Volunteer Stories

The Magic of Reading to Children

Becoming “The Cat in the Hat” was not something that I had planned to do in retirement. Two years ago a Friends of Shanklin board member spotted me at a Habersham Halloween party at the River Retreat. I was in costume as The Cat. She asked if I would be willing to read Dr. Seuss while dressed in costume to pre-K students at Shanklin. Not ever known for being shy and retiring, I said “yes” without hesitation. I have just now completed my second year volunteering. Without hesitation becoming the “Cat” and reading cleverly, rhyming Dr. Seuss stories to the pre-K students is one of the highlights of my year. Experiencing the joy that the children display when I arrive in costume in their classroom is delightful. For some, my arrival is entertaining and a change of pace from their daily classroom experience. Others worry that I may hurt my tail if I fail to move it prior to sitting down. Helping children to believe that the Cat has come to life from the pages of the book and reading to them is truly magical. What fun this is!

Frank Cummings, Habersham resident

Small Heading

Providing Extra Attention: A Win-Win-Win

Each week my husband Paul and I work 1:1 for 20 minutes with three first grade students, helping them with math skills. We have a good relationship with their teacher, Ms. Webber, who gives us insights into her lesson plans for the week. The extra attention we provide supplements her classroom work. Paul and I spend a few minutes at home planning how we can approach the kids with the new materials. We bring stickers with us, as the children like having them as rewards. The tutoring takes place in a separate room. The children are very eager to learn and they are excited to be with us. When we return with them to their regular classroom, we can see that they feel special because of the extra attention they get from us as their tutors. It is so easy to give these kids encouragement, and it is very rewarding for us. Plus there is no experience required!

Diane Cooke, Habersham resident

Bringing Science to Life in the Garden

With the help of FOS volunteers Lorraine Shapiro, Dan Silva and Leo Gannon, the long-forgotten science garden at Shanklin was put in shape for classroom use this year. The team provided new tools and repaired the greenhouse, a relocated storage shed, and four new raised beds. Two fourth-grade teachers, Dana Christensen and Keisha Miller, started a spring garden program with the guidance of Laura Lee Rose from the Clemson Extension Service. She visited the school and took groups of about 6-8 students through the planting and composting process. The kids loved the idea of throwing garbage in and turning it over. The resulting worms were a big hit too. Laura also brought daffodil, petunia and other flower seeds to plant, as well as beans, carrots, mustard greens, radishes, even corn seeds. The kids transplanted seedlings they had started in the classroom too. Radishes were the first to pop up. The students are interested in learning what else will grow successfully!