Tom Henihan
Express Staff
The first Ecole Providence mentorship session of the new school-year took place on Monday October 1.
The mentorship program, now in its fifth year is reaching something of a milestone as the original Grade 1 class who participated in the initial program will be graduating from Providence at the end of in the June 2019.
The mentorship program was first organized at the beginning of the 2014 – 2015 school year, when Ecole Providence principle Krista Veitch reached out to the community for volunteers to help establish the school’s breakfast program.
During a meeting of the Catholic Women’s League a conversation took place about the community’s obligation to the community school and the plan for the mentorship program was decided upon and quickly implemented.
Although the idea for the program was established at a Catholic Women’s League meeting, the volunteers who participate in the program come from numerous faith communities.
The program has been an unqualified success from the beginning and each subsequent group of students find the primarily arts and crafts activities fun and look forward to the Monday afternoon sessions.
The kids especially enjoy the one-on-one time with the mentorship volunteers.
While it is only Grades 1 and 2 who attend the program, it is a testament to its success that the kids as they grow up, still maintain a bond with the mentorship volunteers and always drop by to say hello and talk.