By Kathy Buckley

Read With Me Coordinator

 Most of us will remember March 2020 as the month that schools in all five districts of Santa Clarita were closed due to COVID.  Now, three years later, 19 volunteers have returned to the classrooms of seven schools. These dedicated, long term volunteers have anxiously awaited the e-mail, text or phone call announcing that they were once again needed in the classroom. 

Here are a few comments from our returning volunteers:

Karen Doyle  - Kindergarten/1st grade at Mitchell - “Seeing bright, young children so eager to learn is so uplifting for me.”

Tom Hartmann - 6th grade at Mitchell  -  “As a returning "Read With Me" volunteer, I feel as if I get much more than I give.  It is heartwarming for me to work with kids who so clearly embrace and enjoy the opportunity to share reading experiences with someone like me.”

Pat Willett – 1st grade at McGrath -   “I am so glad to be back because I really enjoy being with the children.”  Pat resumed helping Mrs. Cardia who wrote “I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with her again.”

Kathy Buckley - As an eight year volunteer at Wiley Canyon, I found it so rewarding to help children learn and to see their bright smiles as their faces lit up with a sense of accomplishment.

This program is designed to help students improve reading, pronunciation and comprehension skills, and to provide positive feedback, which results in building the students’ self-esteem.  Volunteers work one on one or in small groups, and commit 1-2 hours one day a week for the school year.  Volunteers are usually retired so it makes for a wonderful multi-generational experience.  If you are a teacher interested in having a RWM volunteer in your classroom in the future or if you are interested in being a volunteer, please contact Kathy at RWMcoord@scveducationfoundation.org.