It’s winter. Sometimes getting out of the house or leaving work to get to VU at 4:15 p.m. means braving the wet and cold. A volunteer might be tempted to think “they won’t miss me this one time. There’s lots of help.” Oh so wrong! We depend on our volunteers…
Report cards started coming in a week or so ago, and we now have just about all of them. It’s hard to believe it’s the second quarter already! One notable thing about the report cards is that the kids in grades 5 and 6 who have been coming to VU…
There are so many reasons that volunteering with VU is special–hundreds if you count all the children you work with over the course of many years–but one that always stands out is hearing from or seeing former students and young volunteers. VU has been fortunate to have many high school…
Pyramids, pillars, and the pantheon were on the mind of third-grade students at VU over the past few weeks as they worked on their ancient civilizations projects. As the students dove headfirst into making their posters, volunteers also introduced the topics of planning and preparation. “First, let’s talk about what information do…
At least a couple times a week for three or four years, his little head would peek around the doorway to the homework room, eyes wide, looking for his big brothers. All the regular volunteers knew that adorable face and often told him that one day he would come to…
Things at homework assistance have been humming along so smoothly! With an influx of new volunteers, there are enough people so that volunteers can spend individual time with students when they need it and accomplish much more than homework. VU has quite a collection of books; educational aids, such as…
Working with children on their homework and skills requires a good deal of patience. There is nothing more gratifying than seeing a concept click or a skill mastered. So many variables affect the learning process that persistence and consistency are of parmount importance. This week I noticed a student (she’s in…
There’s an air of excitement at VU this week leading up to the winter break. Homework for some has been light, but others are working on multipart projects. Last night I helped one of our students write a four paragraph essay about a biography he read, one of several components of…
September 16 was the first night of VU for the 2013-14 school year, and it was a great success. On a beautiful sunny afternoon, 13 students and 8 volunteers got all the homework done, read books, and even had time for a game or two. With new processes and forms to…
The 2013 VU Summer Program officially kicked off on July 2 with students and volunteers spending the afternoon playing traditional board games. Old favorites were brought out and new games introduced. The kids love playing computer games–and will get to do that during the summer program also–but they have lots of…
