April 25- April 29

This week students finished up CMAS and students participated in an activity to address discrimination. Students experienced Jane Elliot's lesson called "Blue eye, brown eye experiment". We did this activity by separating the mentees from the mentors. The mentors were allowed time to relax, play games, have a snack, and talk to one another The mentees were to write one paragraph on what they learned this year, one paragraph on leadership, one paragraph on how they can improve on making choices.  Every time a student talked I added a paragraph. The students were expected to have this assignment turned in by the end of class. One student pointed out that I was discriminating against the mentees, and another student told me how it wasn't fair and how students who don't make good choices should be given this assignment.

The next day students watched Jane Elliot's original lesson with her third grade class. Student's felt that because this lesson is so important other students in the school should experience this lesson as well.

Today students will be discussing  miscro agressions, cultural appropriation Vs. Cultural appreciation vs Cultural exchange.  Students really like this unit because they feel this is where their leadership is needed in their community.

Overall, this was a great week!

April 18th- April 22nd

For the past two Monday classes, mentors have been preparing a lesson for the mentees in their class as a team. The students were very creative in addressing issues and problems that mentees are struggling with. We are the end of the school year and many of the mentors are concerned that their mentees are not caught up in their classes, are not making good choices, or need a reminder of accountability or other lessons we covered earlier in the year. One class created skits to meet the needs of their mentees, one class created sessions where the students would shift to a different station every 15 minutes, and another class did a question/ discussion writing assignment. Overall, the students were very creative in teaching their mentees this past Tuesday.

To end the week, students discussed "Unwritten rules of life." In this lesson students discussed manners and behaviors other people should follow so that we can live peacefully with one another. At the end of the lesson, many of the students realized that their behaviors may be offensive to others and there are unwritten rules they need to follow so that they are involved in less confrontations with friends, families, and teachers. 

Mentors have been selected for the 2-16-2017 school year and many mentors will return as 2nd year mentors, and many mentees will move on to be great mentors. 

Tracie Trinidad- program manager 

April 11- 15

This week was a busy week for the mentors and mentees. The students participated in a "piggy bank competition." The mentee and mentor pair worked together to create one piggy bank. With the piggy bank students have to  submit a sketch, and two paragraphs about why saving is important, and why budgeting is important.

                                                     
Also, this week students began discussing: privilege, race, culture, ethnicity, nationality stereotyping, and a type they have stereotyped or have been stereotyped. Students participated in the "privilege walk." Students felt many emotions after this discussion.

Finally, this week was the YESS road to success breakfast.  Franny Negrete gave a speech about how she has struggled and how she is now thinking about her future. It was a very emotional speech.  She was supported by her two mentor friends, and her mentor, Dominic Herrera. 

April 5th- April 8th

This was our first week back after Spring Break. Students learned about the importance of budgeting, saving money, and how to save more money. This year's mentors also helped with mentor recruitment. Currently I have 21 mentors for the next school year.

This wee was a 4 day week which also included PARCC testing. Next week we should be back to normal.