As the schools in the Kent School District settle in to the 2013-2014 school year, Communities In Schools of Kent welcomed back our returning mentors this morning with a hour long breakfast celebration at the Kent Phoenix Academy from 7:30-8:30 AM. The event was hosted by the Kent Phoenix Academy Site Coordinator Kim Macias-Shell and the Elementary Mentor Coordinator Dee Klem, inviting the volunteer mentors to share their experiences from the previous year as well as relish in what they are most excited for during this coming school year.
One of the experiences shared during the discussion came from a long time Kent mentor. I was able to get my mentee to stop “slugging” kids on the playground, she said to the 25+ mentors in the room. She did this by simply asking the student who had been hit if they were her mentee’s friend. This behavior revealed an environment at home in which the mentee felt the need to be physical in order to connect with others. Over the course of the previous school year, that behavior was corrected thanks to the help of this community member.
We are excited to have our volunteer mentors back in the schools later this month and look forward to more positive stories like this!