The Newsletter of Project
L.O.V.E. Winter 2000 P.O. Box 2000 Charlottetown PE C1A 7N8 What is this thing called L.O.V.E.? Project L.O.V.E. stands for Let Older Volunteers Educate. More than 200 very committed (mainly retired) older volunteers help students in Prince Edward Island schools with their school work, usually in that most important area, reading. Volunteers go to their school once a week, spending between an hour and a whole morning or afternoon in the school. They usually help one student at a time, listening and coaching them with words, reading aloud to model good pronunciation and expression for them, helping with classroom projects or to get caught up on missed assignments. Teachers whose students work with the Project L.O.V.E. volunteers all agree: Their students benefit greatly from this help, gaining self-confidence through the interest shown in them by the volunteers. The Benefits of Volunteering: From the realage.com website, an inspirational rationale for volunteering: “Recent studies indicate that volunteers get as much as they give. Whether you choose to serve meals to the homeless, deliver gifts to the disabled, or visit local nursing homes, your time is a meaningful gift. In return, you’ll receive something that’s not available from any store, catalogue, or Web site–an improved sense of self. Real Age benefit: People who take care of their emotional health and well-being can make their Real Age 8 to 16 years younger. What’s your Real Age? At St. Louis Elementary School....volunteering is a family affair! During a visit to St. Louis Elementary School this fall, Project Co-ordinator Mary Burke and Board member Doreen Courtney learned that, for volunteers at St. Louis, family ties are very important. One of the volunteers, Mrs Auldine Wedge, who has been coming in to the program for a number of years, confessed that her daughter is the school’s principal. You can’t beat that kind of connection! Well, actually, you can. Mrs Sylvia Gaudet pointed out that the two young ladies sitting with her are her daughters - and that they all volunteer together. One daughter, Mrs June Butler, has children in the school, and the other, Susan Gaudet, looks after the children while her sister works. They all find time, however, to volunteer for Project L.O.V.E. in the school. Mrs. Gaudet said that her grandchild insisted that she work with his class, so each year she has been “promoted” to a later grade. This year, however, she has two grandchildren in the school, and now she may have to move back to Grade One - or work with two classes! Congratulations to all the volunteers at St. Louis for doing a great job - and thanks to St. Louis School staff for making their school a place where families feel at home. Two new schools join Project L.O.V.E. This fall two new schools started L.O.V.E. projects. Cardigan Consolidated have a number of volunteers reading with students at their elementary school. Lori MacDonald, the community health worker at the school, will be assisting vice-principal Windsor Wight ensure that volunteers are being looked after. St. Teresa’s school also started a Project L.O.V.E. this fall, and the volunteers at this school appeared recently in a Saturday feature story by Sally Cole of The Guardian newspaper. All of the volunteers at St. Teresa’s have teaching experience, although, as you know, this is not a rule for participation in Project L.O.V.E. In their cases, they missed the social aspect of the school - and the interaction with children. Project L.O.V.E. at St. Teresa’s is on Friday mornings, and, as it is a small school, every child gets an opportunity to work with the volunteers. Because they come in together, the volunteers have an opportunity to share stories about the day’s happenings with each other. Principal Cathy Boudreau is enthusiastic about her project. “It bridges the generation gap because it puts children in touch with older members of the community.” she said. Welcome to Project L.O.V.E., Cardigan and St. Teresa’s Schools! We want to hear from you! Survey coming soon. Project L.O.V.E. is planning a special event for L.O.V.E. volunteers for the fall of 2000, and we need your help in developing it. We are planning to hold an all-day seminar for our Project L.O.V.E. volunteers, to make up for the fact that so many of you work in isolation from each other. Special speakers will pass on information about developments in the literacy field, presenters will provide tips and ideas about dealing with challenges, and facilitators will help volunteers share the experiences which they have garnered over the years of practising Project L.O.V.E. We will need your input in deciding on topics of interest to many volunteers, and suggestions for good speakers and participants to invite to attend. This will not take the place of our June luncheon! We just feel that we need more time for sharing than that venue allows. So, please, respond to the survey when you get it...and please consider attending the seminar. It will be Fun, Free, and inFormative, and you can count on that! News for Parents (and Grandparents) on Early Brain Development New research in the area of early brain development has revealed that the early years are more important for later learning and school success than most of us ever realized. Key points in this information include the following five points:
These points, and more information, are contained in the book: “Rethinking the Brain: Insights into Early Development” by Rima Shore, 1997. Workshops for parents in nurturing children during these all-important preschool years are being given across the Island by members of the I.O.D.E., and by the five Family Resource Centres in the province. Please encourage parents you know to attend - or try to attend yourself! You’ll be amazed at the information, and you might be able to help young children or parents to provide an environment which supports later learning. Please call your local Family Resource Centre for a date for the next workshop in your area. |