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Wednesday, October 21, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Out with the old...
Aspire: Mentors help
students find a way
through maze
Continued from page 1
photo by Nicole Montalvo
A construction crew removed the old restrooms at Village Green.
They’ll be replace with new ones like those at Fir Street Park.
Students teach to learn
in biology program
By Jim Cornelius
News Editor
It is an old saw, but it’s
true — the best way to learn
something is to teach it.
The Sisters High School
biology program has been
applying that principle for
years, with eighth-graders
taking fourth-graders out to
the Trout Creek Conservation
Area (TCCA) just west of
the school for some hands-on
learning about the flora and
fauna of the area.
The students survey veg-
etation and keep records to
document change over time;
measure trees; and look for
wildlife sign.
“The small groups (of
eighth-graders) prepare les-
sons to teach the fourth-grad-
ers about the organisms that
live out there,” said teacher
Rima Givot. “It’s impor-
tant to establish that sense
of place and appreciation for
the natural resources that we
have around here. The high-
schoolers can share what
they’ve learned and help the
fourth-graders to appreciate
their environment. It’s that
mentorship thing.”
Among the high school
mentors were several who had
themselves, as fourth-graders,
been mentored on the TCCA.
Kincaid Smeltzer noted
that “It’s interesting to under-
stand the other side — the
teaching aspect rather than the
learning aspect.”
He said it was important
to him to help the younger
students “think about your
surroundings.”
The young mentors gained
an appreciation for the chal-
lenges of teaching. David
Novotny found that he had to
be patient and explain things
over and over to students with
rather short attention spans.
“It was a lot harder to
teach the kids than I thought
it would be,” he said.
Still, it was important.
“I want them to all think
it’s cool to have forests and
nature (rather) than just hav-
ing buildings there or some-
thing,” he said. “Maybe
they’ll do a better job of pre-
serving it.”
The young teachers were
also tasked with writing up
their thoughts on the experi-
ence, a project that is to be
graded based on how much
thought they put into the work.
Givot praised their work.
“This is always the high-
light of my year in biol-
ogy,” she said. “I get to see
you guys teach what you’ve
learned — and you learned
it really well. The level you
took them (the fourth-graders)
to was pretty cool.”
Merola’s dream field; her
daughter was a theater arts
major. Smith has been able to
make contact for Merola with
a man who is a performing
artist and currently works for
an arts and cultural organiza-
tion. He has provided helpful
suggestions regarding col-
leges that might be a good fit
for Merola.
In their appointment
together last week, Smith had
her mentee write down a to-do
list of tasks for him to work
on prior to their next meeting.
In the coming months, they
will address general finan-
cial considerations, including
available scholarships, and
college applications, as well
as essays, letters of recom-
mendation, and timelines.
Between meetings, Merola
and Smith will stay in touch
by texting, emails, and phone
calls as needed.
Without the assistance and
support of the ASPIRE men-
tors, the path to post-high-
school plans can feel like an
overwhelming maze to both
students and their parents —
one of whom said, “We’d be
lost without this program.”
The ASPIRE mentors are
able to provide helpful advice
and direction without “speak-
ing in a parent’s voice,”
said five-year veteran Diane
Russell.
“We are able to keep stu-
dents on track with their
plans. After earning their
trust, and listening to them,
we are able to explore all
avenues,” added Russell.
With the departure of pro-
gram leader Susanna Harrison
from SHS, Rick Kroytz, who
is in the school two days a
week, now oversees the pro-
gram. The experienced men-
tors are helping him get up to
speed and have spent untold
hours working hard to keep
the program going. Kroytz’s
position is funded with a
combination of money from
the state program and the
local school district, but the
former superintendent cut
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Right now, the biggest
thing needed by the program,
besides stable funding, are
more volunteers willing to
become mentors.
There are students waiting
for someone to help them. All
it takes is a desire to work
with students — no college
degree or special experi-
ence is required. Training
and materials are provided
and new volunteers begin by
shadowing current mentors.
Most new mentors begin with
two or three students with
whom they meet individually
once a month.
College counselor Theresa
Wadden is onsite two
Tuesdays a month and avail-
able to meet with students,
parents, and mentors to pro-
vide specific guidance and
knowledgeable advice.
“Theresa has an incred-
ible knowledge-base and can
straighten out any situation,”
Russell said.
She knows about the col-
leges, the necessary tests
like SAT and ACT, financial
resources, deadlines, and
where to access all the infor-
mation to help find the best
student/college fit.
A mentor may be a retiree,
a parent of younger students
who wants to learn about the
whole post-high school field
before being in it, a business
person who can meet with
students during school hours,
single, married, male, female,
older, younger — someone
who just likes kids and has a
desire to help students, and is
able to make a commitment
and keep it.
There is even a mentor
who goes away for a month
each winter and stays in touch
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Russell indicated that
mentors get as much as they
give in their relationship with
students. One young woman,
who she mentored for two
years, contacted Russell once
she was at Southern Oregon
University and said, “Diane,
I love it here. Thanks for all
your help.”
New school district super-
intendent Curt Scholl was
just in the process of bring-
ing ASPIRE into Sprague
High School when he left
to assume his duties here.
He sees the program as a
great addition to counsel-
ing services provided to the
students.
“I do think there is a great
value in what the ASPIRE
coordinator, along with the
volunteers, does for our stu-
dents and we will be looking
at our next budget cycle to
see how we can fund it more
consistently,” he said.
Scholl sees benefits from
the program not only for
the students, but also for the
mentors and the community.
“The benefits for our
students are that they get a
mentor to support their col-
lege and career goals. I think
there is a larger benefit in
the sense of community-
building. We have a large
population of volunteers that
have had incredible expe-
riences and we have great
students. Connecting them
through the ASPIRE pro-
gram is a win/win and a great
way to continue the strong
sense of community here in
Sisters.”
To volunteer or for more
information, contact Rick
Kroytz, ASPIRE coordina-
tor, 541-241-4841 or rick.
kroytz@sisters.k12.or.us.
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