October 2015

FLOW Logo 
FLOW Mentoring Newsletter
St. Mary's County Public Schools 

 

 The mission of the Future Leaders of the World (FLOW) Mentoring Program is to foster positive mentoring relationships between students in St. Mary's County Public Schools and members of the community and to provide supported, safe, and inspiring environments in which these matches can cultivate the potential of each youth.
 
In This Issue
Celebrating with FLOW
Mentoring Research
Become a Mentor
Quick Links

 

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Welcome back, FLOW!

We are thrilled to start our 8th year with FLOW Mentoring! It wouldn't be possible without the support of our amazing volunteer mentors, dedicated site leaders, supportive school system, and the incredible St. Mary's County community. Kudos to you all for making mentoring work here in SMCPS!

 

FLOW Mentors 
Go the Extra Mile
Our Amazing FLOW Community 

   

At Benjamin Banneker Elementary school, the Class of 1958 has adopted our FLOW Mentoring program. Two members of this amazing group, Ms. Sarah Swales and Ms. Ella Neal, have volunteered with FLOW since our beginning eight years ago! They are two extraordinary women who we are proud to call FLOW Mentors. When they heard we had no money to give our student mentees an end-of-year party, they spoke with other members of the Class of 1958 and sponsored a field trip to the Leonardtown Wharf to celebrate. Our mentors and mentees had a wonderful time having an outdoor picnic, visiting with one another, and exchanging their End-of-Year gifts: personalized word clouds they created for one another! 

THANK YOU CLASS OF 1958!




 



Another Amazing Year 
with FLOW Mentoring-A Glance Back at 
2014-2015!
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Lexington Park Elementary School has some high flying fun with their homemade kites and creating fun memories together! 




Green Holly Elementary School 
created beautiful mushroom canvas paintings and enjoyed a wonderful K-9 presentation.




Hollywood Elementary takes time to explore the great outdoors!


Leonardtown High School conducts mock interviews!


White Marsh Elementary puts their engineering skills to the test!


George Washington Carver shows their love for the Earth and get creative in their card making! 
 
Mentoring News
 
for april 2015

 

 

"The Person Who Changed My Life"

 Podcast Series Goes Live!

This is my new favorite podcast. It draws from the entries of the critically acclaimed book, The Person Who Changed My Life, which was edited by Mrs. Matilda Raffa Cuomo, the former first Lady of New York, and founder of Mentoring USA twenty years ago. Among the contributors are Hillary Rodham Clinton, Joe Torre, Rosie O'Donnell, Nora Ephron, General Colin Powell, and many others. Listen to this one on your next summer road trip!



Mentoring Closes the Achievement Gap
 

"Think about if you've always not done well in something, like school, showing up there and just getting beat up again, feeling like this is something you're not very good at," says David Shapiro, CEO of Mentor: The National Mentoring Partnership, a youth mentoring advocacy group. For a youth who has struggled, having an adult show interest in them can make a difference. Mentoring, which typically involves a one-to-one, supportive relationship between a student and an adult, has been linked with positive outcomes, such as improved connection to school and adults, lower dropout indicators and higher achievement, according to a 2014 report on the effect of mentoring from his organization. Another excellent read! 





   
BECOME A MENTOR
We need you. 
They need you. 



Some FAQs about FLOW Mentoring.


Why mentoring?
Because it works! Educational research has shown that mentoring is extremely effective in increasing academic performance and positive social interactions among young people. And you asked for it! Nine years ago, the most common request to the Department of Academic Support was for a quality mentoring program. We worked hard to develop and implement a school based mentoring program that meets the needs of our students here in St. Mary's County Public School-and we're proud to say we've been at it for seven years!   
 

Who are the Mentors? 

How are they selected?

Our dedicated roster of Mentors come from all over Southern Maryland with hugely diverse backgrounds.  Many are business professionals and military personnel.  Others are school staff members, parents, grandparents, secondary students, college students, retired citizens, and other caring and responsible community members.   They have all submitted applications, been screened, and have gone through Mentor Training before they begin to work with their student mentee.   


 

When and where does 
the mentoring take place?  

Mentoring takes place after school once a week for an hour and a half at the student's home school. This ensures that students do not miss any part of their academic day.


 

How are the student mentees selected?

At each school, the FLOW Site Leader consults with teachers, counselors, administrators, the nurse, and other staff to develop a list of students that are most likely to benefit from the program.


How can I apply? 
To apply to become a Mentor with FLOW Mentoring, we require that you complete a FLOW Mentoring Mentor Application and an SMCPS Volunteer Application (this is required of all volunteers in our school system).

Please click on the links below to view printable versions of each application.

When you have completed both applications, please mail, fax, or email the applications to:
 
Sarah R. Tyson, FLOW Mentoring IRT 
FLOW Office Location:
Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center 
24005 Point Lookout Road 
Leonardtown, MD  20650 
Phone: 301-475-0242 ext. 28128
Fax: 301-475-0245 
flow@smcps.org 
 

If you need further persuasion, click on the article link below to read more about the importance of mentoring.

 

MILLIONS OF CHILDREN NEED MENTORS 

 
FLOW Logo

Make a Difference-Become a Mentor!
If you would like to learn more about FLOW Mentoring, or are interested in becoming a mentor for the 2015-16 school year, please visit our website at: 
 
or contact Sarah Tyson at the address below.

In gratitude,
Your FLOW Mentoring team  
  

FLOW Mentoring
St. Mary's County Public Schools
Department of Student Services
24005 Point Lookout Road
Leonardtown, MD  20650 
Phone: 301-475-0242 x.28128
Fax: 301-475-0245