Middle school is tough — maturing bodies and child minds in a world nobody seems to understand. But Bryant Middle School has developed a program to help students through the turbulent early adolescent years by ensuring that each student has a mentor.
In what's called an advisory period, the students are broken down into groups of around 20 who meet each day for 20 minutes with their mentors. Sometimes they read, do homework, hold discussions or have character development activities. But fundamentally they build relationships of trust.
Mentor Jeanne Keddington said she wasn't too crazy about the idea at first. Being Bryant's librarian, she already worked with a lot of students. But now, after a year, she said she is having a great time being the "nagging grandma."
Like the other mentors, most of them teachers, Keddington has access to all of her students' grades. She knows what's going on in their classes, what they are working on and what things they need to get done. She nudges them along, encourages them and makes sure they are on track.
The mentors act as a link and a liaison among the students, parents and other teachers. If a child is having problems in a class or with a teacher the mentor will often talk to teacher as an advocate to find ways to solve the problem.
"At this age the feeling of anonymity is difficult, and if kids think no one knows them and no one cares, then they drop through," said Keddington. "This tightens the safety net."
Many mentors also speak to students' parents on a regular basis.
Parent Wendy Weixler said she is in touch with her child's mentor constantly. Though in the past she was usually aware of what and how her children were doing in school, a mentor makes for a strong partner in staying in tune.
"It's nice to know you're not the only one looking out for your kid," said Weixler. "Kids now are so busy and it's hard to keep on top of it all the time, but if you have a teacher who's also on your side it makes it much easier."
Principal Francis Battle said aside from just academics, ideally an advisory teacher knows what is going on with each student socially and where and how they are struggling.
The idea is for each student to know that there's one person to provide a safe haven for them.
"With advisory it's not just about the academics, it's about the whole student, it's about letting each student know that there's this additional resource who cares for them," said Battle.
It appears to be successful. Assistant principal Herminio Trujillo said students come to the mentors with issues on a daily basis.
"Teachers are now becoming aware of students' academic situations and social situations; we are being able to respond to their needs in the preventive rather than reactionary way," said Trujillo. "In the long run it's to create an emotionally safe school."
Next year other Salt Lake District middle schools will follow with similar programs. A district middle-level task force completed a study in 2000 on meeting needs of young adolescents. The district adopted the group's recommendation to create such programs in all middle schools.
E-mail: terickson@desnews.com