Community Focus: Montereau residents team with Grissom students
Mike Averill World Staff Writer
02/16/2005
Tulsa World (Final Home Edition), Page ZS2 of Community
Each Wednesday afternoon, you can find Wish and Wanda Lemons in the library of Grissom Elementary School.
The Lemons, along with other volunteers from Montereau in Warren Woods, 6800 S. Granite Ave., read to a group of third-graders as part of a partnership between the retirement community and the elementary school.
Grissom Elementary, 6646 S. 73rd East Ave., and Montereau have a history of helping each other, but it wasn't until recently that the two formed an official pact through Partners in Education.
Wish Lemons (left), Regina Bradshaw and Wanda Lemons read to students at Grissom Elementary School. The Lemons, residents at Montereau in Warren Woods, read to third-graders at Grissom each Wednesday.
MIKE AVERILL / Tulsa World
"We discussed what they could do for us and what we could do for Montereau and it sounded like a good partnership," said Jean Swanson, principal at Grissom.
In October, several students visited the retirement community in costume and the residents gave out candy to them. In December, a group of students returned to sing holiday songs.
"It's really nice to see the residents smile and welcome us to the place they live," Swanson said. "The children really enjoyed it because they could see how much the residents liked them being there."
The official adoption ceremony was held in late January, and Montereau gave Grissom books on different cultures in the world, and donated $200 for the school to purchase additional books.
Grissom focuses on cultural diversity, which is something that helped trigger the partnership with Montereau.
"We want our kids to know there's more to learn than just about the school, city and the state. It's a big world out there," she said.
The group of third-graders participating in the reading program consists of students who benefit from the extra reading practice or enjoy additional reading.
"Third-grade is when they're just starting to read and comprehend better. Our goal is to have more and more volunteers to come and assist with the reading program," Swanson said. "As they feel more comfortable with what they're doing, we intend for the program to cover more grades."
Swanson said the students quickly warmed up to the volunteers. They look forward to their weekly guests.
"It gives them a special time not in the classroom that's not as strict. They have a free flow of conversation with the volunteers," she said.
Wish Lemons agreed that the children thrive off of receiving undivided attention from adults.
"They crave adult interaction," he said. "We adults have never been taught to listen. The kids have got something to say and they'll do anything to get the attention of someone."
The books the volunteers use in the reading program are chosen by the students' teacher to supplement what's going on in the classroom.
The stories are short, with an emphasis on comprehension.
"We have to have a commitment on the school's side to be prepared. If the volunteers came in and we were unorganized, it wouldn't work," Swanson said.
The Lemons spend the first 45 minutes of each reading session with a small group of three to four students.
Afterwards, the students gather together in one group and discuss the comprehension elements of the stories.
The Lemons aren't strangers to Grissom. Their granddaughter attended the school and Wanda Lemons would go there and help out the teachers.
"When Montereau wanted to adopt the school we got so excited," Wanda Lemons said.
The Lemons have different approaches with the children. Wanda Lemons, a former language arts teacher, talks with the kids the way you would expect from a former teacher.
"It's so rewarding for me to help other people read," she said. "I believe reading is the key to education. If these kids can improve their reading by me giving a little of my energy, I want to do it.
"A lot of parents today don't have the time to help their children read one-on-one. We have a lot of time and like to give it where it's effective."
Matthew Burke (left), Julia Birkhead and Richard Penrose are part of the group that Montereau residents read with at Grissom Elementary. Residents from the retirement community volunteer at the elementary school each Wednesday.
MIKE AVERILL / Tulsa World
Wish Lemons employs humor in his group.
"I like to put on an act. They're so loveable and different. Each child is different," he said. "Her method is entirely different than mine, but there's room for both."
Wanda Lemons agreed.
"Wish reduces himself to a child," she said.
"And all the kids want to be in my group," Wish Lemons added. "What they don't know is that they're learning while they're having fun." |
