May 22nd - 25th

I can't believe we've marked another school year off the calendar! We had a lovely final week, full of love, kindness, and...waffles! The kids really love sharing meals together, so we made delicious waffles, complete with all the trimmings. The mentors exhibited the notion of leadership through service and led the charge in setting everything up, serving their mentees, and even cleaning after the party was over!

We also awarded students in each class with certificates that honor students' unique talents. The scholars voted on awards for the kindest student, class clown, best advice giver, hardest worker, and most improved for each class. I absolutely adore recognizing students who work hard throughout the year and the students are extremely supportive of their peers.

 

On the last day of school, some of the YESS students showcased their talents in the annual talent show! Kim danced, Makenzie performed a gymnastics routine, and Jasmine and Geyonni sang a beautiful song! Because we didn't have classes that day, the students left little notes and drawings on my white board earlier in the week. I always treasure the students' sweet mementos and will miss this great group of kids over the summer!

May 15th - 19th

This week didn't feel like a typical, five-day week! It flew by! We had our final Mentor/Mentee Monday and discussed ways to end the year on a positive note. The mentors decided we should have a waffle party and they're looking forward to their treats. Later, we continued the fine tradition of Tutoring Tuesday and even expanded it into Work-a-holic Wednesday. Many students have final projects and I was proud of their efforts, despite it being so close to the end of the year. Thursday and Friday were filled with team-oriented games that got the kids moving and having fun!

We also hosted our third annual End of Year Celebration at Westy High School on Wednesday! We had several scholars speak to the crowd and they were marvelous. I was especially moved by Faith Padilla's personal account of how YESS helped her become a model citizen. Her story of how she matured from a mischievous elementary student to a motivated, successful student was inspiring. I'm going to miss her when she heads to high school, but I'm honored to have been a part of her life for three years!

May 8th - 12th

Geyonni's using her tutoring time to earn a score 4 in Science!

It's hard to believe we're wrapping up another year of YESS at Scott Carpenter! This week, we worked hard on many tasks. Monday was devoted to finalizing plans for our End of Year event, which will take place at 6:30, May 17th at Westminster HS (arrive at 6:00 for sandwiches!).


On Tuesday and Wednesday, we continued working on hitting our learning targets. Many scholars are leveling up and the pride we're all feeling is infectious. I especially enjoy that some students are taking the time to re-do old assignments to get a higher score.

Brainstorming our stressors

The final list of stressors

Thursday, we discussed stress and how our mindset during stressful times can dramatically impact our ability to thrive during difficult moments. This lesson was from our new curriculum and I was able to incorporate numerous Kagan Cooperative Learning strategies, one of which was a poem for two voices. The mentors and mentees worked together to create poems about stress, then performed their works on Friday. Minus a little bit of whining, the kids really did a fabulous job on their poems!

"Sit down and breathe, stay strong and believe. Too much on my mind, take it slow, don't freak. Rest is all you need, rock-a-bye baby, go to sleep. Eating is the key, exercise to feel relieved. Stay strong, slow down. Stress is temporary, stress goes away, just understand."

"So annoyed, so sad. Tell me what to do, trying to stay calm. Really giving up, resting won't work. Everything was down, eventually got better. Started talking to people, someone stayed to help. Sopped all the worrying, stress is only natural."

"Sleep, sleep, go to sleep. Sleep away the day's rest. Time to spend with my family, to get my stress away from me. React with a positive address, release away all my stress. Enlightenment I will try to reach, entertainment will help me out. Stress to strength, stress is hard to get away. Slowly smiling, starting to shine."

On Friday, after the scholars read their poems to the class, we all went outside for a three-legged race! I was concerned many students would be unwilling to participate out of fear of looking silly. But, as a testament to their confidence and camaraderie, nearly everyone enthusiastically raced!

May 1st - 5th

The goal of this week was to recruit mentors for next year. I'm extremely pleased with the way our mentors spoke about the program and included their favorite things about the class. As I eavesdropped, I heard them mention everything from being able to help another student, maintaining their own good academic standing, food (naturally), and that YESS functions like their family at school. We've all worked hard to create a supportive environment in the YESS classroom and I adore how much they relish the love they receive here.

On Wednesday and Thursday, we explored the concept of wealth. As you may expect, the scholars had a money-driven definition of the term so we discussed why many of us only think of material wealth, as opposed to intangible wealth. We also watched a video about wealth inequality in America that really surprised the kids. You can take a look here. Below, you'll see the students' perceptions of what wealthy people have. Things like mansions, money, and even plastic surgery were included!

April 24th - 28th

This week, we continued preparing for next year's mentors by creating recruitment posters and discussing how to encourage peers to take on the responsibility of being a mentor next year. The current mentors are extremely excited to be able to talk about the program with their friends and highlight all the wonderful experiences provided by YESS. Take a look at some of their work below!

Tuesday, we continued with our traditional Tutoring Tuesday. On Wednesday, the scholars participated in 2nd hour participated in a lesson created by two mentors, Janel and Sonja. These young women wanted to impart their wisdom regarding how decisions made in middle school can and will impact their futures. They shared a Google Slides presentation and some worksheets designed to help pinpoint where students feel their emotions. I was proud of their efforts!

The students in our other classes took part in a restorative circle on Wednesday. Topics included everything from school culture to racial discrimination. The conversations were thoughtful and deep. One student, who protested participating at the beginning of the talk, commented that this was the best conversation he had ever had in school. Considering their age, our students are extremely aware of what's going on in the world around them and I just love hashing things out in a productive, positive way!

While I was away on Thursday and Friday, the scholars kept up the pace by watching a video about the Civil Rights Movement and the many young leaders that emerged from that struggle. I'm looking forward to discussing their perceptions over the coming days!