Hello from the Mentor Center
Updates for April 2023
From Ms. Robin's Desk
Who doesn't appreciate a fresh start?
With Quarter 4 starting up, we congratulate students on making it through Quarter 3 while also celebrating the fresh start that Quarter 4 offers. "What went well for you in Quarter 3?" we ask. "And what would you like to do differently in Quarter 4?"
I love digging into data, gleaning stories from numbers and formulas to learn all we can about our impact. That data confirms that students who come most consistently show the greatest growth in their GPAs.
With that in mind, we encourage our students to make the Mentor Center part of their weekly routines when possible. While we're certainly happy to help students "dig out of a hole" when they've fallen behind on their work, we love even more being able to help them prevent that hole in the first place.
Either way, we're here for them and we're grateful for the chance to work with them.
*with the exception of Early Dismissal Wednesdays, when we will visit the gym from 3:30-4:15pm.
As we are sharing this space with Valley Middle School, sometimes scheduling conflicts inhibit our ability to use their gym. Please follow us on social media for updates.
Community Partner Spotlight - UND Athletics!
The Mentor Center partners with the UND Athletics department to offer volunteer hours to their student-athletes. Athletes from every academic discipline and sport can sign up for two-hour slots at the Mentor Center. While here, they build relationships by helping with homework, playing games during "brain breaks" or engaging in our scheduled programming (like cooking or sports). Often, our students are more willing to participate if they know the athletes are going to be there.
This partnership provides a symbiotic relationship for both the college students and those in middle and high school. The athletes gain valuable citizenship skills by volunteering and modeling healthy choices for the younger generation. GFPS students relate to the athletes in myriad ways, including background and interests. They can see themselves going to college because someone like them is currently at UND. It's also quite gratifying to beat older, Division I players at their favorite games.
We are grateful to have had over 50 UND student-athlete volunteers spend nearly 500 hours here this year alone. The athletes have been helpful and friendly, and their time and experience has been a gift to our students.
Professional Learning Communities
As you may know, early dismissal Wednesdays are built into the school calendar in order to provide time during the regular day for teachers to engage in professional learning communities (PLC). This can mean continuing education, training, planning time, team meetings, etc. District staff use this time to learn together how to best serve our students. The Mentor Center has the same goal.
During the Mentor Center's PLC time in March, we were again fortunate to have Linda Jenkins and Elisa Diederich from the Special Education Department visit with staff.
Our focus this time was learning more about motivational strategies for neurodivergent students. As always, the conversation centered around getting to know students as the unique individuals they are and emphasizing the need to meet each person where they are at. We also touched on the importance of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in addressing a students' barriers to equitable learning.
Both Ms. Diederich and Ms. Jenkins have a wealth of experience to share, and we are grateful for their willingness to spend time speaking with us.
Learn more about the Grand Forks Public School District's Special Education Program on their website.
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: facebook.com/gfmentorcenter
Twitter: @gfmentorcenter