The Each One Teach One (EOTO) mentorship program aims to pair off student mentors with mentees from Windermere Secondary for visits every two to three weeks. The group visited the pumkin patch at the Richmond Country Farms on Ocotober 29th to begin a fun year together. The relationship between Windermere and St. George’s developed courtesy of the Each One, Teach One mentorship program based at the Alderwood Family Development Centre, a Vancouver program serving families that have children with severe behavioural or emotional problems.

The program first began at St. George’s in 2001 when it was introduced by Mr. Brian Lee.  Ever since then, students in grade eleven and twelve have been eagerly signing up with hopes of being selected to participate in the program.

For their first outing of the year, the group visited the pumpkin patch at Richmond Country Farms and picked out pumpkins with their buddies.

The pumpkin patch was a great opportunity for students to meet their buddies and break the ice. As grade 12 student James O’Brien said, “Being a part of St George’s first EOTO outing this year was a very rewarding experience. Sharing personal interests and hobbies with our buddies from Windermere Secondary, helped break the ice for our first visit with the students. It was great to see the smiles on their faces as they gathered their favourite pumpkins from the enormous pumpkin patch. Overall, it was a great bonding experience and a great way to start the relationship between this year’s EOTO members and Windermere Secondary students.”

The lively environment at the pumpkin patch served as a great opportuinity for the students and their buddies to create an initial bond. As grade 12 student Quinn Cole said, “Our first outing was a valuable experience for me, as I became acquainted with my buddy through the positive and lively environment at the pumpkin patch; it was a wonderful start to the school year.”

Lastly, one of the reasons that the program is so successful at the school is because it as opportunity for students to give back and do something rewarding during their final years of high school. “It was definitely a rewarding experience. I am very happy that I was selected for the EOTO mentorship program,” as stated by grade 12 student Tyler Jue.

All in all the first outing at the pumpkin patch was very successful, it served as a great opportunity for the students and their buddies to meet and bond for the first time and allowed everyone to look forward to the great year ahead.