Parent Mentor Meeting notes, Newsletter, and Book list update

Hi everyone!

PARENT MENTOR MEETING notes:

Thanks for the great parent mentor meeting last Friday!  If you could please review the areas we need help and comment below how you can help or any ideas you may have, that would be great!

Help!
We need parents to drive for Fugitive, this Friday September 26 at 7 pm.  You could do this as a date night by picking up some frozen custard or ice cream and driving around with your spouse as we hunt down the youth :).  We will be meeting at the Bountiful temple and starting promptly at 7 so please be a little early.  Please let me know asap if you can help drive!

 Looking Ahead
The following are areas we will be studying in the next few months.  Please let us know if you have any ideas for field trips or guest presenters or activities that would help the youth learn more about these topics:
-Geology
-China
-Classification/Evolution vs. Creationism and macro- vs. micro-evolution
-Early Colonial America
-The Power of Music
-Stewardship: "Divine Roles of Men and Women" and "Dating"
-Medicine
-French Revolution
-Codes: Morse, Braille, etc.
-Slave Quilt-maps
-Civil War
-Inventors/Inventions

Next Month Parent Mentor Meeting:
October 10th, 6:30 with potluck dinner assignments same as before (Monica, could you resend that info?)
-Come having read/reviewed Ch. 1 and 2 of "Crucial Conversations" by Patterson, etc.  I believe this will be a powerful resource this year to improve our communications as spouses, parents and fellow parent mentors in this group.  Thanks!
-We will have a longer meeting this time, probably ending around 9.  This will replace the meeting we had to reschedule last month. Please make every possible effort to attend.
 
NEWSLETTER
It has taken me a while to get to the newsletter for this next month as we will be making major changes to hopefully make it more useful to everyone. I should have it out by the end of the day.  However, you may already check out the inspirements for next week for Journeyman and Master Class on the Leadership Academy blog and soon on the CORE class blog, October Week 1: Leadership Academy post.  Thanks for your patience as we try to change things up a bit to make the class more suited to personal adaptation.

RE-ORGANIZED BOOKLIST
Also, I have updated the booklist in the tab above (or you can click here to access it, too).  I have hopefully made it more understandable.  Please note in the comment section if you have any suggestions to make it more accessible.  Also, fellow mentors, please make sure that I have included any changes you have made to your book lists for the year.  Thanks!

Mentor meeting discussion March 8th

1. We discussed upcoming dates:
--Pioneer Trek info (please contact Angie with questions)

--End of year schedule:  One more month of lens-oriented classes, ending on April 23rd, then 2 weeks of oral presentations/end of year simulations/activities, etc.

--oral presentations: a summary of their education for the year...a look at where they are at. This is a good opportunity, even more than looking at specifics of what they have "accomplished," to look at who they have become through the course of the journey through the year.  They may present this by a power-point, bringing objects that represent who they are for the other youth to select and then the presenting youth will talk about the ones they select, a slide show of pictures of things they have experienced this school year, etc.

--cultural dinner: our culminating end of the year event, tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 8th, where we do a slide show of the year, people bring potluck courses from "around the world," we give out awards recognizing each youth, present the new presidency for next year, and do some activities with our families.

2.  We discussed concerns and ideas with the service project developed in the Geo-genius Master class.  The youth brainstormed and selected an area of focus for service that they would like to do.  They thought it would be good to open it up to anyone who wants to participate. Here is a brief synopsis:

They set up a project with two purposes: gather money and supplies for specific groups in Ethiopia (schools and orphanages the presenter mentioned), and, second, to help youth do fundraising so they can go to Ethiopia for two weeks next year to actually deliver the supplies and spend two weeks giving service among the Ethiopian people.  There are a lot of details involved in that, but that is the general idea. The hope is that anyone who desires to help and participate in this project will be able to in any capacity, from making colorful items for orphanages, to participating in the fund-raisers for the specific targets (fundraisers like a carnival, car washes, bake sales, etc.).  Every little bit will help, and everyone's contribution will make a difference for those sweet people in Ethiopia.

 The latest development is summed up in an email I sent recently:

Hi everyone!

After different people's feedback and perspective, discussion with the youth already involved, and careful consideration of the purpose and spirit of this service project and Master class, we are going to go ahead and re-structure our approach with the service project.

The Master class set the ball in motion of this great idea...a project worthy of Master class!  Woohoo!  And now, the ball in motion will be a project for everyone!

This means:

--you do not have to qualify for master class to attend the planning and carrying out of any part of this project

--we will not be using Geo-genius Master Class to just work on this project

--we will have a separate time (after some class, before some class, etc.) designated to meet...I will let the youth figure that out :)

--I will continue to mentor the project

--as before, you can participate as little or as much as you want to and in whatever way! (Madeline, Rick specifically mentioned making bright colored things for the kids in the orphanages :)!)

Tomorrow, Friday the 14th we will meet from 10-11 to discuss and play the geo-genius game (without Tova, poor dear :)!), and then anyone who wants to come and plan/discuss/contribute to the project  can come at 11.  We will end promptly at 12, but you can bring a lunch to eat while we meet.  Weather permitting, we can meet out in my backyard to discuss it.

Next month, we will have a different activity/focus (not-project related) for Master class Geo-genius.

Thanks, everyone, for your patience, contribution, and willingness as we transition to this new, impact-ful stage of Vanguard!

:) Sister Biesinger

3.  It was brought up that people would like to do service on a local level.  I am all for that, and have had it as an intention to have monthly projects since the beginning of the year, but it has taken time to get everything running, right :)?  Sarah Vance had a great idea about working with a local organization called the Marshall White Center.  The following is her basic summary of the place (I hope she doesn't mind me directly quoting her :)!):

This is a community center. I believe they get government funding. The youth classes are taught by awesome people who are paid very little. It's basically a volunteer program.  You can tell the teachers care about the kids!  We also gathered winter clothes  in our ward to take there for the homeless. People take clothes and food there for others to take as needed.  I know they served a Thanksgiving dinner there last year.  One day, there was a bunch of food set out on a table by the front desk. I saw an older lady come in and pick up a bag of rolls and a bunch of bananas one day.  I remember thinking 'I love this place!'

I'm going there today. I'll ask about possible service opportunities and get back to you. 

We are looking for people (youth and adult) to work on this.  If service is your passion, please get in touch with me.  You would contact the center (or help the youth do so) or other places where people have brainstormed about serving, set a project up, and then announce it to the youth.  In the past we have done things like:
-trick-or-treating for candy to send to kids in Africa (a real program, believe it or not!)
-tying quilts while doing movie night
-yard work for the church or building we are meeting at
-singing at rest homes
-gather supplies for local food banks

Someone suggested we get this started during the summer to make one less thing we are "starting" in the fall.  Service opportunities are something that everyone may not participate in all the time, but we have had enough participation to make each one successful.

I think that is basically everything we discussed.  Feel free to post comments or questions below.

NOTE: I am mindful that not everyone can make these and hope you do not feel pressured to come.  I have set them up as a resource for you, a (*hopefully*) power-packed hour for you to catch up and have better input on issues and needs of our group, but am mindful that it is not the most convenient time. Is there such a thing :)? 

Someone has mentioned the idea of holding it on a different day of the week once a month, like an early afternoon or late morning.  My concern is that there has been some father participation and I don't want to lose that.  However, if, overall, it would enable more people to come and would be more convenient to the majority, I am willing to move the day and time.  I would ask someone else to coordinate it, if we want to do it for our last meeting in April, or we can just look ahead and consider it for next year.  I would welcome your feedback in the comments and suggestions in the comments below (or via email if the commenting is not enabled for some reason).

Thanks!

Mentor Meeting agenda held March 8th with Overview for April

We read and discussed the following excerpts from an article (the whole thing is amazing if you have the time or inclination): 

MENTOR TRAINING:

Neil A. Anderson:

“We live in an important time in the history of our planet.

Let us remember that those who sit in your classrooms are some of the most spiritually sensitive sons and daughters of God that have ever entered mortality. I like these words from President George Q. Cannon, who served in the First Presidency: “God has reserved spirits for this dispensation who have the courage and determination to face the world and all the powers of the evil one, visible and invisible, to proclaim the gospel and maintain the truth and establish and build up the Zion of our God fearless of all consequences. He has sent these spirits in this generation to lay the foundation of Zion never more to be overthrown, and to raise up a seed that will be righteous, and that will honor God, and honor Him supremely, and be obedient to Him under all

circumstances.”¹

The young men and women in your classes are these spirits. They are the hope of the future.

One of those singing said about her seminary teacher: “Brother Solomoni is a great man of God. He has taught me that how much we learn is not as important as applying what we know. The amount of knowledge is less important than what we do with the knowledge we have.”

FAITH:  “Spiritual understanding rarely comes from a lecture. It comes in classrooms where questions are welcome, where doubts and fears can be expressed, and where honest opinions are never dismissed. It comes from obedience, private study, and prayer. Spiritually, the classroom of faith becomes less like a lecture hall and more like a fitness center. Students do not get stronger by watching someone else do the exercises. They learn and then participate. As their spiritual strength increases, they gain confidence and apply themselves all the more.

The Savior taught by listening and observing. After teaching and healing the multitude, He fed them.⁷ To the woman caught in adultery, He wrote in the sand.⁸ Before He healed the daughter of the leader of the synagogue, He asked those who did not believe to leave the house.⁹ And to Caiaphas, the high priest, He said nothing.¹⁰
Elder Maxwell summarized effective teaching in these words: “Do not be afraid of repetitious teaching. Ask inspired questions. Typically, but not always, two-way dialogue is better than one-way monologue.”¹¹
Use the scriptures; share simple stories, parables, and real-life examples; ask questions; invite students to teach and to share their feelings; encourage them to act in faith and to report on what they are learning.

HOPE:  “Symbolically, you are like a force helping young trees to grow in a very windy place. In nature, trees that grow up in a windy environment have compensating strengths. As wind whips a young sapling, forces inside the tree do two things. First, they stimulate the roots to grow faster and spread farther. Second, the forces in the tree start creating cell structures that make the trunk and branches thicker and more flexible to the pressure of the wind. You, like the forces in a tree, help stimulate deeper spiritual roots and a stronger resolve to resist temptation. VIDEO

As the world grows darker, the light of the truth shines brighter. As the hearts of men become colder, the warmth of the Savior’s peace burns stronger. As the noise of tempting voices shout louder, the still, small voice of the Spirit comes with even greater clarity. As evil increases in the world, the Lord sends the power of revelation and spiritual gifts for the righteous.
Teach our sons and daughters that there is an important work for them to do. You will remember the Lord speaking to Moses while he was yet a young man. He said, “I have a work for thee, Moses.”¹⁹ The Lord has a work for each of those in your classroom. To prepare Moses for his important role, the Lord showed him “the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created.”²⁰ He saw worlds without number.”
CHARITY: Christ is our example, and we follow Him. We seek to love God and others as He did. In the new youth curriculum, the emphasis is to teach in the Savior’s way. I quote from the guide:
“He loved them, prayed for them, and continually served them. He found opportunities to be with them and to express His love. He knew their interests, hopes, and desires and what was happening in their lives.
“He knew who they were and who they could become. He found unique ways to help them learn and grow—ways meant just for them. When they struggled, He did not give up on them but continued to love them and minister to them.”²⁸
I know this is how you approach your students, and I commend you for it.

APRIL OVERVIEW:

Quote: Teddy Roosevelt

 “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Scripture: 1 Ne 3:7

Book: Charlie’s Monument

Outdoor activity: Ropes course

Week 1 Leadership Academy: What is initiative?  How does it help me be a responsible citizen?
 Core

-Word study on “initiative”: the ability to assess and initiate things independently.

Synonyms: self-motivation, resourcefulness, inventiveness, imagination, ingenuity, originality, creativity, enterprise;

-Max Lucado: Conclusion: Fixing your Eyes on Jesus.
-Synergy of the Mind activity: "Chopped"--Vanguard style

Journeyman: 
-read e-book Jack Rabbit Factor 
-study final 7 Habits chapters 
-simulation/activity
 Master
-Finish up fallacies (don't be afraid to do this for the first time!  We use the book "Art of Argument" to study this and you can borrow mine, if you need to)
-Civility project
-Finish up discussion on "Whatever Happened to Justice" excerpt
Quote: “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.”--Jack Rabbit Factor

http://www.thesocialleader.com/2014/01/are-you-an-american/: American or Farmer
-Final activity: TBA

Week 2 Geo-conquest:  A look at Initiative in responsible citizens in the world around us

Asia, Gladys Aylward

Core class: Asian festival: Kite-flying and Asian food!--led by Abby

Journeyman: 
-study Asia
-study Gladys Aylward

-Master: 
-Guest speaker
-read “Gladys Aylward: The Little Woman” by Gladys Aylward

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?isbn=9780802429865&n=100121503&cm_sp=mbc-_-9780802429865-_-used

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0802429866/ref=tmm_pap_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&sr=&qid=

(Vanguard will be providing each family with a copy, due to the lateness of this change. )

-Geo-conquest Game
*Watch “Inn of the Sixth Happiness” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051776/  in conjunction with this right after class

Week 3 Eureka!- Initiative to look for resources around us and in ourselves

Core:  "Looking at the seeds of greatness and potential!"
-study actual seeds and germination
-look at organizations and individuals and examine what "seeds" and "growing conditions" their success and accomplishments started with.
-Davinci Excerpt #8: Connessione: A recognition of and appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and phenomena.

Journeyman & Master: Botany study and service project for church where we meet: planting things

Week 4 Imaginative Arts- Initiative to do something!

Core:  
"The Happy Dromedary" reading during class (short allegory)

-“Way To Be” Ch 6: Be Positive 

-Finish discussing "Charlie's Monument"

-Go on hike with rock-stacking activity

 Journeyman: 
-Study rock-stacking artist
-final composer

Master 
-reading: Robinson Crusoe 
-bring final nature art project! (or a picture of it)--it can symbolize something you learned or just be from things in nature that you have used initiative with to create :)!

Mentor Meeting

February 8, 2014

I. Discussion of monthly activities

    a) Mary has asked that if you have something you would like to do, to please feel free to contact her about helping with teaching in the classes. Be willing to follow those promptings.

    b) Continuing with the discussion from last month about the amount of activities planned, there will be a distinction made between class activities and youth led activities.

II. Integrity word study

    a) Quinn mentioned that it comes from the Latin word for “integer”

    b) Melinda (?) mentioned that it has to do with a consistency of values

    c) Elizabeth brought up the example of the Stripling Warriors

    d) Other ideas shared: Use of the web site values.com for inspirational videos and Job27: 5 was shared.

III. March Planning

    1) March 8 Etiquette/Manners  dinner

    2) Jane Austen Ball

    3) Brief discussion about classes

        a) Eureka: Possibly discussing integers

        b) Geo-Conquest: North America, reading some of the founding colony charters, simulation about setting up own colony. Journeyman would involve possibly memorizing states as well as actually writing charter for your colony.

IV. Discussion of Summer Activities--need for parental feedback

    1) Meeting once per week for weekly trainings at a park and taking July off.

    2) Continuation of Game Night/Movie Night/Outdoor Activities

    3) Hiking group--meet twice per month (First time to plan, second time to actually hike)

First of all, I would like to encourage everyone to watch the short video clip: http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2714780496001&cid=HPWE110613145

It was a great introduction to the discussion we had about how we need to reassess the path we chose to take and that sometimes taking a wrong road is important to understanding why and having confidence that another path is the correct one.

 

I.     The parents and the youth who attended discussed the change in the material that would covered in Core, Journeyman, and Master classes. The discussion centered on moving the material that was currently being done in Master Class will become the new Core class each. Mary mentioned that the it would be simpler, more principle centered, which is what Core class should be.  Mary will teach the Core classes. The lens mentors will be teaching the Journeyman and Master Level classes. 

 

Concerns that were discussed:

                             1) Need for more books: The only new books that would be needed would be Way to Be by Gordon B. Hinckley (which can be purchased used at the D.I.) and Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado (Can be found for $8-$10 at Amazon). The Da Vinci readings will be scanned into the computer and shared on-line.  There was discussion about including a 15 minute Latin lesson in each class. If we go ahead with this, the book for it will need to be purchased. (Getting Started with Latin: Beginning Latin for Homeschoolers and Self-Taught Students by William E. Linney. We would begin at the beginning of the book. It is super easy with only one word per lesson, and it is a lot like Saxon Math where they review previous lessons with the current lesson.)

 

                          2) A water downed class: We will just need to assess how easy/hard the work is as we go along. Right now, all of the youth have been doing Journeyman Level work. This may be a good way to encourage our youth to attend Journeyman/Master classes.

 

 

By unanimous vote from those who came, it was decided that we would change to this path for Core Class.

 

II.   In terms of meeting dates and times, it was decided by those who attended that for the remainder of the year Core and Journeyman classes will stay on Wednesday at Westminster Church in Fruit Heights, and Master class will beheld Fridays at the Lens mentors' home or Biesinger's home. It will be posted on the calendar where classes will be held.  However, times for the classes did change in order to meet the needs of the families involved and to reflect the changes in the course of study.

 

              Core class Wednesday 10AM -12:30 PM

 

             Journeyman class Wednesday 1-3:30 PM

     

             Master class      Friday 9:45-11:45

 

*PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL OF THESE CHANGES WILL TAKE PLACE IN JANUARY!*

 

III. Junior Vanguard Mentors asked that you make every effort to be there on your assigned day to help with Junior Vanguard. If you cannot be there, please find a substitute.  All the parents of Vanguard students will have a turn helping with the younger kids. Please contact the Junior Vanguard Mentors to find out when your assigned day is.

 

IV.  Calendar of Events:

 

          Nov 13 Family Social Committee Meeting after Eureka Core class

 

          December 11 Leadership Academy Journeyman Activity, 10-2 (For all those who participated in Nov. Leadership Academy Journeyman class)

 

   December 20 - Vanguard Christmas Service3:30 at Legacy Village of Layton
1205 N. Fairfield Rd.
We will be handing out a small Christmas gift to the residents and perform Christmas music and a pageant.

 

          Dec 28 Family Social Brunch, 10 AM-12 PM

 

          January 11, 2014 Parent Mentor Meeting at the Biesinger’s home, 8 AM

                        Outdoor Activity after Mentor Meeting

 

          January 17 Game/Movie Night

 

          January 18 Bountiful Temple Trip, 7 AM

 

 

 

September Mentor Meeting

This was kind of a big meeting, as it was our first one, so please read through carefully as we tried to solve different concerns and problems that have come up, as well as celebrate all the awesome things that we are doing right :)!

Opening Song: "Abide with Me" pg 166 -God will be with us, even when we feel alone or inadequate
Opening Prayer


CALENDAR ITEMS:
4 pm today: Outdoor committee plannning meeting
5-7 Family Opening Social
7-8:30 Dance practice
Temple Trips will be on Saturday mornings now or Friday evenings: the Tindalls will call the temple to schedul those and let us know which one we will have which month
Family Pioneer Trek for all Vanguard Groups: May 22-24th  RSVP and more information to come

COMMUNICATION ISSUES:
1. Discussion of yahoo group, pros and cons: for now, if we can just have people add to the monthly calendar on the blog site in the reply or in the post itself to keep it updated, people can check on that weekly;  still awaiting further idea solution to problems of yahoos groups.  For now, please email Lisa if you need direct emails if you are not on the k2vanguard yahoo group, so we can know who to include directly.

Martina requested that we snip the posts when we reply(delete the extra info "below" emails in each email that is attached and unnecessary).

2. Blogs:
-We would like to have the info from emails updated to the blog asap; is there a mom who could take ownership of this?  Everytime you see anything calendar related take the time to update the "monthly calendar post"

-We will have a link on the blog to the Student Accountability Reports for students to print up with their parents. (It's there now.)  Please take the time each week to help your youth print out a form so they can set weekly goals.  Even if they don't get them all done or even down, the act of writing down things is powerful!!!!  Be an encouraging force in their lives, supporting and loving them through this process of accountability and preparation for class.

-There was a request that we change the font on the Leadership Academy blog to make it more readable.  Will do :)!

-There were also a few requests on the way the mentors post inspirements:
 #1 to have the format consistent for all the blogs:
Know:
Understand:
Become:

#2 include features like Karianne has on her blogs with the dramatic bolding and organization of what the youth need to do

#3 clearer lists of what the youth need to do each time...to have them all together in one section.  I would like to have us all use the following format.
sample inspirements page
 (On the blogs, you can include the links where you feel are appropriate.)

This leads me to the next item of business:
3. Newsletter
We decided to have a newsletter similar in format to the following two examples:

Example #1--everything but columns

Example #2 Simpler, with Master inspirement included

The link to it would be sent out and it would be included on the blog.  The mentors for the class will need to have their inspirements for October to me asap so we can get going on that :).  We need someone who loves doing formats like this to take the information the mentors give them and compile it into a newsletter.  The secretary would be in charge of getting the information together, and the Vanguard History adult mentor would supervise the formating and publishing of it (see below).  We would like to see youth participate in creating this newsletter if they are interested in doing so.  (Miriam?  Sherrie Hatch?)

ADULT MENTORING
Youth Presidency feedback:
TENNESSEE: 
#1-With the large tomes, it is hard for the youth to utilize it in such a small space.
Solution: We decided and voted to move Wednesday Vanguard to the Presbyterian Church on Mountain Road in Fruit Heights as soon as they would let us.  We will be holding all classes up there on Wednesdays.  If you have any concerns, please let me know.  For many reasons, we felt that the benefits of moving to a larger location with our larger group offset the benefits of having a home environment.  The church is very nice, and was available earlier in the year, and hopefully will be available now.  

There will be a monthly fee, payable per semester, per person in the building, including litttle kids.  We will organize it into a semester fee per family, payable to Lisa a couple weeks after we make the move.  I hope we can get in as early as this next week.  In the past it has been $1-2 per person per month, including, again, the littles..

#2  The youth would learn better in the last hour if they have had the chance to get up and move around doing activities or other such things mid-way in class...allowing the blood to circulate, the minds to have a little break, etc.
Solution:  Adult mentors, please be mindful of this while planning your days, to allow for this concern.

1. Adult Mentor Positions:  See tab at top titled "Parent Mentor List" for the complete list I have to date.  If you are still interested in helping in a particular lens, please contact that lens mentor or committee leader that you are interested in.  Many of you selected many areas you could help...thank you!  I am continually grateful that God sent me so many wonderful parents and youth to work with!
Please feel free to offer your experience and ideas to an area, even if you are already doing something else, or especially if you feel you are not really helping enough for your own liking yet.  Thanks!

We still need help in the following areas:
a) the Vanguard History Adult Mentor, although we had a suggestion of Sherrie Hatch for that....Sherrie?

-Vanguard History Adult Mentor: Guides and helps youth with collecting pictures throughout the year; and putting together the monthly Vanguard Newspaper, the end of the year slide show, and a yearbook (if they choose to have one).

b) the Littles supervisor (Elizabeth is coordinating this so contact her if you are interested)
c) Fundraising adult mentor: can organize a youth committee to help up with this

organizes 2-3 fundraisers, at least one personal (for individual needs for expenses like outdoor activities, tuition, or books) and one group one (like car wash or yard sale, when all the funds go toward Vanguard cost)  Everyone is expected to contribute to the group ones.

2. Sibling Mentor Care: After a couple of weeks, trying to figure out what we are doing, we will need to go back to the bylaws for sibling care:

Section 5. Sibling Care:

Should it be necessary, all parents of Vanguard youth (with the exception of the

head and class mentors) must help supervise/teach the children of those mentoring the classes.

The secretary may set up a rotation for the year. If the parent is unable to complete their

assignment, they will be expected to take care of alternate arrangements.

We will have a group for parent who are participating in the rotation (except for the weeks they are mentoring in upstairs Vanguard), called Vanguard Jr. for approximately 8-11 years old mentored by Brenda Black.  Elizabeth Tindall will be organizing the watch for the younger kids who are there for the week the mentors are mentoring.  If you are specifically mentoring that week, then you may leave your kids with the littler group.  Everyone, even if you do not have younger children, will be expected to help with the babysitting of the younger group, as per the bylaws.  Please email me if you have any questions.

3. " Teaching moment"
-Please check out the following links
https://www.lds.org/youth/learn/learning-teaching-ideas/method-videos?lang=eng
Please peruse the side tabs on the left to remind us why we teach the way we do:  to first teach them knowledge, then encourage them to ponder and understand it, then do become intelligent in it by doing something to act on it, to set goals to improve in a God-inspired way in that area of their lives.

2 min video about how to encourage "acting" or setting goals
This video contains some ideas of how to do the above.

It has been amazing what we have accomplished and got in motion these first 6 weeks of knowing each other!  Thanks for your ongoing patience and willingness to give feedback and make things work.  I love these youth and am so grateful that they came with such amazing parents :).