PWCS
educators
are
charged
with
not
only
teaching
academics
but
preparing
students
to
become
successful,
productive
adults.
At
King
Elementary
School,
the
Young
Men
and
Women
of
Distinction
is
a
mentor
program
designed
to
help
meet
this
goal,
and
it's
a
community
effort.
Community
volunteers
that
include
retired
military
and
cadets
from
C.
D.
Hylton
High
School's
Air
Force
Junior
Reserve
Officer
Training
Corps
have
joined
a
team
of
King
Elementary
educators
to
serve
as
mentors
for
all
fifth
grade
students.
The
mentors
received
training
and
support
from
King
Elementary's
school
counselor,
Ursela
Daniels,
school
social
worker
Amanda
Norah-Brooks,
and
Ayanna
Petrie,
a
special
education
teacher.
Then
they
met
with
the
fifth
graders
twice
a
month
for
an
hour.
The
mentor
program
taught
skills
that
the
King
students
will
need
to
be
successful
not
only
in
middle
school
but
high
school
and
beyond.
Students
learned
how
to
demonstrate
empathy,
compassion,
and
respect
for
others,
as
well
as
healthy
habits
and
coping
strategies
that
can
be
used
to
persevere
in
the
face
of
adverse
circumstances.
Students
were
inspired
to
believe
in
their
self-worth
and
have
confidence
in
their
own
abilities.
LaShondra
Rice,
the
assistant
principal,
explained,
"For
our
students
to
focus
during
class
to
achieve
academic
success,
students
need
to
feel
included
and
connected.
The
program
focused
on
positive
social
interactions
and
healthy
emotional
wellness.
Our
goal
is
to
empower
students,
through
guided
mentorship,
to
make
a
difference
in
their
lives
and
the
lives
around
them."
The
program,
which
started
in
January,
was
successful.
Adrianna,
a
fifth
grade
student,
said,
"I've
learned
that
it's
better
to
express
your
feelings
than
to
keep
them
in."
Her
classmate,
Daniel
shared,
"The
program
taught
me
how
to
be
a
better
friend
and
respect
others."
King
saw
an
increase
in
their
standards
of
learning
(SOL)
math
and
reading
test
scores,
which
they
attribute,
in
part,
to
the
mentor
program.
More
importantly,
though,
the
mentors
became
additional
trusted
adults
that
students
were
able
to
connect
with
and
receive
support
from.
This
coming
school
year,
King
plans
to
start
the
program
in
October
and
increase
the
meeting
time
to
two
hours,
twice
a
month.
