing to participate in class. His meeting with his mentor was during part of music class, and after he began meeting with his … Read more
GENERAL UPDATE: April seems to be the calm before the storm- in this case the storm is just all the end of year wrap up stuff. Each of the nine pairs met in April despite spring sports schedules, spring break, sickness, and other things that pop up in spring time. Coming down the pike we … Read more
Stories to share: Amazing updates I received an email earlier this month from a mentor that started this way: “I know you appreciate hearing updates about former mentees!” This mentor went on to share with me details about their on-going friendship and how this young woman has moved on since high school. The mentee is almost finished with … Read more
Stories to share: Directing Students to Healthy Choices BTO mentors received a Domestic Abuse training in 2019 that explained the signs and cycles of different types of domestic abuse. A student recently described an unhealthy and emotionally abusive romantic relationship to a BTO representative and afterwards felt empowered to end the relationship. Because of … Read more
Stories to Share Bring a Friend More than ever before, I have had students walking into my office wanting a mentor. Some come in on their own, but most come in because their friend has a mentor. The program is reaching a point where students no longer think it’s taboo to have a mentor. Now, … Read more
Stories & snippets · This month we mark two years since the arrival of the Covid pandemic and specifically the impact on schools and mentoring. Like everything, mentoring was changed in never-before-seen ways. We adapted and adjusted to emails and virtual meetings. We had fits and starts and “not again” moments. It was a struggle for … Read more