November is “Thank a Mentor” Month. Students were invited to write a note of Appreciation to their mentors. These notes were mailed to mentors and shared in an online slide show. Here are a few of the comments.
“I appreciate my mentor because she makes time to see me, she has a good heart, and I can trust her. She has a bright personality and is so funny. I just appreciate that she is there for me.” LHS student speaking about her mentor, Jasmin Avena
“I appreciate my mentor because she makes me feel like I have a place in school. I appreciate her because she wants me to succeed in school and life and doesn’t want me to fail.” LHS student speaking about her mentor, Megan VanDiest
“I appreciate my mentor because she is someone that I can tell anything to but also because she has helped me with situations and she’s also like another friend that I go for to help with school work or just to talk.” LHS student speaking about her mentor, Maria DeVries
“I appreciate my mentor because he always listens to everything I say and always likes trying new things I suggest, even if they don’t work out as planned.” LHS student speaking about his mentor, Steve Russell
“I appreciate my mentor because he’s been seeing me every year since 7th grade, and has introduced me to new people throughout the years.” LHS senior student speaking about his mentor, Randy Anderson
“He is a great mentor for me. We always talk about interesting stuff when we meet each other. I appreciate that he can teach me new things and talk about a lot of different things.” LHS student speaking about his mentor, Doug DeVries
“I appreciate you so much! Thank you for always being there for me when I need someone to talk to! Thanks for always making sure I’m okay and always make me smile! Thanks for everything you do for me. “ LHS student speaking about her Mentor, Elizabeth Demko
Program Update:
- Hosted a Mentor Equipping online on Nov. 19th: Focus on self-care for mentors. Very positive feedback from those who attended. Recorded and available online.
- 12 mentor/mentee pairs have been meeting each week in person at the high school either after school or on Fridays—observing social distancing and health requirements
- 8 mentor/mentee pairs have been meeting regularly in the community with off-campus contract privileges
- Several other pairs are meeting via zoom weekly or bi-weekly
- A handful are still struggling to connect or find a workable schedule
- We have to continue to be flexible as our schedule changes once again as we return to remote learning for the month of December.
Text-Bridge Pilot:
- 6 pairs participating to try this out and give feedback
- All parents gave permission for students to use this as they believed it would help the student feel more supported. No one hesitated
- Texting through secured number—available 7:00 am – 8:00 pm daily
- Coordinator receives log of texts for monitoring
- Key words programmed to alert coordinator of potential situations that might need intervention or more support
Supporting our newest BTO program
- Working with the BTC coordinator at Lynden Christian
- Training on best practices
- Supporting New Mentor Orientations there by co-presenting with her