Discover what is happening on all 5 school campuses with Be The One.
Ferndale High School
Every student gets 8 or so tickets for inviting friends and family to their graduation. Some students even have so many loved ones attending that they will ask other students for extra tickets. A BTO student told their mentor that no one was going to their graduation if they even decide to attend it themselves. The mentor said that they are so proud of the hard work the student put in over the years to get to this point and would like to be there for them. The student doesn’t know it, but the mentor changed their vacation plans so they can attend the ceremony. Sometimes BTO mentors get to literally “be the one” for their student.
A former mentor still meets with her mentee. They transitioned out of Be the One because the student and mentor’s schedules were not compatible during the school day, but the student’s guardian gave permission for them to keep meeting outside the program (under the guardian’s liability). The former mentor and mentee’s guardian actually work together, so it was a very natural transition. The student is graduating this Spring and the former mentor is a photographer. She took the student’s senior photos and shared a selfie with BTO. We printed out the photo and sent it to the mentor and mentee even though they are not technically in Be the One. As the mentor coordinator, it was heartwarming to see how they are still connected and going strong!
TextBridge Text of the month:
“Hey, are you going to Senior Recognition night? I was planning on going to cheer for you, but wanted to make sure you are going!”
Looking Back (May) – Recruiting, Training and Matching new mentors and Students. Wrapping up school year (Field trips, student interviews, year-end party, BTO Merch distribution, submit & distribute mentor/mentee selfies, etc.) Activity of the Month: Mentor & Student outing to Mug Shots
Looking Ahead (June) – Facilitating and organizing year-end activities, wrap up the year & plan for 2023-24 school year.
Total: 42 Mentoring Pairs + 2 ready to start next Fall
Program Development
2 Part-time BTO Coordinators at FHS – Annie Anderson works Mondays and Tuesdays. Michele Barmore works Thursdays and Fridays. No on-site Mentor Coordinator Wednesdays.
EOY Party Save the Date – Fri, June 2nd from 2:45-4:45pm – Ferndale Aim & Game – All FHS BTO Mentors/Mentees are invited
Mugshots field trip! Mentors and mentees walked to Mugshots and enjoyed a free beverage or food item. A HUGE thank you to Mugshots for covering the student’s item and to the BTO sponsors/donors whose funds were used for the mentor’s item.
BTO Student Interviews – May 22 & 23rd – 3 BTO staff conducted interviews of over 20 BTO Students
Mentor Coordinators check in with each other and collaborate on a regular basis.
Lynden High School
Cruising! We had a wonderful end of the year celebration on May 18 th . The weather cooperated, 90
students and mentors attended, and really had a great time. Many students have been looking forward
to this event for a long time—especially those who could not attend in previous years. Students on the
waitlist not yet matched also attended. Special thanks to everyone who made this event possible:
Partners for Schools for the boat, Kiwanis for providing meals, the Lynden School District for
transportation, and Brian Clemmer for being our game master. I was very happy to see students and
mentors enjoying their time together and creating a special memory.
Pepinos Locos: LHS had a multicultural celebration on May 25 th . Several students who have mentors
participated in creating displays, performing, and bringing food. They had been planning for weeks and
talking about the food they planned to bring—including Pepinos Locos (crazy cucumbers). Most of the
mentors were able to attend to support their mentees, learn more about their culture, and in some
cases meet their families!
The little things that are big things. One of our mentors was away on vacation for several weeks in
Europe and just recently returned. When she came home and they met last week, the student ran in and
gave her mentor a big hug and had a huge smile on her face. That might not sound remarkable, but this
student is generally quite reserved and not very demonstrative at all. This was the most expressive I
have seen her in two years! It just underscored for me how much she was looking forward to
reconnecting. The mentor also made a point of visiting a location the student knew about and took a
picture to show her what it was like, which was very meaningful as well.
- Highlights of this month:
- Boat Cruise Celebration on May 18
- End of year interviews with mentees: 38 students interviewed the first week of May about their
- experience with BTO. I’ll share details in my end of year report.
- Final Meetings of the year: Students who had parent permission were able to walk to Edaleen’s
- for ice cream with their mentor for their last meeting of the year.
- Photos and pins: Everyone received pair photos and special 10 th Anniversary BTO pins
- Wrapping Up the Year:
- End of the year survey to mentors and students for feedback
- Listening to student interviews and sending mentor thank you’s
- Writing end of year student stories, reports, and looking ahead to next year
Lynden Middle School
Stories to Share
Four pairs at 50+ Mentoring Hours
Fifty plus mentoring hours between a student and a mentor may not sound like much time. However, if you consider absences, vacations, sicknesses, field trips, holidays, and anything else that prevents a pair from meeting, fifty hours is a fantastic accomplishment. It means that the mentor and student have been together at least two years and have made a serious commitment to meet weekly. This year we had 4 pairs reach this accomplishment, which is the most we have ever had in a single year. Great job!
Almost 1000 mentoring hours this school year
We have reached quite an accomplishment at the middle school this year. Not only do we have the most matches we have ever had (42), but we also have the most mentoring hours in one school year. In fact, we will hit 1000 mentoring hours for the entire school year for the first time ever. That is an unbelievable feat, and I am so proud of all the mentors that dedicate their time to this program and the students willing to connect with adults.
Worth more than Money
One mentor told me something that blew me away. They said they were so committed to their mentoring relationship that they were willing to forego opportunities to make more money in their current job. This mentor was willing to give up overtime work and extra cash to spend some time with a 7th grader. That is absolute commitment and care! There are some things worth more than money, and mentors driven by connection and relationships is one for me.
Test Break…Motivation to Finish
One student was able to see his mentor during his state testing break. The student went into the test tired and unmotivated, but seeing his mentor gave him some energy to finish strong. Mentors do more than just talk to students. They often help students find strategies for success in all parts of life.
Mentoring by the Numbers at LMS
· 42 active matches at the middle school (most the middle school has ever had)
· 1 new match was made this month
· 10 Students on our wait list, waiting for a mentor
· 40 potential students interested or referred to the program
· 1000 hours of mentoring so far this school year
Program Update
Middle School Celebration Event: At the end of the year, we like to celebrate the mentoring accomplishments for the year. This year we had an event at a local business in Lynden and had lots of games, prizes, fun, and food. We had 22 mentoring pairs attend and everyone seemed to really enjoy the event. Overall, the event was a success, and we will likely do a similar thing next year. Those that missed will get an opportunity to go to get ice cream for their final connection of the year.
Recruiting and Training New Mentors: We did not have any new mentor trainings this month. We will start fresh in the fall with a new batch of volunteers ready to help.
Interviews and Information: Lisa Reynolds interviewed many of our 8th graders to get to know them and to ask insightful questions about mentoring. We use this information to create reports and stories to promote the program. Students will also be filling out an online survey with additional questions.
End of the year: Mentoring connections are wrapping up this week and many are sad, but excited for connections to continue next year.
Lynden Christian High School
ELEVEN pairs are meeting weekly at Lynden Christian Schools (9 at HS, 1 at MS, 1 off campus)
TWO students are on the waitlist
FIVE students have been referred or are interested in having a mentor
At LC, we finished strong in May. Nine students and eight mentors were able to attend the end of
year event- we embarked on a dinner cruise on Bellingham Bay with Lynden High School pairs. It
was a wonderful success with beautiful weather. Next year, we may try something new for LC’s
end of year event, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it! Seven students were also able to
be interviewed by Nancy for our annual end of year interviews. The feedback is always an
encouragement for myself and the mentors. We will send out feedback surveys to students and
mentors in the next few days.
All matches met pretty consistently through the month of May despite field trips, tests, trips, and
other activities. People are ready for summer break, but most aren’t quite ready for a break from
their matches. For those that want to continue communicating through summer I have set them up
with the text bridge and snail mail is always an option.
In the last few weeks, there has been an uptick in mentor interest. I may consider doing a late
summer orientation to try and have mentors vetted and ready for fall- I don’t want to lose
momentum, and many schools are in high need of quality mentors! If you know of any one who is
interested in finding out more please reach out to me or go to www.betheonetoday.org to find out
more.
UPDATES + UPCOMING PLANS:
- End of year surveys for mentors and mentees
- Setting up communication for pairs throughout the summer
- Closing out matches/ exchanging info for graduating seniors and their mentors
- I started subbing for Lauren, the coordinator at Nooksack Schools, at the end of April. I
will be at Nooksack through the end of the school year while Lauren is on her maternity
leave through summer.
Nooksack Valley High School
TBD
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