Salemwood Students Participate In Mentoring Program

Photos, article, and text all by Kathy Sullivan, 5th Grade Teacher at Salemwood School.  

Salemwood School 5th grade students have had the opportunity to participate in the "I Know English" mentoring program this spring.  In conjunction with Malden High School students, Harris Zhou and Alex Ly, and Mei Hung of the Chinese Cultural Center, this program was created in order to reach out to students in our public schools who are new English language learners. 

Both Harris and Alex were once students who were limited in the English language so the focus of this program was to reach out to students who are now going through the same experiences Harris and Alex had when they were elementary students at the Ferryway and Beebe schools. 

Recognizing that adjusting to a new culture, learning a new language, and making new friends is an overwhelming experience, 5th grade Salemwood teacher Kathleen Sullivan invited Harris and Alex to bring this program to the Salemwood School. 

This program has proven to be an invaluable resource for both the the 5th grade students and the high school mentors.  The mentors are fabulous role models, they are demonstrating the importance of reaching out in their community and promoting the importance of education to younger students.  The fifth graders anxiously await the arrival of their mentors on Friday afternoons. These mentors are also showing students that things get better and by being patient and working hard success will come.