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VOLUNTEERMLK Volunteer ProgramThe Smith College Club of Washington/Martin Luther King Jr. School Partnership started in the fall of 1999. It is supported by the dues paid by SCCW members, and the dedication of volunteers. To read more about the history of this Partnership, click on the “News” page at this website. The Smith Club purpose is to instill a life-long love of reading in the children, to encourage them to continue their education, to challenge their imagination and to instill ambition. We have many opportunities for volunteers and would love to expand the number of alums involved. Those who do volunteer find the experience very rewarding. The children all know the Smith Club ladies, and the school staff appreciate our efforts. In addition, many employers are supportive of community service activities such as this.We have the following programs, which can accommodate a variety of schedules and interests: Tutoring—We have been tutoring one –on-one in reading and/or math for reinforcement or enrichment. We are tutoring in grades 1-5. Each volunteer tutors 2-3 students individually during the school schedule from 12:50-3:00. All our tutees benefit from the individual attention and the consistency of our visits. Contact Nancy Simon at 301-530-1202 or ngsimon@verizon.net. Read-Aloud— Volunteers read and discuss books with a whole classroom for about 45 minutes on a regular basis, generally at 1PM. This can be once a week, once a month, or as often as you like. We read from Head Start through 5th grade and can accommodate volunteers’ preferences in terms of age, days of the week, and frequency. Contact Andrea Kane at 202-478-8554 (W) or akane@thenc.org. Annual Report for School Year 2010-2011 It has been a very busy year at MLK. After 12 years of partnership with the school, Dr. Baylor, the principal, is retiring. The committee set up to interview new principal applicants is required to have 2 community representatives as well as teachers and parents. A group of teachers selected the Smith Club to be one member. Margaret Greene was the club’s representative. Interviews were held June 16 and the unanimous choice of the committee, Mr. Asa Daniels, has been appointed principal as of July 5, 2011. Our major activity this year, in addition to the tutoring and Read-Aloud programs, has been the production of a school literary magazine. Teachers in grades 3-6 were asked to submit writing samples from their classes. We had a late start but received a wealth of submissions—stories, poems, and entries for a program called Literary Through Photography. With the help of the art teacher, Margaret Greene and Nancy Simon put together a magazine. The club paid for the printing. It is a most impressive work. End-of-year activities included a luncheon for the teachers and staff while recognizing our twelve years of partnership with the school at Dr. Baylor’s retirement. We honored her with a cake, a pictorial history of our 12 year partnership (complementing the history written last year) and a Smith College pen and pencil set and Smith banner. Lastly we presented 19 book awards to Most Improved Class Readers for grades Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade. Both this years 5th and 6th graders will be going to middle school in the fall. Book awards were the first activity of our partnership with DC Schools in 1989. List of Volunteers 2010-11 Tutors—Nancy Simon, Coordinator Joan Benesch, Jean Crocker, Elizabeth Edminster, Maria Consuelo Gall, Margaret Greene, Peggy Greene, Barbara Harper, Jill Howell, Linda Kacser, Jane Lescure, Sandylee Maccoby, Linda Matkovic, Nancy Simon and Sally Smyser. Read-Aloud—Andrea Kane, Coordinator Peggy Greene, Jean Harrison, China Jessup, Andrea Kane, Phyllis and Sophie Lavine, Jennifer Levy, Holly Lincoln, Susie Lukens, Lois Stratton, Knia Tanner, Adrianne Todman, Marilyn Urwitz, Astrid Weddige, and Carol Wilner. Photographer—Hermine Dreyfuss Connect with Current Smithies – Provide Housing or Internships for Smith Students!Do you have an extra room, a basement apartment or an internship you would like to offer to a Smith student this summer or the coming fall semester? Each year, 12 Smith students come to Washington for the Picker internship program (spend six months in Washington and see how policy is developed/made/implemented). They are faced with the daunting and expensive task of finding full-time political/public policy internships for the months of June-December and their own housing. From September until December another group of Smith students comes to Washington to intern at the Smithsonian Institution. They are in need of housing as well. Housing the most formidable hurdle – interns want to find safe, affordable and convenient housing that will make their Washington semester a success. In the past, area alumnae have offered extra rooms, basement apartments or other rental properties for reasonable rents, or discounted rents in return for babysitting/house sitting, and some generous alumnae offer free housing. Interns are especially interested in locations within walking distance of the Metro or other easy public transportation as well as other amenities like grocery stores. This is a tremendous opportunity to connect with the energy of current Smith students and to provide a great service to the college. You can’t imagine how much it would mean to a student with limited resources who is faced with finding a short-term, furnished apartment. You can even make a little money yourself! If you have housing or an internship to offer, please call the Washington Alumnae Coordinator, Annie Bellavia at 703-294-9982 (h) or email annierusso@hotmail.com. |
