November 28th - December 2nd

I can't believe how quickly this week went - I guess time really does fly when you're having fun! On Monday, the mentors analyzed their leadership style. They reflected on their lives to determine if they were Natural Leaders, Silent Leaders, or Bottom-Up Leaders and discussed the benefits of each type. I also assigned the mentors to a task, which challenged them to discuss their behavior and academic standing with their teachers.

Tuesday, as usual, was devoted to tutoring. Now that the students have learned how much they can accomplish in just one class period, they are really using their time to complete assignments. I'm extremely proud of their work ethic!

On Wednesday, we did a lesson on cyber bullying. We explored what cyber bullying is, as well as why it's harmful to the target. Then, we did an activity that inspired students to devise ways to use their "bystander power" to help the victim when they see cyber bullying. Check out this poignant video we watched to highlight what positive and negative behaviors we may see online!

Thursday and part of Friday were dedicated to helping other kids be happy. We discussed how some children were stuck in hospitals during the holiday season. Then, I introduced the organization, Cards for Hospitalized Kids, and asked if anyone wanted to make a card for a sick child. Naturally, almost all of them were enthusiastic about brightening someone's day! My favorite aspect of working here is how philanthropic our students are and how well they use their creativity and empathy to help others. Take a look at some pictures below!

Once all the students were done with their cards, we played a really fun game called Musical Wardrobe. It's similar to Hot Potato, but instead of passing an item, participants pass a bag of clothing items around the circle. When the music stops, the person holding the "wardrobe" has to put something on. It was a ton of fun and the kids enjoyed the bonding experience of wearing goofy clothes!