Mentor Coordinator Report
Stories & Quotes To Share:
“We are so back”
A new year at Lynden Middle School, same old student reactions. Excitement for seeing friends, despair for homework assignments and a whole lot of enthusiasm for the Be the One program. The middle school has a 100% retention rate from last year, with every middle schooler who had been matched previously returning to the program. It was a time for joyous reunions this month, as students seeing their mentors for the first time after summer vacation blitzed them with pictures of trips, stories from vacation and plans for the new year.
“Empty Schedules”
I sent 15 8th grade matches up to the high school last year. At the time, that was half the matches at the middle school. Now with only 12 matches on my schedule, I get to spend a lot of my time recruiting for the program. The kids have been really excited about the program and I now have a waiting list of 10 students with 18 other students who have turned in an interest slip. This recruitment, along with recommendations to the program from teachers and staff has inflated my numbers and given me a solid base to build up the program this year.
“Tell my mentor ‘Happy Birthday’”
The only returning match that has yet to meet this year isn’t meeting until the first week of October. The mentor, who had to take a month to work as a substitute teacher, wasn’t available to meet until then. The mentee came to my office and asked, “Could you tell my mentor “Happy Birthday” for me? And tell her I will give her a present when we meet!” She had remembered her mentor’s birthday, and despite not having met yet this school year, she wanted to make sure her mentor knew that she was thinking about her.
Highlights:
Stats
Current Matches: 12
New matches this month: 2
Waitlist: 10 students with 18 others giving me interest slips
LMS Be the One has a new office! We are now located in the library on the second floor.
Upcoming:
Mentor Equipping: October 13-14
New Mentor Orientation; October 21
Number of Current Matches: 12
Submitted by Samm Van Kirk – sammvank@gmail.com