Out of the Gate

The Barstow Pillars volunteer mentors are preparing to begin or renew regular weekly visits with students at school. This will be the fourth year of the program, and we have nine active mentors ready for a fun-filled year.

Though mentors meet for a mere 45-60 minutes, all around the lunch/recess schedule, available space is hard to come by. Between offerings of a library corner, a voluntarily vacant classroom, and the possibly unused art, reading, or office space, we should be able to work out schedules for all mentor pairs and possibly a new one or two.

Mentors come in prepared to read or chat through a brief lunch time, and plan an activity to enjoy for the brief recess time (which is occasionally approved to extend for an extra 10-15 minutes). Activities might be a game, outdoor walk, craft, Lego project, or conversation. Our experience reveals dramatic growth of self-confidence for some of our extended relationships. A longer commitment, year after year, usually allows for the development of a safe relationship that is built on friendship, support, and encouragement.  All of these things go a long way for a student whose school days have been filled with challenge. A mentor can add a moment of positive interaction that can bolster a sense of belonging or provide incentive to engage in learning.

Parents who believe their child might benefit from such a relationship should contact the school guidance office.  Mentoring is independent of guidance, but without our own office presence, a guidance-enabled contact works well for the program.

Thanks to all who supported mentoring by participating in the field day Duck Race last spring. We now have funds to support our occasional after-school events, such as cookie baking, hiking, or ice-cream making.

Duck Race Rain-out Success

Field day brought morning rain and thus a rushing stream, but the race organizers were not deterred.
The race had a new venue...on the slides of the playground! Classes reported to the gazebo, where they were nicely sheltered.  Those classes who hit a clear sky moment played a duck balancing game around the play equipment, while others participated under shelter. After enjoying a little outdoor movement, the class watched their class ducks do a fast duck slide. The duck that flew furthest off the slide was proclaimed the winner, and a run-off of all winners at the end of the day established our grand prize winner. So this year's strongest flight and jump mattered more than strong swimming skills, and the day was still a success.

Thanks to all who participated in this fund-raiser for the school mentoring program. Our program costs are really quite small, while our impact is great, and we appreciate the support we earn from our community.  The administration costs are covered, and we are ready to welcome new mentors and mentees next fall.

Please make summer inquiries to anne.l.gallivan@gmail.com

 

Time for the Duck Race!

Field Day is fast approaching, and that means it is time to bring in some money to participate in the Duck Race on the stream behind the school.

1 Duck   $1

  6 Ducks  $5  

Buying a duck means

• Race fun at field day
• Chance for a class prize and a grand prize
• Support of Barstow Pillars Mentoring  

That's a win, win, win sort of thing!

Classrooms will sell ducks each morning from now through Monday the 10th.

 

Don't be a quack, but send your order form back!

The Mentor Bowl

On January 26th, a group of Barstow Pillars participants enjoyed an afternoon at the bowling alley. We thank Keyser Energy for sponsoring our team this year. We all had a great time bowling and enjoying the hotdogs, popcorn, and ice cream sundaes. The buzz of the mentor affiliated crowd, the door prizes, and the friendship of our own school companions made for a warm event on a cold, cold day.

New mentors have been through a training and will be starting up with their new student matches this month. It is good to see more people get involved in a program that works so well. It seems like very little effort for the volunteers and great rewards when the relationship is established. We all win in this program!

Please speak up if you are a parent who would like your student to join the list of participants or if you know a community member who would be a good mentor.  Mrs. Jaquith can direct you to the folks who can help.
The more, the merrier!

...slow start

Though ongoing mentor/mentee meetings have been taking place, we have been slow to get some new matches established. Suddenly, we seem to have some new volunteers ready to commit an hour a week to visit with a student who would like this dedicated relationship.

If other students are wanting to be matched up with a mentor, they or their parents should contact the guidance office.  The mentor program is not a guidance program, but is our best match to work with the school counselor to initiate these partnerships. Mentoring adds the support of a friendship with another adult who is dedicated to the relationship. This is a proven asset to young people in growing their confidence and resiliency in a larger community than home and classroom. Please let the school know if this program will meet your needs.

Making a match

School is in the air. I feel it in the cooler morning, and in the clear air of a blue sky day. And it is time to wake up all those organizational routines and set goals for new accomplishments after a summer of relaxed removal from the same.

Barstow Pillars aims to match adult volunteers with students who will benefit from a supportive relationship that comes in the way of a weekly visit in the school day. Some students are recommended for the program, and others seek out the program. Since meetings typically occur during a lunch/recess break, academic programs are uninterrupted.  Students look forward to routine visits during which they read, play games, go walking, do projects, or just plain talk.  Activity is driven by joint decision-making, and is a time that carries no academic strings.

If parents are interested in this program for their child, a chat with the guidance office will be enough to set in motion a possible match with a minimum commitment of one year.

 Quack! Quack! Quack!  The ducks are coming!

The Buddy Duck Race will be held on June 8 during Field Day.  Mentors will be making visits to classrooms to sell the duck numbers at $1 per duck or 6 for $5.  Students will watch their own ducks and those of their classmates as they float down East Creek to the finish line. The twelve class race winners will then compete for the grand prize family fun pack. Notices will go home before Memorial Day, allowing students to bring in money for the classroom sales. They will have a number of opportunities to get duck numbers before Field Day. June 6 will be the final day for buying, so an earlier response will avoid a missed opportunity!

Don't miss out on the fun!

Buddy Duck Race 

coming

for Field Day!

(stay on the lookout for duck registrations)

yummy-filled tummies

Our baking event was a great success, providing dozens of delicious cookies for mentees to share with family, teachers, and even their mentors. The traditional Toll House recipe served us well, and allowed students to substitute white chocolate for some of the usual semi-sweet chocolate, and to add a few walnuts if desired.
The youngest bakers produced the best looking cookies (they rolled the dough, and the resulting cookies were bakery-perfect in appearance), while everyone could declare a best-taste achievement!

Thank you to the kitchen staff who welcomed us for the afternoon. The Barstow kitchen is a great place for group baking, and we were delighted to have that opportunity.

control your appetite/ cookie baking postponed!

I guess our event was competing with the ever-popular TV-Turnoff Week. On April 4th, the Barstow kitchen will be filled with students eager to participate in one of many after-school activities that are designed to remind folks that DOING often beats WATCHING. Turning off the television in favor of real experiences is a choice that will likely be easy for students after a long winter - even with that winter being milder than most - and I am glad for the hands-on approach to free time.


Cookie baking for the Barstow Pillars group will wait until April 11 from 2:45-4:30.

"calling all cookie monsters!"

Who doesn't love a fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie? We can't think of anyone, so we are going to spend an afternoon baking the cookie of our dreams. We will follow the basic Toll House cookie recipe, but we will feel free to introduce special ingredients, such as nuts, white chocolate, or oats, in order to satisfy each and every one of us to the max!

The students participating can expect to take home a container of cookies, and it is our hope to bake enough to share with classrooms.

April 4th will be the day the cafeteria staff shares their space and equipment with us, and we appreciate the welcome. This is an activity that would not be possible in a home kitchen, so we are grateful for the opportunity to use the roomy kitchen at Barstow with its over-sized bowls, baking sheets, and ovens. Can't wait to measure, mix, dollop, and bake (and I promise not to dip into the batter before baking...well, I'll try not to).

" C is for cookie, that's good enough for me, oh cookie, cookie, cookie start with C"

Warm hearts

Mentors and their buddies enjoyed a wonderfully spirited afternoon of bowling at the end of January. Some of us were severely challenged as we approached the lane, and were appreciative of the bumpers available for "younger" bowlers. The positive guidance our turns received, whether by bumper or advice, was part of a healthy and active afternoon of sharing.

In the wake of Valentine's Day, mentors are thankful for the friendship of our young partners at school. Our weekly visits are full of conversation, industrious projects, new creative pursuits, and fun. The visits enabled by the Barstow Pillars program are the source of warmth in our hearts. We are convinced that our students feel the same way.

Do you know someone beyond the school community who would like to join in on the fun?
I welcome calls of inquiry at 483-2854. Our hope is to provide a mentor for every student who wants or needs one.

Annual Mentor Bowl!

January is mentoring awareness month! It is time for The Mentor Bowl - an afternoon of bowling for mentors, mentees, and corporate sponsor teams. It is an afternoon filled with fun, free hot dogs, popcorn, and ice cream, as well as t-shirts to commemorate the event. Last year was a hoot, and we know this year will be a laughter-filled challenge for us all.

If you know a mentor, thank them for their dedication. The consistent support and friendship that mentors offer can change a school experience from necessary to fun, and from a struggle to a success.

November hike

The Barstow Pillars will hold its first group after-school event for mentors and mentees on November 30. Though the program is primarily focused on one-to-one meeting times, an occasional group event is a fun way to share the experience. We will meet in the cafeteria at dismissal time, then hike the nature trail by the outdoor classroom. Upon our return, we will gather again in the cafeteria for hot chocolate and a snack before rides come at 4:30.

In the event of heavy rain, we will stay indoors with some fun board games to enjoy together.

resiliency assets

You may or may not be familiar with the list of resiliency assets that was developed by the Search Institute. They are meant to act as a guide for the development of caring, healthy, and responsible individuals. These are posted around the school as part of Red Ribbon Week, and they are a useful reminder of all the different ingredients that contribute to a young person's sense of belonging.

We all rely on more than our families to achieve a sense of self. Our schools may not have used such inventories of specific activities when we were in school, but we all were impacted by relationships we found in extended families, sports, extra-curricular activities, church, school and more. These are the relationships that allow us to grow in areas in which our parents may be less equipped as guides. And it is the opportunity to find others who enjoy life on the same terms as we do that helps us grow in security and confidence.

Mentoring programs believe in the benefit of strong relationships outside of the family sphere - ones that are friendship based. Mentors are not teachers, tutors, or substitute parents. Mentors are friends who support, encourage, and simply enjoy
their mentee. Now that's an asset built for two!

anytime at all

The first training meeting has come and gone, but we are always looking for new mentors who can start at any time after background clearance and a short one-on-one training. There is a list of students who would benefit from the relationship with a mentor, and you are welcome to refer community members you may know.

Last year, some of the highlighted experiences for mentors included:
- mentee changed from head-down to head-up demeanor, at meetings and beyond
- mentee was excited to proudly introduce his mentor to classmates
- mentee moved from invisible quietude to being participatory
- mentee counted on the ears of her mentor to listen to the stories of
things that made her anxious

And everyone enjoyed the group activities for all mentors and mentees. There are likely going to be three or four after-school events throughout the school year.

oh, it's training time again...

We are gearing up for a training on October 5 at the school. New mentors who have expressed a strong interest in the program will spend an hour going over some simple guidelines as presented by a representative from the Mentor Connector of Rutland. It is good for us to have a framework of expectations and to come together as a community of mentors as we embark on these new relationships.

If you know of a community member, who is not a parent of a current student, who would like to attend the training before making a commitment, please ask him or her to call me,Anne Gallivan, at 483-2854. I welcome all inquiries.

healthy rhythms

Who can argue the delight of unstructured summer days? I had my share of them, and love the feeling of going with the flow of mother nature. I wake up to a clear sunny day and decide to take to a hiking trail, but on another morning I wake to the rhythmic patter of rain and decide to read another chapter or two before even stirring from my bed.

But the weather is changing, and so are my needs. I suddenly crave the reintroduction of routines after all of my varied summer adventures! I think that many students feel the same way when the first day of school arrives, and they are excited to enjoy the structures of a productive school day.

Irene made this year's start even more welcome for some students who experienced the novelty of being cut off from neighboring towns and the rhythms of their lives' comings and goings from home. When they made the effort to traipse through long trails in the woods to meet a ride to school, they did so with an eagerness to join in the rituals of back-to-school routines, and were proud to have expended such effort to do so.

Mentoring thrives on rhythm as well - the predictability of a supportive relationship where an adult commits to showing up with the sole purpose of spending time with their student "match." It is the rhythm of this act that helps to make it so successful. Once a week there is a dedicated time for a special visit that focuses on friendship, and it is an amazingly powerful dynamic for both mentor and mentee. Please support Barstow mentoring when the opportunity arises, as it is an important ingredient to our healthy school community.

Duck Race debut!

The Barstow Pillars program is not expensive, but it does require some monetary support. In order to fund another year of quality mentoring, and to add new students and mentors to the program, we are going to have a race of rubber duckies that are sponsored by students and community members racing for a summer entertainment prize. Community sponsors are making a donation with a chance to win a prize that will help them entertain young relatives or friends this summer. Students will do the same, and also have the opportunity to watch the rubber duckies ride the current of East Creek behind the school on Field Day.

Having watched a test run of ducks, the races will be short, and the results unpredictable. Ducks that ride the central current have a ver ydifferent trip than those that get pulled into churning currents or side traps on the river's edge, and this what will make it fun -rubber duckie survivor challenge!

Watch for information on the PTO listserv or in your child's backpack, and support mentoring today!

continuity

The school-based mentor program asks volunteers to make a minimum of a one year
commitment. The hope is that this one year commitment will grow to a multi-year commitment that sees the student through their 8th grade year. In some situations, it may be possible for those relationships to carry on to high school by transitioning to a community-based relationship. This would require a new background check that includes driver records and allows independent meetings wherever the pair decides to meet. The Mentor Connector would provide the umbrella insurance to cover this arrangement, and the time can be spent attending events, going out for a meal, attending a performance, and more.

A longer relationship translates to a more meaningful impact.