Gates Best Buddies 2017-18

Registration is Closed as of October 3

PLEASE NOTE VERY IMPORTANT NEW REGISTRATION PROCESS BELOW:

STUDENT MOTIVATION FORM AND TEACHER SELECTION PROCESS

Informational Kick-off Meetings: September 20 and 25 at ALL lunches!

REGISTRATION BEGINS Monday, September 25, Deadline October 2  

    Maximum Students = 50 based on Teacher Selection                   

Best Buddies provides strong peer mentor and social thinking training opportunities as well as many field trips and social activities for ALL students to participate!  

Gates Best Buddies enhances a caring and compassionate school community that practices inclusion, involvement, peer assistance and acceptance of differences.  Interested students will apply for the program through an online PARENT registration and a handwritten STUDENT motivation form.  Members will attend training programs throughout the year plus additional field trips and activities after school. Trainings provide members with sufficient knowledge and skills to enable them to serve as peer supports for students with disabilities, while all students get to enjoy activities and field trips in an inclusive, accepting and relaxed social atmosphere. We will meet monthly on Thursdays at 2:20pm (end time based on event), with the opportunity to participate in additional in-school activities later this year.  Selected students are expected to commit to all training sessions and field trips.  If there are 2 unexcused absences, the student will be replaced by another applicant.   Tentative dates are November 2, December 7, January 11, February 1, March 1 and 22, April 5 and May 3.

NEW REGISTRATION PROCESS: Due to the overwhelming popularity of this program and the addition of 6th grade to the building, in order to be fair and equitable to all students, we have changed our registration process this year.  Parents are still required to fill out the on-line registration below for student information and liability signatures.  However, it will no longer be a first come, first serve process.  ALL students will need to fill out a HANDWRITTEN brief paragraph explaining why he/she wants to be a part of Best Buddies.  If a child is on an IEP or has difficulty writing, he/she can talk to the program instructors: Heidi Branca, Meredith Hilditch, Nancy Driscoll or Rick English.  NO teacher recommendations are required any longer.  There are a set number of slots reserved for students who receive Special Education services.  After October 2, instructors will use the guiding principles of student motivation and fair distribution across grades for student selection.  Students will be notified by October 6.  Please understand that if a student is not selected it is NOT because of his/her abilities and dedication; it will be a very difficult process to narrow the pool of applicants to 50.  ALL student applicants will be invited to participate in our new in-school activities; communications will go out to all once planned.  

Application Process, Deadline for Both are OCTOBER 2

Step 1: Parent Required to Complete On-line Registration below. 

Step 2: ALL Students must submit a student motivation form, located in the Gates Main Office Bin