November 2018
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The Art of Giving Thanks



Thanksgiving is a time to share with your loved ones and reflect on the things that you are grateful for. Gratitude is a soft skill that has an important role in your mentee's academic, professional, and personal life. Showing gratitude to those that have made a positive impact in our lives is important to build and maintain relationships. In addition, reflecting on the significance of a person in your life and making them feel special will inevitably make you feel good. After all, there's a famous anonymous quote that states "it's not happy people who are thankful; it's thankful people who are happy". For this reason, we recommend that you facilitate a Thanksgiving gratitude activity during the month of November with your student that will be both meaningful and practical.

          Thank you notes are a simple, yet fool proof method of communicating gratitude to a person. A hand-written note is both special and personal. We recommend that you start your activity by having the student reflect on 2-3 people that they would like to show gratitude to. Encourage the student to reflect on people from different contexts in their lives, such as school, family, and sports that have not received previous recognition from them.  Then, have the student write down a list of 3 reasons why they are grateful for each person. Ask follow-up questions to keep the conversation flowing. We recommend that you also create a list yourself. This can be an opportunity to share special moments and characteristics about your loved ones. Finally, have the student write down a thank you note to the 2-3 people chosen. The 3 reasons will serve as a guide for the message. Have the student correctly address and sign the note. You can provide advice on certain rules and expectations when writing a note to someone. Once completed, you can help the student figure out the best way to distribute each thank you note. 

          
 We are very grateful for your time dedication and effort to positively impact your student's life. Our mission would simply not be possible without your commitment. Thank you so much for everything that you do. We appreciate each and every one of our TSIC Mentors. We hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!


November Mentor of the Month
Tom Kersting


1. How did you become involved with mentoring through the Hillsborough Education Foundation? 
Jamie Meyer at Metropolitan Ministries made the connection for me.  She's been a great resource for me.

2. What has been the most rewarding part of mentoring?
My friendship with my mentee, Ceejay.  Being a puzzle piece in someone's life, which is often missing from their box.  Helping mentees see their potential, just in front of them, while the horizon - college, a career - seems endlessly far away.

3. What do you believe is the key to being a quality mentor?
Listening, taking an interest in their life, providing accountability.  And an occasional nudge in one direction or another.

4. When you are not working with students, how do you prefer to spend your free time?
Outside with my family and friends.  My wife and I have an 11 yr old daughter and two sons, 9 and 6.  We love the outdoors, water skiing, surfing, soccer, skateboarding, mountain biking, golfing, tennis.  My daughter has a passion for her gymnastics, that takes us indoors for a bit.  When I do slowdown, I enjoy finding beautiful places with Lori, my wife.  Preferably in the mountains or on a beach.

5. What do you hope your mentee will learn from you?
No one and no circumstance defines our place.  Goal setting, hard work, discipline and patience will get him where he wants to be. 

Relationships are the most valuable thing he'll earn, both personally and professionally. 

Not to focus on with/who he belongs.  That'll shake out while he's busy focusing on the things above.  Far more important, first decide to whom he belongs. 


Mentor Resources
Useful Resources for Your Mentee



Affordable High-Speed Internet for Low-Income Families



Does your mentee have Internet at home? If not, please let them know about Spectrum Internet Assist
. Qualifying households can receive high-speed Internet for 
$14.99/month

For more information, please check out the flyer by  CLICKING HERE

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Introducing a new, FREE Study Tool for TSIC Students - StudyEdge!
Study Edge provides educational services to high school and college students. The company offers courses in various individual subjects, such as chemistry, economics, mathematics, accounting, and physics. It provides exam review sessions, chapter review sessions, study hours, and online videos and practice problems. Normally, Study Edge costs $15/month. However, thanks to a partnership between Take Stock in Children and Study Edge, our TSIC students can use this service for FREE  until the end of this school year. Students can access Study Edge on their website or through an app on their phone. Please encourage your mentee(s) to take advantage of this amazing service!

For instructions on how to set up an account with Study Edge, please CLICK HERE!

Please Note: The free use of Study Edge is for TSIC students only.

The College Success Team
(Click each name to email)
    
            Anna Laird                   Mari Velaz

                                  
        Wildens Cajuste           Melanie Jimenez
                          
 
Mark Your Calendar!

November 19th - 23rd
Fall Break
No School
All Students

November 20th 
1PM-4PM
Metropolitan Ministries Community Service Event - Holiday Tent
All Students & Mentors are invited! RSVP required.
December 21st 
Last Day of School
All Students
December 24th -January 7th 
Winter Break
No School
 
All Students

For more information, contact Anna Laird via  email.

If you know someone who is interested in mentoring, 
have them visit our website for more information: 


 
         www.educationfoundation.com