Feature Archive - January 2008
Urbana School District Welcomes New Mentors
New Mentors Trained and Ready to Meet Students
[featured 1/30/08 - 2/1/08]
Urbana School District #116 Mentor Coordinators have spent the entire month of January recruiting new mentors for children. Earlier this week the mentor coordinators saw the fruit of their labors.
Over 50 new volunteers were trained to be school district mentors Tuesday night. "We are thrilled. We have a great turnout and great number of men which was our goal this year. It's very exciting to see the men outnumber the women in a (mentor) training session. I don't think I've ever seen that before," said Lori Ellinger, Yankee Ridge Mentor Coordinator. Ellinger says there was a good cross-section of mentors represented. "We have people from a range of different places. I see some from Urbana government, there are some people from the University, and there are people from all sorts of places. I think we've made ourselves known and our need known," Ellinger added.
The mentors were briefed on the type of students they will be paired with, the objective of mentoring, and the parameters of the program. Mentors are matched with students from third grade through high school. The new mentors were also reminded that their job is relationship building and not tutoring.
The mentor coordinators say once the mentors are trained and pass their background check they will be plugged in immediately. "I have six mentors here (for training), and I have six kids ready to go," said Wiley and Thomas Paine Mentor Coordinator Kellie Anderson.
Those interested in mentoring an Urbana School District #116 student, please see http://www.usd116.org/home/mentors.html.
Photo 1: New mentors gather at the Urbana Free Library for training.
Photo 2: New mentors participate in an ice-breaking activity at the Urbana Free Library.
Urbana School District Mentoring Program Looks to Local Business to Help Students
Paid Summer Jobs Give Students Taste of the "Real World"
[featured 1/26/08 - 1/30/08]
The Urbana School District #116 Mentoring Program is looking to partner with area businesses to place high school students being mentored into the workforce for a summer job. Carle Foundation Hospital was part of the pilot program last year, and Urbana School District and Champaign School District are looking for more businesses to expand the venture for this coming summer.
Carle recently hosted a forum for businesses that were interested in hiring a student from the mentoring program for the summer. Business representatives from Volition, Horizon Hobby, Human Kinetics, Christie Clinic, Champaign Country Club, Health Alliance, and the City of Champaign attended the forum. Carle officials moderated a panel discussion with students who participated in the job program last summer.
"It's a way to expand the services we offer in the mentoring program," says Barbra Linder, mentoring coordinator at Urbana Middle School. She explains, "When our kids hit high school often it's easy to drop out, to not feel like they have a future, to not see a reason to come to school. This is our way of helping them make a connection between what they do in school and the possibilities that are out there, (and) to link them with some things beyond a mall or fast food job."
Linder also says the program will benefit the school when the students return, with kids being motivated to stay in school and to study hard.
Students have to be at least 16-years old to take part in the jobs program.
District 116 Superintendent Dr. Preston Williams, Junior, encouraged the business leaders in attendance to consider the program saying, "I think you've had an opportunity to have just a glimpse of the wonderful young people we have in this community and what they are capable of doing. I think that as employers you all had to start someplace, and we all had to have someone that was willing to give us some direction, guidance, and support. You might be surprised at what you might spark in one individual."
For those interested in hiring a student from the mentor program for a summer job, please contact Linder at 337-0853.
Photo: L-R: Carle Hospital Mentor Susan Elmore, UHS Summer Student Samantha Smith, and UMS Assistant Principal Donna Oakes-Novak attend the Mentoring Forum at Carle. Smith worked at Carle in the Summer of 2007 as part of the District 116 Mentoring Program.
Four Urbana School District #116 Schools Receive State Recognition
Illinois Honor Roll Highlights Academic Achievement
[featured 1/24/08 - 1/26/08]
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has honored Wiley Elementary, Martin Luther King Elementary, Thomas Paine Elementary, and Leal Elementary Schools for academic achievement in 2007. ISBE, in partnership with Northern Illinois University, delivers three kinds of awards to recognize schools that demonstrate outstanding academic performance. These awards make up the Illinois Honor Roll (http://iirc.niu.edu/).
King, Leal, and Thomas Paine Elementary Schools received a Spotlight School Award that honors high academic achievement in a school where at least 50-percent of the students are classified as coming from low-income families.
King, Thomas Paine, and Wiley Elementary Schools were given Academic Improvement Awards for sustaining an upward trend in achievement test scores for at least three years.
Martin Luther King Principal Jennifer Ivory-Tatum says, "I am glad that the students and teachers are being recognized for all of their hard work. We have worked very hard to build a culture for learning and teaching students to try their very best in all that they do whether school work, behaviorally or socially. It is nice to be rewarded for these efforts."
Leal Elementary School Principal Spencer Landsman adds, "I'm very proud of our students and really appreciate all the hard work of our staff. The Leal staff goes the extra mile to really know our students and understand their academic needs and then works even harder to meet the needs of each student. This allows all students at Leal to be successful."
District 116 Superintendent Dr. Preston Williams is proud of the schools' accomplishments saying, "We understand that this is not the end, but a continuation of excellence that we want to instill in all of our students. It is important when experts recognize our achievements, because it spurs us on to greater heights."
Mentoring Program Rewarding for Adults Who Volunteer Time
[featured 1/22/08 - 1/24/08]
Research shows that children in the Urbana School District who are mentored find the experience beneficial and rewarding.
Mentors will tell you the same thing. The men and women who volunteer their time mentoring students get as much out of it as the kids.
Monica Zachary mentors a young lady at Urbana Middle School. "It's, in many ways, one of the easiest things I've done involving children. I don't discipline, I don't tutor, I just come alongside and listen, befriend, and I'm just there. In the workaday world, it's pretty easy to get involved in things that revolve around you and what you have to get done. In this role, it's not about me at all; it's just about my mentee," Zachary explains.
Damon Hackleman is in his second year as a mentor at Urbana Middle School. "It's been really rewarding for me. Being a parent of two small children it (mentoring) gives me a chance to get back around middle school aged children…and being refreshed at that age in life," Hackleman says. He continues, "It's easy to forget how many things change in your life at that point (in middle school), so being able to connect with someone and give back and being able to help out is very rewarding."
Willard Broom retired from the U of I recently and he has been mentoring students for four years. "It's great. Mentoring is one hour a week that's cool; its one hour a week that I really look forward to. (Mentors) aren't managing a classroom they aren't handling discipline, (my student) is just happy to see me," Broom says.
Tim Borbely mentors an eighth-grader at Urbana Middle School, and he says he likes volunteering is time in a one-on-one relationship. "I'm not talking to his teachers, I'm not sitting on a governing board; I'm here playing games (with his student). I've seen more of a direct impact for my time that way and I truly enjoy it," Borbely comments.
Ruth Weaver is a retired elementary teacher and she has enjoyed the different way she gets to interact with children. Weaver, who mentors a middle school girl, says, "I always had to have lesson plans and an objective (when she was a teacher). Now, I find myself thinking 'this is really wonderful.' All that's really required of me is to hang out, to care about this child, and establish a relationship."
There are many students of all ages who need a mentor. Mentor coordinators will pair a mentor with a student and make sure it's a compatible match. All adult volunteers will have to pass a background check before being allowed to mentor a student.
For more information about becoming a mentor for an Urbana School District #116 student, please see http://www.usd116.org/home/mentors.html.
Wiley Elementary School Celebrates Martin Luther King
[featured 1/18/08 - 1/22/08]
Students at Wiley Elementary School were inspired to make a bright future for themselves during the school's annual Martin Luther King, Junior, assembly Thursday. Students from each class performed poems and readings about Dr. King's life.
The Reverend Harold Davis spoke to the children about how Dr. King helped change America for the better. Davis challenged the students to take responsibility for their lives and taught them this poem:
The world is changing it is plain to see.
If I want a bright future it is up to me.
"As we get older," Davis told the students, "as I get older, as your parents get older, guess what? Guess who has to take over? You guys have to take over. We're counting on you to make the world a better place. Can you do that?" The students responded with a resounding "yes!"
Wiley Principal Barb Sartain says the Dr. King assembly fits right into the school's "Character Counts" program. "We use the pillars (in Character Counts) to talk about how Dr. King exemplified those qualities in his own life, and each class has spent a lot of time thinking through things," Sartain explains. Wiley students also participated in an essay contest about Dr. King's dreams that culminated before the assembly when students read their essays over the intercom.
Prairie Elementary School also conducted their Martin Luther King, Junior, celebration on Thursday. The school presented Dr. King's timeline of events and other students were involved in a special performance. The school also announced the winners of the Dr. King essay contest.
Urbana High School will participate in Martin Luther King, Junior, celebrations January 21, at the U of I's Illinois Residence Hall program. Members of the UHS Interact Club and the UHS choir will take part in the celebration. Martin Luther King Elementary will mark Dr. King's birthday January 25.
Urbana School District Thanks Its Mentors
Annual Mentor Breakfast Held Thursday
[featured 1/17/08 - 1/18/08]
The Urbana School District took a moment Thursday to thank all its mentors. District 116 joined with the Champaign School District to honor the men and women who mentor students with the annual Mentor Breakfast. The mentors gathered at Vineyard Church in Urbana to have breakfast and to enjoy hearing from mentors and students who have enjoyed success in the program.
Urbana Middle School Volunteer Coordinator Barbara Linder says the breakfast is a way to thank mentors and encourage them to stick with mentoring. "Sometimes it's not easy to stay the course," Linder says.
Linder also says the breakfast is a chance to sign up new mentors. "We've encouraged mentors to bring a guest that they think might be interested in mentoring, so there are a few guests here that are checking us out," she explains.
January is National Mentoring Month, and Linder says the recruitment drive for new mentors has been a success. "We have had one of the best recruitment months ever. We've been particularly pleased that we've been getting more men. People are hearing the (need for) men. They're talking to their male friends, and I've been getting a lot of calls and e-mails," Linder reports.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor please contact Linder at 337-0853, or read more at http://www.usd116.org/home/mentors.html.
Yankee Ridge Elementary School Celebrates Martin Luther King Junior’s Birthday
Entire School Takes Part in Celebration
[featured 1/16/08 - 1/17/08]
January 15, 2008 would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior's 79th birthday, and Yankee Ridge Elementary School marked the occasion with an all-school assembly. The entire school took part in the event with individual and class presentations.
"The objective behind (Tuesday's) assembly was that we keep Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior's thoughts and goals and dreams alive. And by studying about him, researching about him, thinking about him, and talking about him it makes it current," explains Yankee Ridge Elementary Principal Mary Beth Norris. "We've talked about harmony and togetherness this week and it's something we practice on a daily basis and I think it's important that students realize Dr. King had quite an impact on the world in that regard," Norris says.
Students from all grades presented poems, readings, and songs about Dr. King's life. Alexia Jones delighted the audience in singing the first verse of "We Shall Overcome." The fifth-graders performed an abridged version of Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
Obviously, today's elementary-school students were not born while Dr. King was alive, but now many parents of elementary-school children were not born during King's life or were too young to remember Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement. Norris says it's important for schools to teach about Dr. King and his message. "I think it's important and that's why we spend time (teaching about Dr. King) every year," she says. Norris continues, "It is more than just a day off from school; it is a time for students to really be thinking about Dr. King's dreams and how those dreams impact their lives today. Some of the same struggles still exist, some of the same problems schools deal with just as they did back then, and we CAN overcome it. I think it's important that we do believe that we can each have a part in making it a better world and feel empowered to do so."
Other District 116 schools will hold special assemblies to honor Dr. King this week and next week.
Urbana Schools to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Special Assemblies and Programs Planned
[featured 1/14/08 - 1/16/08]
Many Urbana School District #116 schools are planning to mark Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior’s birthday with special assemblies and celebrations over the next several days.
Yankee Ridge will celebrate Dr. King’s life Tuesday, January 15, at 2:00 p.m. The assembly will consist of different classes performing poems, songs, readings, or skits to teach different aspects about Dr. King.
Wiley Elementary School will hold its Dr. King celebration on January 17, at 1:30 p.m. The Reverend Harold Davis will speak to the school and several classes will make presentations during a special assembly.
Prairie Elementary School will also celebrate Dr. King’s birthday on January 17, at 1:30 p.m. The school will present Dr. King's timeline of events and other students will be involved in a special performance. The school will also announce the winners of the Dr. King essay contest.
Urbana High School Students plan to participate in a special program at the U of I’s Illinois Street Residence Hall on January 21, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Members of the UHS Interact Club and the UHS choir will take part in the celebration.
Martin Luther King Elementary will celebrate the school’s namesake Friday, January 25, at 1:00 p.m. Students will present dramatic readings, poems, class performances, student drawings, and musical performances all by King Elementary students.
For more information about the special Dr. King programs, please contact each school’s building principal.
Mentors Needed for Elementary School Students
[featured 1/11/08 - 1/14/08]
Many people probably think mentors are for middle and high school students, but the Urbana School District is also looking for men and women to mentor third, fourth, and fifth-grade boys and girls in District 116 Elementary Schools.
"You can identify students that have at-risk needs. They are not particularly serious behavior problems, but they need an extra adult to talk to," says Leal and Prairie Outreach Coordinator Jane Cain. "Third and fourth grade is a good place to start because they can relate to adults pretty well, but they have time to develop that relationship (with their mentor) before they reach middle school," Cain explains.
Lori Erlinger coordinates mentors at Yankee Ridge Elementary and she says elementary students love their time with mentors. She says, "Having a mentor is a status symbol in our elementary schools. Kids think it’s very cool."
Kellie Anderson is the mentor coordinator at Wiley and Thomas Paine Elementary Schools, and she says mentors don't have to be a parenting age. Mentors can be people who don't have children, be parents who have children that are grown and gone, or be single or married. She says retired persons make great mentors and should consider passing along what they have learned. Anderson says, "They have a history and a legacy and the desire to pass that along to a young person. They have a warmth and tenderness that is so beneficial."
There are many students of all ages who need a mentor. Mentor coordinators will pair a mentor with a student and make sure it's a compatible match. All adult volunteers will have to pass a background check before being allowed to mentor a student.
For more information about becoming a mentor for an Urbana School District #116 student, please see http://www.usd116.org/home/mentors.html.
Wanted: A Few (Actually Many) Good Men
District 116 Looks for Male Mentors
[featured 1/10/08 - 1/11/08]
January is Mentor Month and the Urbana School District wants to let men know that there are many middle school and high school boys that need a male mentor to help them navigate through adolescence. Two-thirds of the mentor requests in District 116 come from boys. Only one-third of the mentor volunteers in District 116 are men. The mentors are not tutors, nor do they fill a parental role; they are there to listen to students and give out advice on life. Mentors meet with their students one hour per week.
Damon Hackleman is in his second year as a mentor, and he's paired with student LaShon Little. Hackleman got involved in the mentoring program through a friend of his who is also a mentor. "It's been really rewarding for me. Being a parent of two small children it (mentoring) gives me a chance to get back around middle school aged children…and being refreshed at that age in life," Hackleman says. He continues, "It's easy to forget how many things change in your life at that point (in middle school), so being able to connect with someone and give back and being able to help out is very rewarding."
"It helps me to know that somebody is listening and cares," Little says. Hackleman and Little talk about the issues facing his school life, including getting along with others and the importance of studying hard. While Hackleman doesn't formally tutor Little, Little says his grades have taken a dramatic jump and he says he feels better about being in school. "I got my grades up and have kept them up ever since my favorite teacher got me into the mentoring program," Little explains.
Hackleman says there is a large need for men to be mentors to young men in the Urbana School District. "There are not enough role models out there today, otherwise programs like this wouldn’t exist the way they do. As somebody who's grown up and seen what good role models can do for them, it's very beneficial," Hackleman says.
If you are thinking, "I don't know if I have the strength to relate to adolescent boys," Hackleman debunks those fears. He says as one who has been out of the middle school era for many years he found he was able to relate to adolescents. Hackleman explains, "It's no different than when you were a kid. They're always looking for someone to look up to that will actually take the time to listen to them about what’s important to them and what's going on in their life and not judge and just be a friend. Once you're doing it, it's very rewarding, it's not intimidating. It's very rewarding."
So men, if you can spare an hour, there is an Urbana Middle School boy waiting to be mentored by you.
For more information about the District 116 mentoring program, please see http://www.usd116.org/home/mentors.html.
Urbana School District Celebrates Mentors
January is National Mentoring Month
[featured 1/7/08 - 1/10/08]
January is National Mentoring Month, and Urbana School District #116 is taking the time to recognize current mentors and looking to recruit new mentors for students.
“The district’s goal is to provide students the support they need to be successful in school and in life. Mentoring is one strategy toward that end. We would love to provide every student who requests a mentor or is referred for mentoring with a caring adult to meet with them weekly at school,” says Barbara Linder, Urbana Middle School Volunteer Coordinator. Linder continues, “We all need mentors. Teachers need mentors. Parents need mentors. Teens need mentors. A mentor is a person who provides encouragement and support. A mentor is a cheerleader who believes in the potential and sees the good in their ‘mentee’ or ‘protégé’. We all need that.”
There are currently 190 mentor/protégé pairs in the Urbana School District, matching fourth through sixth grade students with an adult mentor. Linder says the program is all about relationships. She explains,
“Our school’s mentoring program, C-U One-to-One, is a relationship-building program. It is not a tutoring program. So mentors spend their time building a relationship of trust with their student. They play games, they read together, they get physical exercise, they talk, they learn new skills together and they occasionally work together on a school project. In that process mentors communicate to their student that there is one person who is committed to them, one person who unconditionally believes in them, and one person who is ‘crazy about them.’ As a result, 96% of students say that having a mentor helps them feel good about themselves, 92% say it helps them feel good about coming to school and 100% believe that their mentor cares about them.”
And, Linder says mentoring works. “We are able to see that in the data that was collected over the past three years. We saw academic gains, attendance gains, and behavioral improvements in mentored students. Our belief is that those gains can be attributed to the relationship the student has with an adult who believes in them and provides them with someone they can trust, someone who helps them see and access their own strengths,” she says.
Linder says District 116 is always looking for mentors, especially mentors who are men. Linder comments, “The qualities we look for in mentors are: flexibility, patience, good listening skills, and a genuine interest in youth. We also need adults who are good role models and who expect to be in the community for the foreseeable future. Mentors make a one year commitment, but know that at the end of the year they will be asked to recommit for the following school year. Our goal is for mentors to stay with their student through high school graduation.”
Mentors have to pass a security check and undergo training before being paired with a student.
For more information about the Urbana School District’s mentoring program please see http://www.usd116.org/home/volunteer.html.
Announcing the Urbana School District #116 Monthly Online Newsletter
[featured 1/2/08 - 1/7/08]
Members of the public and the Urbana School District family now have a monthly newsletter to help them stay up-to-date with current events in District 116. The electronic newsletter Urbana School District Monthly will be published online.
The newsletter will feature a monthly message from Superintendent Dr. Preston Williams and occasional commentaries from the Urbana School District Board of Education. The news section contains photos and news stories of various happenings in the school district in the past month. You will also find the school district calendar and other announcements pertaining to District 116.
This is the inaugural issue of the newsletter. It is a work in progress, and we will continue to refine the final product as 2008 continues. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Mark Schultz via email. Constructive feedback is appreciated.