Middle School FLOW Programs Visit PAX River!

In May all four middle school FLOW Mentoring programs came together for a visit to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Led by Kathy Glockner, the Educational Outreach Coordinator for PAX River, groups of FLOW students visited the Test Pilot School, the HX-21 helicopter squadron, the Aviation Survival Training Unit, the Air Operations Tower, and the VX-20 fighter jet hangar. 

After the tours, the entire group met up at the Beach House for lunch and outdoor games. Not only was it a day full of education about naval aviation and future career possibilities, but it was a wonderful way for the four different middle school FLOW programs to spend a day getting to know each other. The beautiful weather didn't hurt either!

 

LMS and MBMS FLOW groups outside the Test Pilot School.

 

All four middle school FLOW programs at the Beach House.

 

 

 

"FLOWetry" Slam at LHS!

On the evening of May 10^th, the Leonardtown High School FLOW Mentoring program (also known as Ladies of Excellence/Men of Honor) held their first "FLOWetry" Slam. Led by their mentors, Jeff Burrell, Tammy Parsons, and Deanna Mingo, the students produced a fantastic evening of poetry for family and friends. Students and mentors performed poems they had written, many of which explored the ideas of image, perception, and who we really are. The LHS mentoring students hope to make their FLOWetry Slam a recurring event, and hope to involve other high school and middle school FLOW programs in the future.

The LHS "FLOWetry" poets onstage with site leaders Jeff Burrell and Deanna Mingo.

Two mentoring students read a poem together.

Photography Workshop at Margaret Brent!

In late April/early May the Margaret Brent Middle School FLOW program participated in a three week photography workshop led by artist Candace Morrell and her daughter Lauren. In the first two sessions the students learned about photographic composition and experimented with different strategies for composing their own photos. In the final session the students chose the best of their photos to create a display of their work in the school. It was a wonderful introduction to photography as art and for many of the students this may be the beginning of further creative explorations.

Workshop leader Candace Morrell and her daughter Lauren with a FLOW student.

Mentees and their mentors critiquing the students' photos.

The Margaret Brent FLOW group posing for a photo.

In Their Own Words

This year our FLOW Intern, St. Mary's College student Katerina Placek, mentored a student at George Washington Carver Elementary School. The two hit it off beautifully and had a great year together. Below is a short interview with Katerina and her mentee, Kayron,(facilitated by Site Leader Lisa McCoy) that gives us a window into their experience together:

What have you learned or gained from your mentor/mentee and from the FLOW group?

Katerina:  "With Kayron, I gained a friend. I learned what it is like to be 12 again and dealing with the prospect of soon becoming a teenager. I learned to act like a kid again - to run around, play sports, be silly, and to really just be myself. I learned to be a role model and to listen."

Kayron: "I gained a friend. She taught me arts and crafts. She taught me about the places she traveled and where she's from. Most teachers/adults don't play a lot - mentors do. Its fun to meet other mentors too - one mentor even has a daughter who goes here. You don't get to hang out with someone that's a (student's) father usually. Jeremy is cool too 'cause he's in the army and has been places in the world I've never been before."

What do you like about FLOW? Any favorite activities?

Kayron :  "My favorite activity was slime! It looked gross at first, but when I took it out it was fun to play with. I had never made slime before. I made it again yesterday in my basement - I remembered all the steps. Also, Mr. Chris (Chris Stastny) showed us on a map where he went with the Navy. I really like playing sports with the guys from the base (PAX River). I liked making birdhouses too."

Katerina:  "I agree with Kayron - making slime was awesome. I liked building the birdhouses, too, and painting them and hanging them up outside. It was also really neat/gross when another mentor, Mike Baltzley, brought in leeches from his laboratory for us to see and hold - I'd never been that close to a leech before, I hope!"

What has changed about you since being in FLOW?

Katerina:  "I think I've become more playful, a better listener, and better at understanding other people. I've learned to step outside my college-bubble and see the surrounding community. I also just feel happier on Mondays (when I see Kayron) because I know I'm making a difference in someone's life."

Kayron:  "My attitude. I used to get in more trouble at school, about stupid stuff I shouldn't be doing. Kat taught me to be a kid and be myself."

What would you tell potential mentors/mentees about the program?

Katerina:  "I would tell them to join! I would say that FLOW is a great way to get involved in the community, to meet wonderful new people from a variety of age groups, to learn about yourself and others, and to make an impact on someone else's life."

Kayron:  "That FLOW has fun activities. Your mentor is like a friend, not like a teacher or anything. You can be yourself."

Snapshots from FLOW!

White Marsh Elementary mentor (and principal) Luchrisa Flowers with her mentee.

The Piney Point FLOW program shows off their new shirts.

A mentor and her mentee play with slime at G.W. Carver Elementary.

The Hollywood Elementary FLOW program plays water polo during a field trip to the CSM pool!

Back in the fall, the Town Creek FLOW program wrote letters to this soldier while he was deployed. This May, when he returned, he came to visit and to say "Thank You"!

Two mentees at Piney Point Elementary help clean up the school grounds.

Staying in Touch With Your Mentee Over the Summer Months

Because we cannot allow FLOW mentors and mentees to contact each other directly outside of mentoring sessions (for the safety of everyone involved), we have devised a couple of options for FLOW Mentors and Mentees to communicate over the summer:

Snail Mail

You can write letters, postcards, or notes to your mentor or mentee throughout the summer. Just send the correspondence to us at the following address and we will send it on to your mentor/mentee: 

FLOW Mentoring

23160 Moakley St.
Leonardtown, MD  20650

Please make sure you write the first and last name of who the letter is TO somewhere on the envelope or letter.

This process will take a couple days longer than direct mail, but it will mean a lot to your mentor/mentee to know you are thinking about him or her. (We are also happy to provide self-addressed stamped envelopes for you. Ask your site leader or contact the FLOW office.)

Email

If both mentor and mentee have access to email, you can email one another over the summer months by sending correspondence to the following address:

 flowmentoring@gmail.com  

Please make sure to write the first and last name of who the email is TO at the top of the email and we will forward it on to the recipient.   We will try to be as quick as possible with our turn-around time.

Have a great summer!