Training Information
- Candidate
Selection
Upper
School
students in tenth through twelfth grades may apply to be a
Mentor. In the first month of the school year, senior Mentors, with
faculty advisors present, discuss all aspects of the program with Upper
School
students. Those who are interested in the program attend meetings
for one month. They may
then fill out an application to become part of the program, which
requires two written recommendations/endorsements from
Upper
School
faculty members. Click here to see the application on scanned
document #1. The applications are reviewed by faculty
Mentor
advisors and Mentor leaders. If approved, students sign off on a
commitment to the yearlong program and a letter of understanding.
Copies of the documents are sent to their parents.
Planning
and Teaching Preparation
Each year,
Mentor
leaders are selected by faculty advisors, who organize activities to
prepare these students to be well informed as health educators.
(Last year, there were four leaders). Leaders meet weekly with
faculty advisors prior to our 45-minute activity period with the
entire
Mentor
group. Collectively, we arrange for speakers, videos, and determine
relevant affective issues for reading, discussion, and debate.
After several sessions of robust dialogue, eight
curricular topics are selected. Each leader is then required to
become “an expert” on two of the eight topics. Mentors
are divided into small work groups, each headed by a
Mentor
leader. Each group
conducts research and drafts two lesson plans. The plans are then
critiqued and redesigned.
Well-balanced teaching teams of three or four
Mentors are created for each of the eight life skills classes, which
have 10-12 students per class. The class is 45 minutes.
The Mentors introduce the program to the entire
sixth grade. The presentation includes four humorous but real skits
that alert the students to the material that will be covered in
classes. The ten classes, from February to April, consist of one
introductory class, eight curricular classes, and a closing class
that is a panel discussion. This closing discussion
serves as an invitation to keep alive the communication and
relationships that were established during the semester.
Retreat
Our retreat is held in early February after the end
of the first semester. It is our time to re-group, focus, and
practice what will be done in the classrooms. It is a combination of
work and play. The
Mentor
leaders create the agenda and address a number of issues:
self-awareness, adolescent developmental issues, classroom behavior
management techniques, teamwork, and concerns about self-disclosure,
and enact mock presentations of the topics. Sample copies of the
Mentor Manual are attached. (See scanned document #2).
Evaluations
At the end of the ten-week program, evaluations are
completed by the sixth grade students, the Mentors, and sometimes by
faculty who observe classes periodically. The evaluations are
distributed to all of the above parties for program modifications. A
copy of the evaluation used by the sixth graders is attached in
scanned document #3.
Mentors Role in the
Park Connects program
Mentors share ideas and participate in the planning
of content areas of the Parent Education Workshops outlined below in
Park Connects. In the 2005-2006 school year, we anticipate they will
be co-facilitators with Health Team members in some of these
workshops.
Park
Connects is a school-wide program designed to promote the wellbeing
of our students and to help reduce the risk factors that contribute
to unhealthy behaviors. It aims to strengthen the connections
between our students and the important adults in their lives;
between adults at school and adults at home; and, between and among
adults in the parent body. It is a partnership that brings together
parents, students, faculty, and the broader school community to
address issues of mutual concern.
The
program is grounded in longstanding research. Studies conducted over
several decades demonstrate that prevention of unhealthy behaviors
is associated with:
·
Effective parenting
·
Strong, positive family and school bonds
·
Clear standards and limit setting
·
Opportunities for healthy risk-taking and development
of personal assets
·
Postponement/reduction of inappropriate behaviors
·
Positive role models
Park
Connects was initiated in the summer of 2003. Several Park faculty members worked together to develop a
comprehensive ninth grade Alcohol and Other Drugs course (AOD).
The group began by
developing the following Statement of Principles to guide its work.
Please refer to the “Drug Education Principals” scanned document
#4.
Out of that summer work, Park committed to support a
broad-based effort to create a wellness program for our students
that would go beyond the AOD course in scope and that would involve
the entire Park Community. With the strong support of Park’s Head
of School, the Health Team, the Board of Trustees, the Parents’
Association, and a group of dedicated parents, that goal has become
a reality with the initiation of the Park Connects program in the
fall of 2003.
Parent
Programs
A
centerpiece of Park Connects is ongoing parent programming. Parents
of students in the fifth, seventh, ninth, and tenth grades are
required to attend an Educational Workshop presented by members of
Park’s Health Team. These interactive seminars highlight core
developmental issues, stimulate parent dialogue, and promote skills
that support healthy behaviors.
As
a follow-up to the parent education workshops, trained parent
facilitators lead grade level discussion meetings referred to as
networking groups. Parents are encouraged to share their ideas,
experiences, and concerns to promote better understanding and
awareness. Groups continue to meet in successive years.
Other
components of Park Connects include:
·
Lower School Affective Education Curricula
·
Middle School Life Skills and Human Sexuality Programs
·
Ninth Grade Alcohol and Other Drugs Course
·
Upper
School
Sexual Health Course and Seminar
·
Upper
School
Mentors Program
·
Health Team Initiatives
·
Lower, Middle and
Upper
School
Counseling and Nursing Assistance
·
Upper School Non-Disciplinary Assistance Group
·
Upper
School
Athletic Policies and Practices that Support Healthy Behaviors
The
program is supported by the volunteer efforts of many dedicated
parents, faculty, students, and trustees. Our Upper School Mentors
are actively involved in Park Connects programming and will play
increasingly important roles as the program continues to expand.
For more information
about Park Connects call Ellen Small in the Parents' Association Office at 410-769-5774 or write to
parkconnects@
parkschool.net
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