Hello from the Mentor Center
Updates for March 2023
From Ms. Robin's Desk
Two related themes emerged through midyear assessment interviews with students. First, what draws students to the Mentor Center is simply the Mentors themselves. After spending all day at school, students choose to go to yet another school facility for a chance to spend committed time with caring adults. "Everyone's just so nice here!" exclaimed one student.
Second, many students cited the biggest impact of their time at the Center as a greater ability to connect with peers. Several students noted that they are more talkative and have found friends from around the district because of shared interests nurtured at the Mentor Center. "I never used to talk to people, and now I really like hanging out with them."
Protective factors such as positive relationships with caring adults and peers have a demonstrated ability to move the needle on both learning loss and mental health, two of our core goals. Our data backs this up, as do the stories we experience every week here. And beyond the impacts we can observe in any given school year, the cultivation of deep relationships and the development of help-seeking skills benefit students for years to come, keeping students engaged and successful.
Early Dismissal Days for March
There are two early release Wednesdays in March:
3/8
3/29
The bus will pick up students right after school, as close to 1:00pm as possible.
Students should be ready and quiet in the designated spot, as indicated on the Sign Up Form. We don't want any students to be waiting for too long before we can get to them.
Thanks!
Pet Therapy Visits at the Mentor Center!
In February, the Mentor Center was able to schedule visits from certified pet therapy team Nicole and Kaden Blue. Kaden has visited Mentor Center students twice so far and has stolen hearts each time. Students are able to see Kaden and learn about what it means to be a pet therapy dog. He has been through some extensive training! His person, Nicole said that Kaden recognized the the parking lot on just the second visit and was visibly excited to see our students again. He loves the kids as much as they love him!
Pet therapy visits will be every other Tuesday from 4:30-5:00pm. Kaden meets with students in the auditorium, and anyone that does not want to interact with him does not have to go into that room. Kaden is always with Nicole. Learn more about the GFPS Pet Therapy program on the district website.
Open Gym Days TWICE WEEKLY
We are happy to announce that Open Gym will be on our calendar twice per week now! Finding ways for students to get out their energy is critical to their ability to concentrate on their work. Plus we have a lot of fun over at the gym.
Valley Middle School has been generous enough to let us use their gymnasium so our students can play. UND athletes who volunteer at the Mentor Center participate in games, and it's always fun for students to show off their skills against professionals.
Tell your friends!! Mondays and Wednesday are gym days!!
Community Partner Spotlight: The Grand Forks Public Library
The library has been visiting the Mentor Center twice monthly since almost the beginning! Audrey and her team always have something fun (and sometimes even treats!) for our students to do. Yarn crafts, journaling, trivia, DONUT DAY!, new games-- we are so happy to have the library expand access to their awesome programming by bringing it over to us on the first and third Tuesday of every month.
See our calendar for dates.
Visit their calendar for more activities!
Professional Learning Communities
During our professional development in the month of February, Mentor Center staff were invited to watch an interview of Dr. Bruce Perry by Oprah Winfrey about his research and the book the two co-authored, What Happened to You?
In the interview, the two "explore the impact of childhood trauma on who we become, the decisions we make, and how healing must start with one question 'what happened to you?'... Winfrey and Dr. Perry focus on understanding how shifting the approach to trauma and allowing understanding of the past allows for an opening of the door to resilience and healing in a proven, powerful way."
It was a compelling watch, indicative of how we try to interact with our students every day. Staff greet each student with compassion and curiosity, and we are able to build stronger, empathetic relationships. The discussion we had of our takeaways led to new insights as well.
Mentor Center Receives National Acclaim!
The Mentor Center was chosen to receive the National School Board Association Magna Silver Award for Innovation in Education. We are thrilled to be recognized for meeting challenges faced by students and will continue to adapt to best serve our community.
Thanks for all of your support of our mission along the way!
About the Mentor Center
Email: mentorcenter@mygfschools.org
Website: https://www.gfschools.org/domain/1686
Location: 725 Hamline Street, Grand Forks, ND, USA
Phone: 701-215-5484
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gfmentorcenter
Twitter: @gfmentorcenter