The “Be A Buddy” school group at Stanley-Boyd School has had with a successful start. At the December 4th Monday meeting students enjoyed playing games and making crafts and Christmas …
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The “Be A Buddy” school group at Stanley-Boyd School has had with a successful start. At the December 4th Monday meeting students enjoyed playing games and making crafts and Christmas gifts. Fourteen students laughed and joked while building memories and fostering friendships. The newly formed group meets on Mondays after school in the Community Room across from the community pool.
While it’s still a learning process, Grace Schmidt, one of the founding members, mentions that the meetings are going smoothly as they try to incorporate the different needs and interests of the students and encourage more interactions. She said, “It has also been a learning experience for both the mentors and the students. The students are having fun while engaging with their buddies and meanwhile, the mentors are learning more about patience, understanding communication in different ways, and a variety of learning styles.” She shared that the group has received positive feedback from the students and the mentors. The students’ enthusiasm and excitement for the group grows each week. “One of the students we mentor asks me daily what we're going to be doing the next week for the activity which tells me that she enjoys our get-togethers every Monday,” Schmidt said. And its enjoyable for the mentors as well, who like the feeling of helping others who may need extra help and interacting with them in unique ways. They are building trust with their buddies while sharing in a fun learning experience. Schmidt adds, “It feels really good to not only be making a difference in some student's lives but also to be teaching classmates how to interact with a variety of students they are not used to working with. Hearing positive feedback from the community lets me know that many people support our group and how impactful we are on others.”
Want to volunteer to be a mentor? Contact Grace Schmidt at gschmidt@sb.k12.wi.us or contact Ms. Thorpe, FCCLA group leader, at kthorpe@s-bschools.org
