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CONTACT THE ENTERPRISE Jocelyn Robinson, News editor jrobinson@heraldnet.com

Seniors volunteer for Shoreline schools

Katie Murdoch
Enterprise editor

Seniors who place a high priority on education and enjoy spending time around school-aged youths would make strong candidates for volunteering as mentors and tutors for Shoreline School District students.

The Power of One Senior Volunteer program matches volunteers 55 and older with Shoreline School District students. The volunteers assist with tutoring, mentoring and helping in classrooms and libraries. The volunteer program, which has been around for 13 years, is a partnership between the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center and the Shoreline School District.

Approximately 58 volunteers clocked almost 4,000 hours with Shoreline School District students during the 2008-2009 school year.

Volunteer Coordinator Karen Kessinger said the program offers students consistent help with areas in which they might be struggling.

The volunteers show youths that their education matters, which some students might dismiss if they hear that from their parents and teachers, she said.

“The volunteers support education in a way that students might not see at home,” she said.

Kessinger is recruiting seniors to spend approximately one hour a few times per week with Shoreline School District students.

Ideal candidates are over 55, have transportation to the schools, are patient and want to give back to the community through prioritizing education, she said.

There are approximately 50 regular volunteers currently working with these students.

Edward and Terry Fackler, unincorporated Snohomish County residents, volunteer twice a week at Briarcrest Elementary. Edward has worked with older students with behavioral issues while Terry has worked with younger children learning how to read and those that need extra help learning English.

“Kids are just amazing, they are total individuals,” Terry said. “If you show respect for their individuality, they really respond.”

“You have to make learning fun and positive experiences,” she added.

Terry said it’s important to enjoy each student’s differences whether they are shy or more forceful with their personalities and offer continual encouragement to ensure they don’t feel singled out or dumb.

“They feel special; you’re another friend in their educational experience,” she said. “Everything that happens in life and in the classroom is a lesson.”

Three elementary schools in particular need volunteers; Highland Terrace is launching a lunchtime homework help center, Brookside has a reading resource center and Syre needs assistance with its kindergarten classes.

Kessinger said the one-on-one attention particularly benefits students in overcrowded classrooms.

She pointed out budget cuts at the state level to plug a multi-billion dollar deficit trickled down to the school districts such as cutting programs and para educators. Voter-approved programs intended to control classroom size were cut to balance some school district budgets.

“It’s able to bridge the gap in some areas,” she said of the extra attention students receive from volunteers.

Kessinger said seniors benefit because volunteering helps them stay active and connected and “if they have a love of kids or education and want to extend education to kids,”

Briarcrest teacher Suzanne Norring said volunteers help with her classroom of third and fourth graders.

Norring said it benefits her students to have one-on-one face time with other adults to help them improve their reading and math skills.

It’s important for youths to have positive interactions with adult role models in addition to their teachers and school staff, she said.

“It’s nice for other adults to be so helpful,” she said. “We appreciate them so much; they’re so valuable.”

For more information, contact Karen Kessinger at 206-365-1169 or Karen.kessinger@shorelineschools.org. Power of One volunteers must undergo a Washington State Patrol background check.