At the risk of jinxing it, I have to acknowledge the fabulous run we are having at VU. We have had an average of about 14 students per day and a tremendous turnout of volunteers. Things are picking up now and students have more and more-complex homework, but they are working hard and making such great progress. Our snack program is going strong too. I think it helps the kids stay focused when they are hydrated and have had a bite to eat. The addition of milk this year is very popular with some students who ask for it as soon as they arrive!
Now that about six weeks have passed, we have had enough time to get know our newer students and find out what’s happening in their lives that might affect their mood and learning. Everyone–kids and adults– have their days and our volunteers have infinite patience, but sometimes it’s obvious that some intervention is needed. Just recently we noticed a young man become reluctant and a bit uncooperative, definitely out of character. Baffled, we sought information and discovered that he had broken his glasses, which led to headaches after a long day of school. Fortunately, that situation will resolve next week hopefully when the young man gets a new pair of glasses. Although we didn’t need it this time, the situation enabled us to take advantage of some useful ties that VU has with partners at Connections for Hope and led us to resources that could help in such situations. It’s nice to know that there is a web of support available when students need it.
You can be part of it, so let us know if you want to check us out.