|
|
| Volunteer Spotlight |
 |
Mary Ellen Flannagin volunteers every Thursday at Graham Hill Elementary School. She has not only been one of our most reliable weekly volunteers, she volunteers in two different programs! As a reading buddy, she tutors a 2nd grade student during the day and then stays after school for an additional two hours, distributing snacks in the Math All Stars program and then tutoring 4th and 5th graders.
This year she took the initiative to attend a training provided by the Seattle Tutoring Coalition on her own time and brought back a binder full of math games that she readily shared with the Program Coordinator. The Math All Stars program now includes these added resources and has been restructured to better support students who struggle with math. Thank You, Mary Ellen!
There’s no question that Mary Ellen’s dedication is having an incredible impact on students, and in particular, on her reading buddy – a little girl who was so shy, she rarely spoke out loud. Now when Mary Ellen picks her up she skips down the hallway.
Mary Ellen with her reading buddy Tina |
Her reading buddy’s teacher Mrs. Rebecca Bland had nothing but praise for Mary Ellen, “When Mary Ellen first began working with her reading buddy she was at a Kindergarten reading level, had low pronunciation skills and would not talk or read aloud in class. Mary Ellen has been a consistent support to this student. She is punctual, ready with learning supplies and always greets her with a smile. Mary Ellen has taught her about phonemic awareness, fluency and comprehension. As a direct result, this student’s confidence has increased dramatically as well as rising to a 1st grade reading level. Furthermore she enjoys participating in reading aloud activities in class. Mary Ellen's dedication and positive encouragement have made a wonderful impact in this child's life!”
It is because of the dedication and commitment of volunteers like Mary Ellen that Communities in Schools of Seattle can continue to provide academic support to students throughout Seattle schools.
Thank you to all of our volunteers! We couldn’t do it without you.
|
|
|
|