As spring comes to an end and the excitement of the summer begins to spark, we’re often met by a mix of emotions. We might be eager for summer adventures, but maybe wonder what the immediate future holds for our mentees and our Seedling match. Here’s a helpful resource to guide you through some of the more common feelings and questions we often get from mentors about what comes next now that the school year has ended. As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to your Mentor Director for extra support and guidance.
A reminder about communicating with your mentee
For those of you who have already signed up for our Pen Pal Program or have gotten approval for and are using SMS , you may proceed as discussed. If you need a refresher on the parameters within Seedling’s approved communications options, feel free to reach out to your Mentor Director to clarify. Remember, as a school based program, Seedling does not allow mentors and mentees to connect outside of Seedling specific programs, so that means no exchange of or contact through personal contact information!
Will I have the same mentee next year?
Yes, we will continue to support your mentoring match as long as both parties wish to continue. So if you and your mentee are feeling good about reconnecting in the fall, we will do our best to make that happen. If for whatever reason you know your match is ending at the end of the school year, we would love to rematch you in the fall with a waiting student.
What if I don’t know what my circumstances (job, housing, schedule flexibility) will be in the fall?
First and foremost, talk to your Mentor Director. With your mentee, make sure to have closure for the summer, leaving nothing unsaid. You can explore the possibility of reconnecting in the fall. Make no promises to your mentee. Things come up, so if anything changes, please contact us as soon as possible so we can best support you and your mentee through any transition. Seedling staff will contact you in August to confirm your ability to mentor for the upcoming school year.
How soon will I be reconnected with my mentee? Can we meet the first week of school?
When thinking about the fall, keep in mind that we will reconnect your match as quickly as possible, but it does take some time to confirm enrollment of our mentees. Because our mentees move regularly, and some schools are able to welcome mentoring sooner than others, everyone’s timeline might look a little different. Additionally we like to give our partner campuses the ability to get schedules and students settled into their routine before bringing in visitors, so anticipate being reconnected with your mentee a few weeks after the school year has begun. It’s possible that the invitation to reconnect may come from either your School Contact or your Mentor Director, so be on the lookout for information from Seedling and your mentee’s school.
My mentee is transitioning to a new campus (middle or high school), how do things work at the new school?
We’ve got you covered with lots of resources to help make transitions as seamless and successful as possible. Check out some of these articles for great tips!
- https://www.seedlingmentors.org/transitioning-to-middle-or-high-school-next-year/
- https://www.seedlingmentors.org/what-to-know-when-transitioning-to-high-school/
- https://www.seedlingmentors.org/major-differences-between-elementary-middle-school/
- https://www.seedlingmentors.org/memories-of-middle-school/
Is there anything else I need to do before the school year ends?
Yes! Make sure your mentor portal is updated with all of your visits logged for this school year. As a nonprofit, our funding is tied to the ability to show our mentoring hours, so this is extremely important. If you need help, check out this refresher or reach out to your Mentor Director.