Mentor Coordinator Report
Stories & Quotes To Share:
Can’t Wait Until Wednesday! I have a senior boy in our program who always says hello and gives me a fist bump when he arrives at school in the morning. Frequently he says, “I can’t wait until Wednesday!” This young man has a lot of chaos and disruption in his life, but he can count on seeing his mentor on Wednesday afternoon. He obviously looks forward to it each week and I know that guaranteed adult support gives him a sense of stability.
Cozy Gift: A mentor showed up this month with a large gift bag, showing me a beautiful hand-crocheted blanket she made for her mentee’s milestone birthday. This young lady has bounced around quite a bit, and didn’t have many things to call her own. She obviously loved the blanket and wrapped up in it right away. I know she will treasure the gift and the thoughtfulness it represents.
Supporting Extra-Curriculars: A couple of mentees have parts in the current LHS musical “Prince of Egypt”. One mentor was able to attend opening weekend and raved about the performance. Another mentor felt frustrated and disappointed that she would be out of town during the production and really wanted to see it! After some creative problem solving, we discovered the mentor could attend the dress rehearsal before leaving town. The mentor loved it, and the mentee felt special at her effort to be there.
Another one of my students decided that he wanted to learn to play golf and try to make the team this spring, even though he has never played before. After mentioning this idea to his mentor, they decided to do some practice golfing together where the mentor would teach him proper swinging technique. Any time the weather is half-way decent during their meeting time, they head out onto the field with golf clubs and wiffle balls to practice. Don’t know if he will make the team yet, but he has a huge smile on his face every time they play.
Kindness: During February, mentors and students had the option of creating hearts with practical acts of kindness for our BTO bulletin board. Many enjoyed creating pieces of art with suggestions such as: “Be nice to the cafeteria workers,” “Smile at someone you don’t know,” “Check up on your friends,” and “Do a chore without being asked.”
Highlights:
Highlights from this month:
• Feb Mentor Equipping Feb 9/10: Healthy Boundaries by Tara Bowler; 24 mentors attended and learned a great deal.
• NMO: Feb. 11: 6 new female mentors trained and matched right away
• Mentor Coordinator meeting: Shared planning tips for the rest of the year
• BTO Merch: orders for those who weren’t here in the fall
Upcoming:
Upcoming:
• March 4-6: mid-winter break
• March 10: Mentor Social at 508 Youth Lounge
• March 10: Future Freshman Night
• Collecting permission slips and RSVP’s for our Sunset Cruise in May
Number of Current Matches: 71
Submitted by Lisa Reynolds – reynoldsl@lynden.wednet.edu