Sunday, May 10, 2009 12:12 AM CDT
Mentoring program faces extinction without a new volunteer leader
By NATHANIEL WEST, For the JG/T-C
nwest@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — “This is going to be the last time I do this,” retiring fourth-grade teacher Kathy Wright said, struggling to hold the tears at bay. “I can’t think of anything I’m more proud of in my career.
“This will always be a special thing in my heart.”
The party April 27 was indeed her 10th and final fete honoring mentors for students at Riddle Elementary School.
But it remains to be seen whether the program Wright founded a decade ago to provide some children with homework help, as well as a listening ear and an adult role model, will keep going after she retires at the end of this school year. Wright has tried to recruit a replacement for the mentoring program, but so far, there have been no takers.
“If someone would ask me, I might be willing to do this on my own,” Wright also said.
In 1999, while teaching at the Hawthorne School, Wright had grown so concerned about certain fourth- and fifth-grade students needing some additional attention from a caring adult that she approached members of her church, the First Presbyterian Church of Mattoon, about launching a mentoring program.
“It was heavy on my heart,” Wright said. “I had B and C students who were getting Ds and Fs because they didn’t have anyone to help monitor their homework.”
The church provided seed money as well as a core group of mentors that first year. Wright later solicited help from civic organizations such as the Rotary club.
There were eight student-mentor pairs that first year. There were 13 this year.
Wright recalled how one student, who had never before received an A on an assignment, earned two As in spelling on his report card.
The students and mentors met at the school every Monday evening. Mentors helped the students with their homework first, but once this was finished, they would play games or just talk.
“The kids are motivated to really buckle down and do their homework,” Wright said. “It only works really because it’s one-on-one,” Wright said.
Once Wright knows how many mentors have volunteered for a particular school year, classroom teachers recommend students for the program.
Karen Clausing, who has mentored for four years now, signed up for the program sometime after Wright spoke to a group at her church. “I thought, ‘You know, that’s something I would like to try,’” she said.
“I’ve gotten to know some really nice kids, (and) I like helping kids with homework.”
In addition to homework assistance, Clausing has conducted activities like making stained glass with her student. This year, she worked with Monshana James, a fifth-grade student.
“My grades get better and better,” James said, noting her marks in math and social studies saw particular improvement.
Clausing said, “She really wants to learn, and that makes it a lot of fun for me as a mentor.”
Of the current crew of mentors, Lynn Blume is the most senior, having participated in the program since its inception. Her student this year, fifth-grader Taylee Carter, was also her student for half of last year.
Blume joined because Wright asked her sorority, Delta Theta Tau, for assistance. “I enjoyed it so much, I continued every year,” she said.
She said she especially enjoys “the children, of course — meeting children, talking to them, getting to know them, helping them in any way I can.”
Carter said the program “has helped me with school, because I get better grades now.”
Ernie Newberry has been a mentor for three years and is known for his creative activities, such as building birdhouses or making kites out of newspaper, which he did with his student this year, fifth-grader Dylan Marshall.
Newberry, a longtime illusionist, also taught Marshall some magic tricks, and they even fabricated a telegraph machine out of blocks of wood, wires and a magnetized nail. Marshall had to learn Morse code, of course.
“And he helped me with my homework a lot,” Marshall added.
Newberry said, “I learned a lot, helping him (with his homework) — things I haven’t done in a long, long time.”
He also said, “It’s been a good experience, and I cannot commend Kathy enough. (The mentors) have really showed up, and the kids have been so responsive.
“I am going to miss coming here on Mondays.”
Maybe.
Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com.
Add your comments
Not already registered?
Then click Here.
Comment policy:
JG-TC.com encourages readers to engage in civil conversation with their neighbors. Comments that are submitted are not posted to the site immediately. They go into a queue to be moderated and may take several hours to be reviewed. Comments posted on Saturday may not be reviewed until Sunday afternoon.
In order to keep the page a set width, long lines (mostly long links) will be chopped. Try putting spaces in your links or consider using tinyurl.com to make a smaller link that you can include.
We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct.
No comment may contain:
* Potentially libelous statements; such as accusing somebody of a crime, defamation of character, or statements that can harm somebody's reputation.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment or inciting violence.
* Commercial product promotions.
If you have any questions, please contact our moderator.
|
|
|
|
|
just watching wrote on May 10, 2009 7:43 PM: