Schools hosting MFS One-to-One program
*Healthy Choices AmeriCorps site
Aptos MS*
Bret Harte ES*
Daniel Webster ES
Downtown HS*
Dr. Mar n Luther King, Jr MS
El Dorado ES*
Evere Middle School
Francisco MS*
Giannini MS
Guadalupe ES*
Hilltop HS
James Lick MS
John Muir ES
Jose Ortega ES *
Leonard R Flynn ES*
Malcolm X Academy
Mission HS
Presidio MS
Roo op Alterna ve K-8
Rosa Parks ES*
Sheridan ES*
Starr King ES
Visitacion Valley ES
Wallenberg HS
Bessie Carmichael K-8
Bryant ES*
Denman MS
Dr. George W Carver ES*
Dr. William L Cobb ES*
ER Taylor ES*
Fairmount ES*
George Peabody ES*
Glen Park ES*
Hillcrest ES*
Hoover MS
Jean Parker ES
John O'Connell HS
June Jordan HS
Lowell HS
Marina MS
Paul Revere K-8*
Redding ES
Roosevelt MS
Sanchez ES*
Spring Valley ES
Tenderloin ES*
Visitacion Valley MS
Willie Brown MS
Thank you for
mentoring!
Thank You to our partners!
California Volunteers
Community Access Ticket Service
Coordinated Early Interven on Services
Public Educa on Enrichment Fund/ African American
Achievement & Leadership Ini a ve
Huy Nguyen
LinkedIn
MEDA: Mission Promise Neighborhoods
Office of Juvenile Jus ce and Delinquency Preven on, in
partnership with Georgia State University
Safeway
San Francisco Educa on Fund
SCRAP: A Source for the Resourceful
SF-Marin Food Bank
Stupski Founda on
Trader Joe’s
Schools hosting MFS Project Arrive
Group Mentoring
High Schools
Galileo HS
George Washington HS
John O'Connell HS
Mission HS
Philip & Sala Burton HS
Middle Schools
Alice Fong Yu
AP Giannini
Evere
Francisco
Hoover
Marina
Presidio
Paul Revere
Inside this issue:
Healthy Choices AmeriCorps Members
Class of 2017
Administered by California Volunteers and sponsored by the Corpora on for Na onal and Community Service
Ariel Thomas
Ashley Hope
Astrid Robles
Audrey Min
Aye Aye Hnin
Blanca Morales
Charles Yang
Danielle Gascoigne
Derek Czajka
Ileana Perez-Figueroa
Jena Leidy
Kierra Smith
Margarita Munoz
Nou Vang
Sophie Luu
Takara Campbell
Tyler Shanley
Mentoring is a structured,
consistent and purposeful
rela onship between a
young person and a caring
adult who provides
acceptance, support,
encouragement, guidance
and concrete assistance to
promote healthy child/
youth development and
student success.
415-242-2615
www.healthiersf.org/
mentoringforsuccess
Caught You Being Good!
Spotlight on Mentors
Spotlight on Mentors
1
MLK Service Day
2
Project Arrive launches in MS 4
Growth Mindset
6
Mentor Challenges
7
Each January, Na onal Mentoring Month is celebrated across the country. In SFUSD, we
applaud each and every mentor for dedica ng extra me and energy to over 850 students in 50 schools! The individualized a en on offered to each of these students is
commendable. Check out the profiles below to meet some colleagues who were recognized by Kevin Trui , Chief, SFCSD and Kim Coates, Execu ve Director, SHP, SFCSD at
the Annual Mentor Apprecia on Celebra on at LinkedIn on Thank a Mentor Day.
Vida Sanford is a dedicated group mentor at Philip & Sala Burton HS.
In addi on, Vida is mentoring an individual student at Hilltop HS. She is
a caring and responsive presence to students and makes me for
them. Vida's mentees (and all students at Burton) feel welcome in her
presence as she models professional boundaries. If it weren't for Vida's
dedica on to the mentoring field, MFS's Project Arrive wouldn't be
where it is today. As a colleague, Vida is a dedicated team player and
provides excellent feedback as MFS expands Project Arrive to MS students. The scope of her influence is limitless.
Mark Elkin is a Teacher on Special Assignment with School Health
Programs and has been mentoring at Tenderloin Community School for
over 3 years. He is an amazing, consistent, and dedicated mentor. Even
though he works at a Central Office he’s made it a priority to a end
SSTs and consult with school staff to support his mentee. Mark helps
with monthly ac vi es and has led cooking ac vi es. He is consistent
and even offers support to other mentors, staff & students.
Danielle Farmer is a School Social Worker at Dr. GW Carver Elementary School. She has put in a lot of hard work into being a great
mentor these last few years. Danielle is very approachable and compassionate. Her presence and warm hugs easily makes her mentees
and other Carver students feel safe when they are with her, they
know they can trust her with anything they say. She is fun to hang
out with, and her mentees always have huge smiles when having
lunch with her. Danielle always looks forward to seeing her mentees
and is helpful as a MFS and AmeriCorps Site Coordinator.
8
Con nued on page 3
2017 MLK Day of Service
We Challenge YOU to….!
As part of their experience with AmeriCorps, SFUSD’s Healthy
Choices AmeriCorps partnered with United Playaz and NorCal
MLK to par cipate in a day of service. Healthy Choices AmeriCorps Members rallied at City Hall and then marched with a
strong con ngent of SF Community members to Yerba Buena
Plaza where they hosted a booth promo ng Healthy Choices
and Healthy Lifestyles in our community. Tyler Shanley and
Astrid Robles showed leadership when represen ng Healthy Choices AmeriCorps on the
steps of City Hall with the speeches below.
Tyler Shanley: Today is Mar n Luther King Jr Day. It is not just another day off, it is a day
of service to celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy by doing community service to make other
people’s lives be er, empowered, and to strengthen local communi es. Mar n Luther
King Jr once said, “Everyone has the Power for Greatness, not for fame but greatness, because greatness is determined by Service.” We, Healthy Choices AmeriCorps, are serving
the 56,000 youth of the San Francisco Unified School District. With the help of our volunteers, over 850 students are being mentored. By the end of the year, that will be over
20,000 hours of community service. Many of the students being mentored have experienced life challenges that have been known to alienate youth. Mentoring For Success
offers protec ve factors that help our students feel welcomed and understood -- like they
belong at their school, which is something every student deserves.
“I mentor to get a new
perspec ve on what it’s
like to be a student
again.”
Mentor, Vis Valley Middle
School
Astrid Robles: Perseverance, dedica on, and social jus ce are the words that come to
mind when I think about Mar n Luther King Jr’s legacy. In life and in death, he was a role
model and a mentor to all. I am fortunate enough to have a mother and a father who also
exemplify the quali es of amazing role models. They show me their dedica on through
perseverance and hard work, which in turn has made me into the person that I am today. My parents immigrated to San Francisco in the early 90’s with almost nothing in their
pockets and nowhere to go. My mom cleaned houses for years and my dad worked hard
labor for large construc on companies un l they saved enough money to get an apartment.
A couple years later I was born, and they enrolled me in a preschool program at ER Taylor
Elementary School, the local public school across the street from where we lived. I went
into school without knowing any English, but as a kid I was able to learn fast and adapt to
my environment. At school I had many teachers that went above and beyond to make sure
that I excelled in school and that I went on to do great things. Generally, elementary
schools do not get enough credit in regards to the work that they do. But I have to say that
ER Taylor taught me so much more than just a general educa on. They taught me how to
be kind, how to build rela onships, and how to work hard. My teachers and other school
staff became my role models and mentors that helped me get through the fundamental
years of my life. Years later, I went on to graduate from Saint Igna us High School and
then I became the first person in my family to go to college, gradua ng from the University
of California, Davis with a dream to con nue working in educa on. Con nued on page 6
2
The MFS Video Challenge
“I get more involved
with the community as
I have been welcomed
in by her family as
well.”
Evere Middle School
Mentor
This is a great opportunity to support your mentee in developing or enhancing STEM skills.
Work with them to create a video that shares "Your favorite mentoring ac vity”. Video submissions should be no longer than 5 minutes.
Guidelines for video challenge:
1) Each Eligible Match, (par cipant with signed media release) will collec vely come up
with an idea for their video.
2) Par cipants will create a story line for their video.
3) Par cipants will create their video using any type of video recording device they have
access to. (smart phone, video camera)
4) Par cipants will submit their video to Harvey Lozada at [email protected] no later
than April 14, 2017 at 3:00pm
Judging will take place on April 17, 2017. The top three videos will get a movie pack with 4
movie ckets and snacks!
The Pacific Leadership
Ins tute’s Fort Miley
Challenge Course
Training & Support
Web-Based Mentoring Logs
Mentoring PLC
Please complete on a weekly basis!
Wednesday, April 12
4-6pm
Loca on: Bryant ES (2641 25th St )
This simple tool demonstrates the fantas c
work you do with your student.
RSVP: h ps://goo.gl/forms/ZkaWVMshsmkIKnsr2
Discuss strategies to support your mentee. Bring
ques ons about your mentoring rela onship.
Project Arrive Blog
sites.gsu.edu/project-arrive
Thanks to our partner GSU, this site has helpful hints,
resources, and ac vi es for group mentors. Many of
them can be used with individual students too!
Log on to the Online Ac vity Log at
www.healthiersf.org/mentoringforsuccess
If you are having any problems logging on or
using the log, please contact Erin Farrell at 415242-2615 or [email protected]
Your coopera on in making this happen is
greatly appreciated!
7
Growth Mindset—Another Way Mentors Can Support Student Success
Mentor Apprecia on Event con nued from page 1
“But I don’t get it.” For educators these words are all too familiar. A fourth grader learning
long division or a high school student learning about the rhetorical devices in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” feel frustrated by the challenging nature of
learning a new skill or content area, and want to give up. Fostering a
growth mindset, rather than a fixed mindset, is one way teachers counteract this. According to Dr. Carol Dweck of Stanford University, educators can help ins ll a growth mindset. Providing posi ve feedback to students who are working hard to find an answer to a problem, rather than
for giving the answer, and talking about learning itself are great first
steps. This encourages students to delve into the process of learning and
build a stronger work ethic. It helps youth iden fy as learners, rather
than as achievers or failures.
Valerie Patelo works with Visitacion Valley MS's a er school program ROCK
and has been a mentor with MFS for several years now. Valerie is a caring
and posi ve role model for all students. She can be found tutoring her
mentee in academics or more importantly, giving them real life skills.
Because mentors have less formal roles in students’ lives they have opportuni es to model
a growth mindset in various ways. By inten onally disclosing personal or professional challenges they struggled through, and sharing how that process unfolded, mentors may model the role hard work plays in actualizing dreams. When students share about mistakes
they’ve made—such as ge ng unnecessarily angry at a friend, chea ng on a test, or blowing off a sports prac ce, mentors can frame them as learning opportuni es. Asking how a
student felt about a mistake they made, and hearing about consequences from their perspec ve, rather than chas sing, encourages the student to make a be er choice next me.
If a student shares that she is struggling with her homework, talking about how normal
that is can go a long way towards them understanding that most students don’t usually
“get it” the first try. It may make the student feel be er about having to work hard. MFS
encourages mentors to learn more about how a growth mindset encourages youth to learn
and grow. Check out this YouTube video to get started: h ps://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=hiiEeMN7vbQ
MLK Speech con nued from page 2
“I mentor to get a new
perspec ve on what it’s
like to be a student
again.”
Mentor, Vis Valley Middle
School
A er gradua ng, I have served almost two years for AmeriCorps and thanks to the Healthy
Choices program in SFUSD I am now back at ER Taylor Elementary, the school that started
everything for me. I chose to work here because now I am able to be the caring mentor/
role model to many students in my community. I actually helped start a mentoring program at the school where over 20 students are now receiving one on one mentoring. Dr.
King always said, “Life's most persistent and urgent ques on is, 'What are you doing for
others?” I like to think that providing my me and effort to the school I used to a end is
one of my greatest accomplishments. So I ask all of you today, in honor of one of the greatest role models that ever lived, to ask yourself, “What are you doing for others?” and to
make sure to live your life to the fullest and give back to your community.
If you know someone who would like to become a mentor in SFUSD we will be accep ng
new mentors for the 2017-18 school year in August. Visit sfedfund.org for more informa on.
6
Dot Hoffman is an enthusias c and commi ed mentor at James Lick Middle School. She
goes above and beyond to make her mentee feel special. Her enthusiasm,
compassion, kindness, and love of learning are just a few examples of what
makes her an outstanding mentor! Dot specifically asked to be matched
with a 6th grader so they could build a rela onship over three years.
Michelle Ashe started with MFS this school year during Jose Ortega's inaugural year. She is consistent and always has posi ve things to say about her
mentee! Michelle checks in with her mentee outside of their mentoring me
and o en helps her to think about the future.
Tiana Kualave has been a mentor with MFS at Malcolm X Academy for over 4 years. She
goes above and beyond to ensure her mentees know how much she cares about
them. She's consistent with mentees and encourages her students to make sure
they're focused academically. Although Tiana already had a mentee this year,
another student approached her to ask if she can be her mentor and Tiana gave
no hesita on and said she can commit. She is overall, a light force and posi ve
staff member at MXA!
Sophie Case works with Educa on Outside at Fairmount Elementary and
has been a mentor with MFS the last couple of years. She goes above and
beyond to foster students' individual interests and strengths. She is a calm
and stable presence for many students at Fairmount.
Con nued on page 5
Healthy Choices AmeriCorps
Administered by California Volunteers and sponsored by the Corpora on for Na onal and Community Service
Healthy Choices AmeriCorps works with schools to implement Mentoring For Success,
Posi ve Behavior Interven ons and Supports (PBIS), and
ac vi es such as social emo onal learning ac vi es,
peacemaking circles, volunteer and family engagement.
As part of SFUSD’s vision for its graduates to live, thrive,
and succeed in San Francisco and beyond, School Health
Programs priori zes graduates of SFUSD in the hiring
process.
Applica ons for the 2017– 2018 school year are being accepted now at:
h ps://www.edjoin.org/Home/JobPos ng/795048
3
Middle Grade Schools Launch Project Arrive Pilot
Mentor Apprecia on Event con nued from page 3
This fall, with the support of Stupski Founda on, Mentoring For Success embarked on a
process to expand Project Arrive, the promising prac ce developed for 9th grade high
school students that offers mentoring groups at Burton, Galileo, Mission, and O’Connell High
Schools. In an effort to support a trajectory of success for students earlier in their academic
careers, MFS has launched a spring pilot project to evaluate group mentoring in eight middle
grade schools—Alice Fong Yu, AP Giannini, Evere , Francisco, Hoover, Marina, Presidio,
and Paul Revere.
Eager to learn from this project and to support schools based on their iden fied needs, MFS
is partnering with pilot schools to build a structure that will best serve SFUSD middle grade
schools. Taking this learning lens, MFS has been flexible in target popula ons and mentor/
mentee ra o so we may glean lessons from the schools’ experiences. For example, a number
of schools highlighted the need to support 7th grade girls, while Hoover is taking advantage
of a new advisory schedule by slo ng a Project Arrive mentoring group into the hour-long
advisory.
As a result of the planning and development, in February MFS assisted schools in mentor
recruitment, facilitated group mentor trainings, and compiled & distributed curriculum and
ac vity kits. Mentors have expressed great apprecia on for the variety of ac vi es being
offered to their students. Over 45 students have signed up to par cipate!
If you are interested in par cipa ng in Project Arrive at your middle or high school for the
2017-18 academic year, please contact Kate Calimquim at [email protected] to learn
more about the program!
Mentoring For Success welcomes a new team member!
Kate Calimquim, MSW is a School Climate Coordinator with extensive experience working with young people and their families in various systems: schools, foster care, juvenile jus ce, and homeless shelters. Kate joined the Mentoring For Success team in October and is
spearheading the effort to bring Project Arrive, our group mentoring
program, to schools that serve 6-8th graders. Kate will focus her efforts in suppor ng School
Social Workers in establishing and maintaining group mentoring in their schools with the inten on that it will increase the districts goals of Access and Equity, Student Achievement and
Accountability to students who may need this extra support.
Contact Us
“I mentor to get a new
perspec ve on what it’s
like to be a student
again.”
Mentor, Vis Valley Middle
School
Ques ons? Feedback about Mentoring For Success?
We’d love to hear from you! To get in touch with the MFS Team call
415-242-2615.
Kate Calimquim: [email protected]
Erin Farrell: [email protected]
Harvey Lozada: [email protected]
Laurie Vargas: [email protected]
4
Kenny McClendon is a Student Advisor at Starr King Elementary and has been
a mentor for 7 years with MFS. He is consistent with his mentees and keeps
the mentoring rela onship engaging by incorpora ng fun and interes ng ac vi es. He is always sharing new interests with his mentee.
“I get more involved
with the community as
I have been welcomed
in by her family as
well.”
Evere Middle School
Mentor
Dwight Crow is a Community Mentor and is mentoring at Bryant Elementary School. He is consistent, crea ve, engaged, responsible, and a great
role model! Dwight provides a safe space for his mentee to talk, create, and
par cipate in hands-on ac vites of engineering and math. Dwight's posi ve
a tude and willingness to share knowledge is highly commendable and appreciated!
Laura Currier is a teacher at Dr. William L Cobb and has been a mentor with
MFS for 2 years. She goes above and beyond for her mentee and is a posi ve
role model for all. Laura's welcoming presence is appreciated by those
around her!
Louise Hendrickson is a Community Mentor at Dr. William L Cobb and has
been involved with MFS the last 2 school years. She stays on top of everything
- always doing her mentor logs and consistently spends me with her mentee.
She's a fun mentor and her mentee is always happy to be around her. She
makes it a priority to be at every Monthly Ac vity!
The 2017 Na onal Mentoring Summit in Washington D.C. & Team MFS
Mentoring For Success was honored to be included as leaders in the mentoring field this
past February. Vida Sanford represented MFS by co-presen ng with Gabe Kuperminc of
Georgia State University. The presenta on Building Effec ve
Group Mentoring Programs: Lessons from Research and
Prac ce on Project Arrive highlighted how implemen ng the
program has shaped ongoing research. Also discussed was
the importance of a strong research-school partnership in
genera ng useful research findings and guidance for effec ve
prac ce. Research findings on Project Arrive can be found
here: h p://sites.gsu.edu/project-arrive/research-highlights/
Laurie Vargas represented MFS as an invited panelist: Advancing Educa onal Equity and
Opportunity through Rela onships. The plenary session discussed the importance of relaonships between youth and suppor ve adults in schools. Laurie discussed what it takes to
integrate mentoring into a school system as well as how educa onal systems can create
space for educators and other school personnel to build this into prac ce.
5