Mustang Mentors
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t’s 8:00 a.m., the time Fifth Grader Georgia Roberts refers to as “rush hour” in the Lower School drop-off circle, as cars swing into the loop one after another to unload children. Wearing a high-visibility vest that fits her like a dress, Georgia calls a friendly “Good morning!” as she opens yet another car door and helps a younger student adjust backpack straps and head off to class. “Have a great day,” she waves, bidding farewell to the driver behind the wheel. Like all Colorado Academy Fifth Graders, Georgia is a Mustang Mentor, and this job, she says, is her “destiny.” “I call it my destiny, because it is something that I love to do that makes me happy,” she says. “Even when I was little and saw older
Georgia Roberts serves as a Mustang Mentor by greeting students in the Lower School drop-off circle.
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Colorado Academy Journal
students with responsibilities, I couldn’t wait to do those jobs and show leadership.”
‘Working for the mission of the school’ The Fifth Grade mentorship program has long been a voluntary option for students, but under the leadership of Lower School Principal Angie Crabtree, the program is now required and has a new structure, philosophy, and formal name: Mustang Mentors. “I hope the Fifth Graders see themselves as a cohesive group, working for the mission of the school,” Crabtree says. “The jobs they are doing make a difference. With them we can do more, plan more, and experience more.” All Fifth Graders now go through a formal
application process for a leadership position. They can apply for one of five different roles: n
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orning Safety Patrol: Students open M car doors, greet families, help younger children, and in the process learn communication skills and poise. re-Kindergarten or Kindergarten P Mentor: Students help teachers of younger students in various ways. They learn how to teach what they know, and they gain a behind-the-scenes appreciation for a teacher’s job. hysical Education Mentor: Students P help execute the P.E. lesson for younger students. They teach sportsmanship, how to win and lose gracefully, and they also tie a lot of shoes!
