|
Summer Details
Program: June 20-July 22
Site tours TBA
Learn more
about becoming a Summer Teaching Assistant.
Upcoming Events
Gala:
November 3, 2016, 6pm
at Sharon Heights GCC
Now Hiring
Teachers for our after-school programs and RWC Site Coordinator.
Apply here.
|
Thank You
to our wonderful mentors who helped our 5th and 8th grade Academy students with the application process to Independent, Parochial, and Charter Schools:
Mar Y Sol Alvarado, Nicole Batchelder, Margaret Beltramo, Allyson Campa, Colleen Chicoine, Lisa Clancy, Kalyani Comal, Valerie Constant, Janie Cozad, Vicky Evans, Carolyn Feamster, Lynn Fischbach, Kirsten Gray, Becky Hilderbrand, Rene Jimenez, Tabitha Jordan, Marcie Kay, Ryan Kearns, Stacey Kertsman, Andy Koontz, Jackie Lai, Zoey Lieberman, Lisa Lunday, Fred Martinez, Sol Martinez, Theresa Martinez, Matt McWright, Megan Miller, Ruby Moreno, Maureen Murphy, Patty Murray, Virginia Pegley, Kristi Pickering, Tripp Robbins, Julia Roy, Sunil Samel, Amy Sanford, Chris Schumacher, Tish Scola, Inken Sparkman, Christy Story, Rula Tamer, Kelli Tomlinson, Tait Wade, Alexandra Wendker, Teresa Wong, Laura Yecies
|
Peninsula Bridge
PO Box 963
Menlo Park, CA 94026
|
|
|
|
How do children succeed and why? What is the role of effort in a person's success?
There is a growing national dialogue about the importance of developing social and emotional skills in young people to help them do well in school and successfully navigate into adulthood. Research is showing that children who develop social and emotional skills have a greater chance of achieving better long-term outcomes. This goes for young people from all socio-economic strata, but especially for kids from low-income backgrounds who face adversity. Although rigorous academic preparation is a critical factor, a strong body of research is showing that more is needed to ensure a child thrives in school and beyond.
Research shows that social emotional skills not only improve achievement by an average of 11 percentile points, but also increase prosocial behaviors (such as kindness, sharing and empathy), improve student attitudes toward school, and reduce depression and stress among students (Durlak et al., 2011).
Angela Duckworth, a psychologist from University of Pennsylvania, has done research that proves grit and self-control can be a more reliable predictor of a student's GPA than their IQ. Grit or "stick-to-it-iveness" helps students maintain concentration on tasks and is important for academic success.
When it comes to high achievement, grit may be as essential as intelligence. This is a big shift since intelligence was always considered the key to success. Duckworth argues that grit is ultimately what predicts college persistence in low-income and minority students.
With this in mind, Peninsula Bridge has focused on integrating social-emotional learning into all aspects of our programming for our middle school and high school students and parents. Peninsula Bridge is intentionally seeking to foster character traits like grit, perseverance and empathy, which studies demonstrate can be determinants of future success. Our curriculum focuses on study skills, work habits, self-discipline, and time management.
Since most of our students are first generation and have no experience with higher education, college can be difficult and confusing. When obstacles arise, they have no one in their families to turn to. When college is hard, grit helps. Peninsula Bridge is helping our students learn how to be "gritty" about high school and college completion. One thing we know for sure is that character matters.
Randi Shafton & Jocelyn Swisher
Executive Directors, Peninsula Bridge
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Middle School Academy - Mindset Matters
In the Middle School Academy, students have spent a great deal of time exploring and engaging in hands-on experiences to help them know the difference between having a Growth Mindset and a Fixed Mindset. We believe that by engaging students in activities where they consciously explore their non-cognitive skills, they will be able to identify challenges and set a pathway for success. As a result of the activities, students have explored their individual strengths and challenges and set goals for how to approach challenges effectively in order enhance growth and learning. The lessons and activities have been based on the research of Carol Dweck, Ph.D. and Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. The visual below taken from Dweck's book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, highlights some of the differences between these two mindsets related to one's approach to skills, challenges, effort, feedback and setbacks.
Dweck, Carol Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Random House, 2006
|
Lupita Diaz, a 6th grader at Mountain View Middle School Academy,
recently received an award for exhibiting a strong Growth Mindset at her home school. Here is a student perspective on the outcomes of the Peninsula Bridge Social Emotional Learning curriculum being implemented.
What does Growth Mindset mean to you?
To me, a person with a Growth Mindset is someone that says, I might be struggling with this task, yet I can...and then they think of things they can do to push through and persevere through the problem. They know they can grow and don't have to stay stuck where they are. They believe they can improve.
How has learning about Growth Mindset helped you in school?
It has impacted how I learn. I used to think very differently about learning and doubt myself. For example, essays used to be very frightening to me. Now, I tell myself: You've got this. Just calm down.
Of the strategies we've learned, which calming strategies do you use?
I step away for a moment. Like now when I get an essay assigned, I ask the teacher if I can get a drink of water. Then, I take some time to walk, get some water, look outside or at a tree, and take some calming breaths before starting the essay. This helps me to think about doing a good job on the essay and being successful.
Do you use Growth Mindset strategies outside of school?
Personally, in my family, it can be challenging because my mom depends on me a lot to translate English and Spanish. Sometimes, it is over the phone and other times it is with mail. I used to feel a lot of pressure and be really nervous about this, but now I tell myself to calm down and just do my best. I know that I will get better and better at translating the more that I do it in a calm way. The Growth Mindset has also helped me to see how important it is for me to do well in school and in my use of English and Spanish because it will affect my future and my family. I also tell myself that it is a positive thing that I come from a family that is not originally from the U.S. because I have this opportunity to learn more and be useful to them.
I also use Growth Mindset at home to show my family how being positive and calm can help in many situations. For me, it has helped a lot with communication when helping to translate. The more positive and calm that I can be, the easier it is to communicate with other people when I am translating.
What message would you tell other Peninsula Bridge students about the importance of Growth Mindset?
Never underestimate what you can do! I used to underestimate myself a lot and now with applying Growth Mindset, it has really helped me to improve so much in and out of school. Be open to learning new things. The more things you do and try, the more you will experience and learn.
|
|
|
|
Dina describes her experience in the high school program at Peninsula Bridge and how it has helped her with her transition to a new school.
|
|
|
Dina, a Freshman at Menlo Atherton High School, working on homework with Nick, a peer tutor from Sacred Heart |
|
|
|
|