Building
friendships
School employees,
community members mentor students
By Mary Sprosty
"Children can
always use more adults in their life," says Elementary Guidance Counselor
Wendy Garrity.
Garrity and Reading
Specialist Gretchen Stoehr coordinate the PALS program, which stands for People
Actively Linking with Students.
The program is
designed to promote positive relationships between students and adults, and
build friendships between two populations generally seen on opposite levels.
"The PALS
program allows students to see us as friends. We tend to put teachers and
administration on a pedestal. This takes them off that pedestal and shows the
students that they are people too," Garrity said.
"We want
students to see adults as being personable and approachable," Stoehr
added.
Stoehr said
students can talk to their adult mentors about problems in their lives, or
about everyday things going on.
"They aren't
counselors, nor are we asking them to be. They are additional adults that
students can talk to, either as friends or about problems in their lives,"
Garrity said.
Garrity said each
mentor is trained to look for "warning signs" that a student may need
to talk to a counselor as well.
"Their is a
curriculum we follow and a training program they must complete," she said.
The program
benefits both the student and the mentor, Stoehr said.
Benefits to the
students include:
* Improved academic
results.
* Build social and
emotional skills.
* Improved
self-esteem.
* Provides a safe
place for mentees to disclose apprehension and self-doubt through a supportive
and trusting relationship.
* Develop sense of
hope and purpose.
* Help individuals
discover and develop their talents.
* Show that adults
do care.
"I think the
adults benefit in several ways," Garrity said. "The students are
disruptive in class, and they have more respect for all adults because they
have a positive relationship with one."
"The overall
student climate has improved. I can see it in their (students) body language.
They lift their heads up as they walk down the hall and they look you in the
eyes and smile when they talk to you," Garrity said.
"It has
literally picked people's spirits up," she added.
PALS began last
school year with six community members who served as mentors to students a few
times a week. The program has grown this year to include 31 adult mentors and
35 student mentees.
"We really
have a good representation of people," said Garrity.
The adult mentors
include community members, school faculty, support staff and administration.
"The school
employees are really behind this," Stoehr said.
"The
administration has backed us on this too," Garrity said.
Administrators
working as mentors are District Administrator Dr. Victor Rossetti, Elementary
Principal Bob Schnell, Middle School Principal Terry Ludkey, Board member Mary
Ann Garrity and Curriculum Coordinator Cindi Coley.