Lynden Middle School, March 2020
The month of March was unprecedented in our time. School closed suddenly at the end of the day on March 13th. Kids and staff were told at the end of the day there would be no school for 6 weeks. Later, the announcement came that schools would be closed for the...
Pizza IS encouraging!
This week I sent individual personal emails to all my mentees to check on them as well as to let them know they could email their mentors through me and I could share their mailing address with their mentors. One boy emailed me back almost right away: "Thank you for...
Connection. Encouragement. Hope.
It’s now April 2020, and we are living in a world we never thought possible even a month ago. The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected us all in different ways. But, one way that we’ve all been impacted is in our ability to continue mentoring our students on school...
Ferndale High School – March 2020
March 2020 Stories to share: We closed two mentoring matches this month. Every closing session looks differently depending on the circumstances. One student transferred to a school that does not have the Be the One program, but he told his mentor ahead of time. They...
Nooksack Valley Middle and High School, March 2020
Nooksack Valley High School & Middle School Be The One Coordinator Report March 2020 Stories to share (names have been changed): Thanks to (mentor) Stephen Young (actual name, permission given). Stephen helped build our Connect Mentor program that paved the way...
Lynden High School, March 2020
Stories to share: It's been an interesting month. Before school closed, I had a fun time facilitating an unusual meeting with a mentor and student. The mentor had health concerns and didn't think it was wise to come to school, but really wanted to connect with his...
The Power of Patience
This month, we’re focusing on four powerful ways we can make the most of the hour we spend with the students we mentor. One hour a week one-on-one with a student may not sound like much, but it’s a worthwhile investment of time. And, if you make the most of it, it...
The Power of Positivity
BE CHALLENGED: The Power of Positivity This month, we’re focusing on four powerful ways we can make the most of the hour we spend with the students we mentor. One hour a week one-on-one with a student may not sound like much, but it’s a worthwhile investment of time....
The Power of Play
This month, we’re focusing on four powerful ways we can make the most of the hour we spend with the students we mentor. If you are a Be the One mentor, you know the power of one hour. One hour a week one-on-one with a student doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a...
The Power of Presence
Welcome back to the March Mentor Minute! We hope that these weekly posts encourage and challenge you as a mentor to make the most of the time that you invest in the next generation. We believe that mentoring is a powerful way that we can make a difference in our...
Lynden Middle School, February 2020
Stories to Share Intuition and a little luck When coordinators have mentors and students waiting to be matched, it is our job to make a good match. There is a lot that goes into this process. We get to know each person and bombard them with questions to understand...
Hope in the Mentoring Journey
Welcome to March! Last week, we gave you the first two of four things you can do as a mentor in 2020 to help your students grow into healthy adults. These four things are good reminders for us as we continue to come alongside students and seek to develop the “5 C”...
Ferndale High School – February 2020
Stories to share: Vickie heard about Be the One when the Mentor Coordinator presented to her class at the beginning of the school year. She wanted a mentor who likes hunting and fishing, but was worried that there would not be a female mentor with the same interests....
BTO Snapshot for February 2019
View the full report here. New mentoring matches slowed in January. Weather conditions brought school closures resulting in canceled mentor trainings for interested adults. Next month's report will again show steady progress of new mentoring matches on all campuses....
Nooksack Valley Middle and High School, February 2020
Nooksack Valley High School & Middle School Be The One Coordinator Report February 2020 Stories to share (names have been changed): A student quickly transferred to another Whatcom County school. The Mentor expressed concerns and I did some checking. Within a week...
Lynden High School–February 2020
Stories to share: It’s a two-way street when people have authentic relationships. Often we talk about how mentors support and care for students, but students also learn to care for their mentors, as I saw in a couple of situations this month. One Mentor’s mom was in...
Be present in the places in your community where there is great need
As we wrap up this series on the “5 C’s”, we want to give you four things you can do as a mentor in 2020 to help your students grow in these qualities (and into healthy adults). For the past several weeks, we’ve been introducing five key character qualities that we...
Family Night Out – February 2020
We owe a huge thank you to our Event Sponsors: NCCTK for providing the space, helping with promotion and all our posters and signs and covering some event costs. Manna Insurance for the social media support and event coordination. Thrivent Financial covering some...
James seemed depressed and withdrawn
A mentoring story: In middle school, James seemed depressed and withdrawn, and was lacking a father-figure in his family. He struggled with school and didn’t have much motivation. Staff wondered if he would like a mentor, and introduced him to Herm Franzen, a caring,...
Caring & Compassion in Mentoring
Welcome back to the February Mentor Minute! Last month, we introduced five key character qualities that we can look to build into our students in 2020. These qualities are known as "The Five C's of Youth Development," and include: competence, confidence, connection,...
FAMILY NIGHT OUT – Tonight!
Tonight's the Night - Family Night Out Doors Open at 5:30 Cash and Credit Cards accepted for additional purchases February 14th 6:00-8:30 pm Proceeds benefit BTO in Lynden, Ferndale and Nooksack Valley You won’t be disappointed! Pizza, drinks, chips, and a bake sale....
Feb 10th – Mentoring Minute
Welcome to the February Mentor Minute! Last month, we introduced five key character qualities that we can look to build into our students in 2020. These qualities are known as "The Five C's of Youth Development," and include: competence, confidence, connection,...
Youth Mental Health First Aid Classes for Mentors
Two identical sessions: March 14th & May 2nd. We have the opportunity for our mentors to join the Youth Mental Health First Aid Classes offered locally. These are particularly helpful as people interacting with students every day. The course is free to you. Space...
Lynden Middle School – January 2020
Stories to Share Absence is Challenging for Students Sometimes mentors do not realize how much students long to see them every week. Vacations, appointments, and sicknesses are all a part of life and occasionally mentors need to miss their time with their student....