Middle School Mentors
2/23/2019
In a blog post on the Concordia University website, author Brian Gatens identifies several important benefits of having older students in mentoring roles with younger students. (Gatens, Mentorship: How to Let Older Students Teach the Younger Ones) While his article offers several benefits to this relationship, two stand out as something that happens at PNA on a regular basis. From the beginning of the year to our annual all-school outing, to school wide assemblies to the end of the year Field Day and different opportunities in between, PNA provides opportunities for multi-age activities. These types of activities give students the opportunity to be positive role models for those that are looking up to them, watching how they behave in different circumstances and how they problem solve and collaborate. On a smaller note, classes come together in different mentoring opportunities in more organic ways as well. Recently, middle school students came in to offer wisdom and guidance to the second graders as they worked on publishing their non-fiction books. Helping not only with organization, conventions and ideas, as well as offering their typing services, the middle schoolers were also modeling good work ethics, humor, growth mindsets and a caring and helpful attitude. You can find these types of interactions on any given day at PNA. From 3rd graders teaching 2nd graders what they know about reading mysteries, to 4th graders teaching Kindergartners the rules of GaGa on the playground, students of all ages are helping to cultivate the positive and connected community that is PNA.
Gatens, B. (2016, February 22). Mentorship: How to Let Older Students Teach the Younger Ones. Retrieved from https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/curriculum-teaching-strategies/older-students-mentor-younger-students/ It Takes a Village...
2/16/2019
Friday morning in second grade started off with parents and other family members staying for a Parent Breakfast. These parent gatherings are a large part of the PNA culture, as each class has 4 of these events each school year. Parents come in and enjoy a breakfast, lunch or snack with their students and other families and participate in an activity with them, allowing parents to experience a bit of what their PNA student experiences every day.
PNA's social emotional program Responsive Classroom firmly believes in the power of family involvement in their child's education. Their website states, "Students do better academically and socially when schools build positive relationships with their families." They have looked at several studies that explore the relationship between student success and family involvement. Two of the more telling results they've found are: "The most accurate predictors of student achievement in school are not family income or social status, but the extent to which the family creates a home environment that encourages learning, communicates high yet reasonable expectations for the child’s achievement, and becomes involved in the child’s education at school." (Building Successful Partnerships: A Guide for Developing Parent and Family Involvement Programs) "When parents are involved at school, the performance of all the children at school, not just their own, tends to improve. The more comprehensive and well planned the partnership between school and home, the higher the student achievement." (A New Generation of Evidence: The Family is Critical to Student Achievement). PNA's Parent Gatherings are just one way our school fosters this critical role of families into the education of our students. Opportunities such as these are vital to building and maintaining those amazing and important relationships. Thank you for supporting your kids and our school!
National PTA. 2000. Building Successful Partnerships: A Guide for Developing Parent and Family Involvement Programs. Bloomington, Indiana: National Education Service, 11–12. Henderson, A.T., and Nancy Berla. 1995. A New Generation of Evidence: The Family Is Critical to Student Achievement. Washington, DC: Center for Law and Education, 14–16. The Power of a Read-Aloud
2/9/2019
From my earliest memories, I've always loved a good story. This love stems from the time spent in various relative's laps and getting read to every day. I've tried to instill this love of reading in my own kids and those kids who come through my classroom each year. Reading aloud provides a myriad of opportunities and benefits to all children of all ages and reading abilities. In our second grade classroom at PNA, we read aloud every day, sometimes several times a day. Some of the books are just to enjoy, some tie into our curriculum and some are ways to open discussions about current situations and emotions. "When you read aloud, you’re whetting a child’s appetite for reading." - Jim Trelease |
Marcella HitchcockMs. Hitchcock teaches second grade, is a mom of two, an avid reader, lifelong learner, and a seeker of sunshine! Archives
March 2021
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