November 17th- 21st

It is almost Thanksgiving break and the YESS mentors have had a busy week. This week the mentors went to a career fair. Only the 8th graders were allowed to go during 4th and 5th period. I was really glad the counselors and principals included me on the trip since most of my students now are 8th graders. I accompanied a few students on their "college visit" and helped them prepare questions to ask the admissions table. 

This week we began preparation for our clothing drive. The YESS mentors will be sponsoring a clothing drive for A Precious Child.  This week students made posters and announcing to classes that the drive will start after Thanksgiving break.

Today, Belen Hondermann from the DoubleTree hotel- Kids Care project (also Shaw Heights Alum) came to do a recycling community project with the YESS mentors. A month ago she had contacted Shaw Heights asking if the hotel could work with the leaders in the school to build a display for the hotel. The display is made  with 100% recyclable materials. Her information was passed on to me from the office and today she came to talk about the recycling project at the hotel, and brought 75 cookies for the students. All of the projects the students made will be put on display at the DoubleTree Hotel on Yates Drive through the Holiday season. The group of students that win for the best snowflake will win a pass to the pool with their friends.

 Recyclable materials

Delicious 310 calorie cookies!

                                                                              


 


Team Work

                                       Belen, from the DoubleTree- Kids Care

November 10th- November 14th

November 10th- November 14th

This week was a very productive week for my mentors. This week the students reached out to an organization to do a community project. The YESS mentors will be holding a clothing drive the first week of December  for  A Precious Child. The students will be collecting many things such as clothes, hygiene products, toys, and books. 

This week the students read a story about a girl who gives into peer pressure. After the students read the story they had to rank the characters in the story from most responsible, to least responsible. It was very interesting to hear the students perspective on what is responsible. This week we also made collages of who we are, and what makes us who we are. I am going to save these till May, then return these to the students so they can see how much they have changed and grown.

We are doing a number of listening and giving directions exercises this week so students can practice giving directions with patience, as well as see how well they listen.

Finally, I did grade checks on every student that I have to see if they are doing well in their classes as well as to see what missing work they have so they can make it up during our Friday homework day. Teachers left comments about the students on the progress check papers. Every student from every teacher had a comment about how their behavior has changed for the better. I am very happy to hear that my students are being leaders in the classroom, and in the halls.

Since my mentors are doing so well. I picked the top students to attend a Nuggets game on Wednesday. All parents and I exchanged information, and all students had a ride to and from the game. They had a blast! This was all their first time attending a game!

November 3rd- Novemeber 7th

November 3rd- November 7th

This week was another successful week here at Shaw Heights. This week the students went over "Let me introduce myself," from the curriculum as well as discussed what a mentor is , and what a mentor isn't.  We also went over their "job description. After we went over their job description I asked them to write the first word that pops into their head when they hear the word, "mentor.'

I loved hearing the word the students associated with "mentor." Along with getting into the curriculum, we did a team building exercise where the mentors had to figure a out a way to get the knots out of this string without taking their hands off and without getting out of line. This was a fun activity and the mentors did a great job of working together.

This week we also tackled an issue that I have noticed among the students here at Shaw Heights and it is dealing with racist jokes/ names, and being judgmental. As leaders and mentors this is not language or behavior I want to hear or see from them. We did a little activity called, "The Face Game." This is an activity that brings attention to stereotypes and our own judgements . Each student was given a face from a magazine and the student had to write the profile of this person. They had to write their name, age, occupation, educational background, family life/ home life, socioeconomic status and religion. After students answered these questions and the students presented their face we discussed why and how the students came up with their answers.  We did it a second time and the profile of the face changed because the students did not want to be judgmental or "micro-agressive." Since this activity students have really tried to filter their language and jokes, as well as tried to be less judgmental. I have B lunch duty and the mentors behavior and language was 100 times better. I even overheard one of my mentors ask his friend to not use certain words.

The mentors here at Shaw Heights are already making changes among their peers and in the halls. I am very proud of the group of kids that are in the program.

MENTEE RECRUITMENT

I have met with 20 students that have been recommended for the program and 11 of them have already turned in their parent approval forms. I asked teachers to recommend students who would benefit form the program and from having a mentor, and from the list I have met with the students individually. On Monday I will be visiting the 6th grade homerooms to talk about the program.