Worship Sundays at 9 am
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As we continue our partnership with supporting our community – we each have an opportunity to serve in a small way that makes a big impact. When I nervously walked into my first classroom to volunteer to read last fall, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I read to my own kids all the time – but I am by no means a teacher. They did provide books, but I brought a couple of my kids favorites from home too. As I introduced myself and pulled out the first book – I looked out at a sea of kindergartners and they were all staring back at me… they were intent and excited and so full of energy. They laughed and raised their hands to ask questions and the 30 minutes was over before I knew it! I had time for a 2nd classroom and I was escorted to a 1st grade room. As I walked in, I was amazed at the teacher’s control of the classroom (something I was honestly not able to maintain, but she helped me out). Here is how she invited them to join me: “you may sit at your desk or move to the carpet, the choice is yours to make, you are in control of your actions, do what’s best for you, not what your friend is doing.” A few kids hesitated in deciding what to do as she was talking, but this was obviously the way she always spoke to them, and with her caring tone I teared up. In this Title 1 school full of low-income children, the respect for self she was instilling in them touched deep down inside me – how lucky these kids are to have teachers that care not just about what their grades are, but who they are. And how lucky I was to spend 30 minutes reading to these kids and soaking up their energy and being inspired by the future leaders of our community.
Read Across America Week Feb 25- Mar 1 is another opportunity to volunteer 30 minutes or more of your time to read to a classroom. You can arrange anytime between 8:30 am – 2:00 pm to come in and read to a class any day of the week that works for you. This week was picked to coincide with Dr Seuss’ birthday, so I will definitely be picking a couple of those books this time! Contact Lisa McCoy [email protected]
