I know I have written about social media before, but the internet sometimes surprises me in ways that I can't quite comprehend. One of the great things about this site, Blogger, is that it gives me analytics. I can see how many people read each posting (so please share this!!), which country they are viewing it from and even what kind of device they are using to read it. As I write this, our stats show that we have 36 pageviews from China, so "Ni Hao"!!
While this is an interesting and fun tidbit, I think it also shows how open we are to the rest of the world as well as how much of an impact we can make. Imagine if we were getting views from 5 different countries. Or maybe 50! The significance of this wouldn't be that thousands of people like to read blogs written by a newbie blogger, but that thousands of people "get" what we are doing.
I sometimes struggle when people ask me what St. Mark Youth Enrichment does. If I have a few seconds, I can tell them that we offer before and after school and summer learning programs to help students stay on track, but that seems so inadequate. Our students feel safe at program. They feel welcome. They are surrounded by students who go to the same school as them, but they are aware of their differences. They have teachers who are there and care and often times are at a 1:5 ratio. They have fun! They get a chance to do hands-on activities to help them learn whether it's about science, art, yoga, or literacy. Reading is made fun. Many of them have better academic grades in school. Parents know they can trust the staff. They have snack-and it's healthy! They get to hear and see guest speakers. They have an opportunity to experience things they might not otherwise. Now take this a step further. All of this allows students to apply what is in the world around them to their school curriculum. If their class is discussing how energy works, chances are, students in St. Mark programming have had a chance to actually SEE energy work and make it work themselves! There is so much that goes into creating the curriculum for our programs and the training for our staff to make real life differences.
We want people to "get" it. For some of you, you may need to see it to really understand what our programs do, so let us know and we would love to give you tour or invite you to a lunch and learn. And of course, to our friends who are reading this in China, we appreciate your support as well so keep reading!
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Thursday, October 2, 2014
The Impact You Make
Sitting on the gym floor in a circle of his peers, 1st grader Bryton wiggled with excitement as a new year of programming began. He likes the teachers, the games, the other kids, and the activities he gets to participate in as a member of the St Mark community. He is about to express this in one simple, yet profound statement during Circle Time as he sits with his Site Family.
Circle Time begins with students sharing about their day. A small, colorful beach ball covered with questions gets tossed around the circle. Students catch the ball, read and answer the question under their left thumb, and toss the ball to another friend waiting to share. As the ball landed in Bryton’s small hands, he read the question, “What do you wish for?” His response? “To be right here.”
Because of your support, Bryton is among the first generation of St Mark’s students to experience the intentional implementation of Circle Time and emphasis on Site Families. Both of these concepts were brought back by Melanie Dill, Program Coordinator, and Amanda Avenarius, Director of Programs, from the Conscious Discipline Training they recently attended. The focus is on how to effectively implement safe and supportive environments where students, many who have experienced some sort of trauma in their lives, will thrive and grow academically and social-emotionally.
Resources such as this, implemented by quality, compassionate staff, is critical to setting students on a path toward success.
Every day the treasure you share with us, impacts students just like Bryton. Students who do not have the means to engage in environments outside of school that provide opportunities for healthy development. Site Families are being created through daily cheers, chants, songs, or handshakes that signify unity, belonging, and respect for self and others. During times of transition – a new school year, possibly a new school, and a new schedule including a late start on Friday – support and encouragement are necessary, and the effect is trickling down.
We see this impact on a daily basis through various situations. An older student helps a younger one find a visual facial expression cue to express how she is feeling. Another student successfully facilitates conflict mediation between two other students. This is how lives are changed; by ensuring all students have the tools they need to thrive in the real world.
Thank you for helping us to provide innovative services that cultivate the educational and social-emotional growth of children and families. Together we are making a difference!
Circle Time begins with students sharing about their day. A small, colorful beach ball covered with questions gets tossed around the circle. Students catch the ball, read and answer the question under their left thumb, and toss the ball to another friend waiting to share. As the ball landed in Bryton’s small hands, he read the question, “What do you wish for?” His response? “To be right here.”
Because of your support, Bryton is among the first generation of St Mark’s students to experience the intentional implementation of Circle Time and emphasis on Site Families. Both of these concepts were brought back by Melanie Dill, Program Coordinator, and Amanda Avenarius, Director of Programs, from the Conscious Discipline Training they recently attended. The focus is on how to effectively implement safe and supportive environments where students, many who have experienced some sort of trauma in their lives, will thrive and grow academically and social-emotionally.
Resources such as this, implemented by quality, compassionate staff, is critical to setting students on a path toward success.
Every day the treasure you share with us, impacts students just like Bryton. Students who do not have the means to engage in environments outside of school that provide opportunities for healthy development. Site Families are being created through daily cheers, chants, songs, or handshakes that signify unity, belonging, and respect for self and others. During times of transition – a new school year, possibly a new school, and a new schedule including a late start on Friday – support and encouragement are necessary, and the effect is trickling down.
We see this impact on a daily basis through various situations. An older student helps a younger one find a visual facial expression cue to express how she is feeling. Another student successfully facilitates conflict mediation between two other students. This is how lives are changed; by ensuring all students have the tools they need to thrive in the real world.
Thank you for helping us to provide innovative services that cultivate the educational and social-emotional growth of children and families. Together we are making a difference!
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