We would like to let you know about an exciting opportunity for our students and families on the Coast. One of the goals of Los Osos Middle School is to expose students to opportunities that are beyond the middle grades. We have existing programs on campus, like AVID, that focus on college readiness skills. Our 8th graders tour local businesses so that they can get a feel for what job opportunities are out there in our community. Two years ago we started 8th-grade students on the process of creating their high school 4-year plans. All of these programs have been very successful in helping our students prepare for their transition to high school.

This year we are adding an amazing proven mentoring program for our 8th-grade students. College Bound Today is a program that has roots in Southern California high schools. This year we are starting this mentoring program at Los Osos Middle School. What does this mean for our students at LOMS? It means that LOMS students will have the opportunity to work with community leaders from all different walks of life. Some are ex-teachers, college counselors, student leaders from Cal Poly, and business leaders from our SLCUSD communities. Mentors will start conversations with our students to promote awareness, knowledge, and comfort level around the students’ future. Our students will build relationships with their mentors that will last through their transition to high school and their first years at Morro Bay High School.

LOMS students will have 90-minute meetings with their mentors on seven different Saturday mornings from November through May. Each student will be placed in a group of 8 students, and each group of 8 students will be assigned to work with a team of 3 mentors. These teams of students and mentors will work together during the next two years until the students complete their 9th-grade year at Morro Bay High School. Our mentors will discuss a number of topics with the students designed to start students thinking about high school and beyond. Some of these topics will include, leadership, scholarship, and organization. Mentors will share with our students their own college and career experiences and will discuss with the students how the mentors’ own experiences shaped their lives and helped create pathways to success for the mentors.

More information will be coming out soon on how to sign up for this amazing program. Feel free to contact the school, Ms. Baca, our counselor, Mrs. Contreras, Assistant Principal, or Mr. Blum, Principal with any questions.