The " I Am a Friend" mentoring program is a new initiative for the 2019-2020 school year and it
provides students an opportunity to establish relationships across grade levels. The goal of the
program is to build friendship and community and strengthen a sense of belonging. Younger
students are paired with select older students in grades 6-8 and together they play games, do
activities, and work on art and/or community service projects.
St. Joseph Catholic School strives to have a positive school climate and it is our hope that the
mentoring program will play an integral part of this mission. Our mentors will serve as role
models and provide guidance and friendship to our younger students. The younger students
tend to love learning from and spending time with their older peers.
Participation in a program such as this assists new students with the transition to a new school environment, helps build/strengthen friendship skills, builds confidence, improves self-esteem, and provides opportunities for new relationships to develop. It is our hope that by participating in the I Am a Friend program, younger students will feel a deeper connection to school and will gain skills
and confidence to perform his/her best inside and outside of the classroom.