Topic for August 23rd to August 27th

Back-to-School Talk

Well, today marks the first day of the 2010-2011 school year for most of the Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria schools!! Are you excited??

There is so much that they are going to be experiencing this year, new and old. Anxieties, fears, new friends, maybe even new schools. Even if they say they're not excited to go back to class, every kid has some part of them that is happy to be back. They have a schedule, structure, somewhere to be every day. All of their friends are back in one place, and they probably have new clothes to show off. At the very least, most of our kids are glad to be in a safe place for the majority of their day.

All that said, don't be surprised if they tell you that everything's "fine" when you ask about the first days of school. It's almost expected. So think of a different question. Maybe something like, "What was the first thing that made you smile?" or "Who had the coolest haircut?" or "Who were you most excited to see after the summer break?" If you try and narrow on one thing in particular, they have to think about it a little harder. It also shows that you really do care about their first days of school...and, achem, them!!

The beginning of school also means that Computers For Families will be distributing computers through the local schools. If you think your mentee would benefit from having a computer in their home, check out the CALENDAR to see when they'll be at or near their school. Call Kristine Mainland-White at (805) 964-4711x5400 for more details or speak with your case manager. Computers are typically for elementary grades, but if you have a middle school mentee who you feel needs a computer in their home, feel free to call Kristine to talk with her about the options.

Don't forget that Teresa and Juliana are here for you as your case manager. If you need help re-connecting with your mentee after the summer, please ask us! We are happy to attend your "first" school session with you, especially if you started meeting with your mentee this past summer and are unsure about how to transition.

Happy Schooling!