An in-depth look  at the people and events that make Encinal excellent

Vol. 1, Issue 8 |   May 9,  2011

 Encinal's Mentor Program Continues to Thrive

Mentor Program Builds Relationships and Enhances Lives

By Robin Reding, Encinal Reading Specialist and 2010-11 Mentor Program Coordinator

"The Mentor Program is one of the most important things we do for the students in our District. I'm not sure how we ever lived without it."  Three years ago, third grade teacher Petrina Jonas suggested that Encinal begin a Mentor Program to support student success.  The program has been growing each year and now includes more than 30 students and their mentors. This year, our Mentor Program also spread to the Hillview campus as mentors chose to continue building relationships with their 6^th grade student mentees.

I have been lucky enough to serve as a mentor to an amazing girl since the program's inception. When I began my mentorship, I wondered whether or not I would make a difference in her life but I didn't consider how she was going to enhance mine. Seeing her smile and hearing her laugh brightens my day. Our conversations remind me of the joys and challenges of childhood. I find myself thinking about her over school vacations and wondering if she's having fun and reading an interesting book. I look forward to vacation's end so I can catch up with her. The Mentor Program has made school a more cheerful and exciting place for both of us. 

Being a mentor has given me more than I ever imagined and it has been a rewarding experience for my fellow mentors as well. "I look forward to seeing my mentee every week...The best aspect of being a mentor is knowing that I am making a positive difference in my mentee's life."  We all know that giving is often more rewarding than receiving and this holds true for our mentors. "Mentoring is totally enriching to my life...he knows I truly care about him and he counts on me...Even when things get tough for him, we find things to laugh about."

Mentors enhance the lives of their students just by being there and showing genuine interest in the child's life. "The children excel just having someone believe in them and encourage them."  The children in our program appreciate their mentors and cherish this special person in their lives. "My mentor helps because I get to talk to her and express my feelings."  The kids look forward to seeing their mentor all week long. "Friday is my favorite day because I know I am going to have lunch with my mentor."

Some people have said that they've thought about being a mentor but weren't sure they had the "special skills" needed. Fortunately, mentoring doesn't require special training or an advanced degree. All mentors need is open heart, a willingness to listen, and about an hour each week. "It is the simplest things that have been the most memorable...playing Frisbee or Jenga." Mentors also must sign a mentor agreement form and be finger printed.

The strong relationship that mentors and mentees build also supports the child's academic success. "The children excel just having someone believe in them and encourage them."  Learning can come in a variety of ways. Some of the children shared how their mentor helps them be more successful at school. "She plays math facts games with me so I can learn more things."  Mentors share their own strengths and interests with their mentees. They help the children across the curriculum and value the things that are important to the child. "My mentor helped me sound out words and let me show her the box my grandma made." And, the message that these children "hear" is that they are valued members of our school community. "I know my mentor likes me and respects me and I am always happy when I see her."

This year, I am coordinating the Mentor Program along with the valuable support of parent volunteers: Mari Chazen, Kim Steere, and Lara Sellers; along with our school counselor, Nicole Scott. Please feel free to contact any of us if you are interested in learning more about the Mentor Program. There are children on our waiting list. We would love to welcome new mentors, men and women, as well as English and Spanish speakers. Let us know if you would like to help the Mentor Program continue to grow. I can be reached at: rreding@mpcsd.org

By Kate Kennedy, Encinal Parent

The playground at lunchtime can be a crazy place, and while some kids thrive on the activity, others crave a little time away from the crowd. For them, lunch clubs are a haven; a special place where they can hang out with friends and indulge in a favorite activity.  

Kids from 2nd through 5th grade can find a lunch club to suit practically any interest: they can build Lego masterpieces, perfect their Yoga stretches, create works of art, kick up their heels and dance, hone their comedy skills, immerse themselves in all things sports, or just talk and play games, all in the safe environs of a classroom, guided by an Encinal teacher or specialist.
 

On Monday, 2nd and 3rd graders can join Mrs. McCann for Games and Gab, while 4th and 5th graders can get artistic with Mrs. Davidson at Art "N" Action. 
 

Tuesday will find 4th and 5th grade girls gathering for JBUG (Just Between Us Girls), and 4th and 5th graders joining Mrs. Parkhurst for Sports Club or Ms. Getchel for Comedy Club.
 

On Wednesday, 2nd and 3rd graders can engage in some healthy competition with Ms. Torres at Games, while 4th and 5th graders can be arty with Mrs. Davidson at Art "N" Action.
 

Thursday is the day for 4th and 5th graders to join Mrs. Smithlin for Line Dancing, Ms. Clemo for Games, Games, Games, Mrs. Delgado for Lego Club, or Ms. Hendrickson for Yoga Club.
 

Encinal lunch clubs have been around for several years, and are growing in number and variety each year. Most clubs meet once per week, and are announced on ENTV on the day they take place. All the clubs are drop-in, with no sign-ups necessary. Kids usually end up attending a club on an ongoing basis, but if one club isn't someone's cup of tea, they can always try other clubs until they find one that is. 
 

Individual clubs are born of a teacher's interest or a student's suggestion: Art "N" Action, for example, started with one student's desire to find a way to do art and give back to others. This year, the club made holiday cards and donated them to Ronald McDonald House, so it's clear they're living up to their mission. 
 

To quote the kids, "Lunch clubs are really fun, and give you something to do besides playing on the playground." "I really like all the games you can play." "I like watching the games and playing on the computer." "It's close to my classroom, and it lasts the whole recess." 
 

So there you have it: lunch clubs are fun, close to the classroom, and last the whole recess. You couldn't ask for a better endorsement than that!

 Read-A-Thon Yields Incredible Results

Students Raise Money and Books for the Library

By Lisa M. Cope, Encinal Parent

The Read-A-Thon results are in - and by all acounts, it was a great success. The children of Encinal showed their enthusiasm and energy for reading, in addition to their love for their library, by coming out in droves to participate in this worthy and fun event.

Astoundingly, the kids reached their goal of raising $20,000. The PTO will now be able to buy more than 1,100 books with the money raised, getting the library that much closer to being up to state standards.

Equally as important as the money raised was the incredible number of reading minutes the children logged over the month of March. More than 250,000 minutes were recorded by over 700 kids. Some kids even read 4,000 or 5,000 minutes for the month!

"I was so impressed with how engaged the students were with this event. They drove this Read-a-Thon themselves because they really see the need to build the library collection, said Denise Healy, Encinal Librarian.

Mrs. Getchel's class won the contest for most minutes read in one class  - more than 20,000 - and they will receive a pizza party at the end of the year. Bookmarkers will also be distributed to every Read-A-Thon participant in each grade and each class will receive a certificate showing how many minutes they read as a class. Individual winners from each class will receive a certificate during their Library time this week. 

Another important part of the Read-A-Thon was the used book drive. More than 1,000 books in fantastic condition were donated as part of the drive. The books immediately went into the classrooms and the library and the kids have been enjoying them already.

The kids really took ownership of this drive, showing their voracity for reading and their love of Encinal. They even filled out their "best-seller lists" where they wrote down their top three requests for books. The top five books for each grade have already been purchased with Read-A-Thon funds so the kids could enjoy them immediately.

Said Healy, "The books purchased with the Read-A-Thon funds are already arriving. I expect regular shipments of books to continue to arrive up until the summer break. The students are amazing. They've stepped up recommending titles, raising funds and then sharing about the new books with their classmates.  This is an exciting chapter for the Encinal library."

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