ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ’s Mentor Program matches grade 4-8 students with responsible grade 8-12 student mentors.

The Mentor Program is more than a tutoring program – it’s about building positive relationships that support academic and character growth. To this end, the program hosts a large group gathering 2-3 times a year to celebrate the hard work the mentor pairs have achieved and further strengthen the positive relationships being developed.Ìý The program kicks off each year with a Donut Meet and Greet – an opportunity for all the mentees and their parents to meet their mentor for the first time and share donuts, coffee, and milk together before the school day begins.Ìý In December, students gather for board games, cookies, and a fun group gift exchange.Ìý The Mentor Program will then typically wrap the year up with a pizza party in May.

Since the Mentor Program is about more than tutoring, we try to keep mentor pairs together as they advance through the grades.Ìý This way, they can continue to strengthen the relationship each year they are involved in the program.

 

How Student Mentors & Mentees Are Chosen

Mentors apply to the program and are chosen based on their excellent character, strong academics, and teacher references. They are interviewed and participate in an hour and a half orientation to prepare them for their new role.

Mentees are by recommendation only. These recommendations are typically given by their homeroom teacher or academic advisor. The pairing of mentors and mentees is based on interest, age, gender, and available times for the meeting.

 

How Student Mentors & Mentees Are Paired

ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ tries to pair students according to their cohorts – grade 4 with grade 8, grade 5 with freshmen, grade 6 with sophomores, grade 7 with juniors, and grade 8 with seniors. However, pairing does not always work out this way as we consider several factors when pairing a mentor with a mentee, such as interests, background, strengths, weaknesses, and weekly availability.

 

A Mentor’s Primary Role

The mentor’s primary role is to be a friend and role model who will help guide the mentee in developing his/her character and academic potential through their relationship. This mentor relationship can be a very practical way of exposing students to peer models of great character and academic excellence from students who have already “been there.”

 

Student Mentors Offer Academic Support in the Following Subjects

Mentors offer academic support in most core subjects: history, science, English/literature, math, and Latin. For this reason, academic ability is an important qualifying factor in mentor selection.

 

Grades Eligible To Receive Mentorship

Students in grades 4 through 8 can receive mentorship.Ìý High school students can receive peer tutoring through

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Tutoring Times & Locations

Mentors and mentees usually meet once a week, for one hour, in various high school and junior high classrooms and other highly visible locations between the high school and junior high buildings. In these meetings, the pair will study together, work on organization skills, play games, and simply spend time together in order to build a strong relationship with one another.

Arrangements are decided between the mentee’s parents and the mentor as to which day of the week the two will meet.

 

Benefits of Becoming A Student Mentor

The Mentor Program helps students build leadership skills, empathy, the ability to listen, and communication skills. Mentors engage with their student mentees and parents when arranging meeting times, pick-up locations, etc.Ìý This communication helps develop confidence in speaking with adults and time management skills.

The program also helps the student mentors develop a strong academic resume for college by showing commitment, leadership, and active involvement in the ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ community to make a positive impact.

Become A Student Mentor

To become a mentor, a student needs to be in grades 8-12, have attended at least one semester at ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ, and be in good academic standing.

Mentors go through a thorough application process to join the program.Ìý The process requires interested students to submit an application that includes their interests, qualifications, parent permission slip, weekly availability, and teacher recommendation form.Ìý Students are interviewed by the Mentor Coordinator and attend Mentor Orientation Training before meeting with their mentee.

The application window is open twice a year – once in the fall and once in the spring.

 

Be a Part of the Mentor Program at ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ!

Students and parents should reach out to their child’s teacher if they are interested in becoming a part of our Mentor Program.Ìý Mentors are assigned based on the recommendation of teachers and academic advisors.

 

Additional Academic Resources for Students

 

National Honor Society Tutoring for High School Students

High school students can access NHS peer tutors during Activity Period (the last class of the day), Monday through Thursday.Ìý are available to support students in core subjects and help develop organizational skills.

 

Courser Club for Junior High Students

All junior high students (not just mentees) have access to our Courser Club after school, in the Dome, until 5:00 P.M.Ìý Courser Club provides a quiet learning environment that is actively monitored by a staff member who is available to offer homework support.Ìý If students work diligently until 5:00 P.M. and have homework remaining, they are given the opportunity to earn a homework pass or extension on one of the assignments that remain.

 

Interested in NHS Tutoring or Courser Club?

Please discuss these opportunities with any of your child’s teachers, your building secretary, or Assistant Principal.

Our coursers and their families are honored to be members of this community—as they should be—but what about life beyond high school graduation? What difference can a quality education at ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ make in the long term? One could theorize endlessly about the effectiveness of curricula, but the two most practical litmus tests for an institution of learning are its current students and its alumni. We derive a sense of satisfaction from our students’ well-roundedness: a combination of academics, athletics, and arts, but we cannot expect the public to place all of their faith in abstract concepts. They are also invited to see just a few examples of our track record.

Architectural Candidate | Gracie Williams

After years of scholarly rigor—including a year of overseas study in Rome—Gracie (Class of 2013) has received her architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame. She now lives in Washington D.C. and is in the process of earning her architectural license while working in the Higher Education and Science & Technology Studio at Cooper Carry. Gracie has laid a solid foundation for the life she plans to build through academic preparation.

Scrum Master | Caleb Simons

As a D2 All-American Athlete, a three-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Champion, and a six-time record holder for the UCCS athletics department, Caleb Simons (Class of 2014) knew his way around a track during his university years. As a communications major and sports health and wellness minor, he also understood the importance of academic performance. Caleb accepted a job as a Scrum Master for Keysight Technologies after college graduation.

Case Manager | Amber Alderete

As a lead case manager with the Department of Human Services, Amber (Class of 2010) helps disadvantaged families back on their feet financially. She presides over her office’s Diversity Coalition and co-presides over the PB&J (Potlucks, Birthdays, and Jubilee) Committee, which she also co-founded. Amber brings that same determination to her coursework as she continues to pursue degrees in communications and criminal justice.

Air Force Cadet | Harley Morgan

Harley (Class of 2017) joined the U.S. Air Force Academy out of high school, and has already begun attracting recognition. While working on the academic side of his military and strategic studies major, Harley has joined the 20-man Combat Shooting Team, earned his soaring wings, and passed the Initial Flight Proficiency Training. He has proven his athletic prowess by obtaining a perfect score (500) on the Physical Fitness Test. To bolster his German minor, Harley put himself through the four-week Cadet Summer Language Immersion Program in Munich. His gold-level German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge can testify to his work ethic in the field of language learning. We look forward to seeing what his future holds.

Student Success at ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ

Does ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ’s approach mean anything outside of our campus? We believe that the results speak for themselves. The stories listed above—and many like them—serve as evidence of our commitment to . We are in the business of shaping world-changers one lesson at a time.