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It's Back to School Time!
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As they eat their breakfast, they anxiously think about what lies ahead: their first day back to school. They anticipate the bus ride with all their friends. And, while they know they will be greeted by some unfamiliar faces, they are still excited about the friendships they know will blossom throughout the school year. "They" aren't students from the Masonic Children's Home but Elizabethtown residents who participate in the Resident Mentoring Program at Fairview Elementary School in the Elizabethtown Area School District.
"I love being a part of the program," said resident Blanche Manmiller, who has been a mentor since the program's inception
5 ½ years ago. "I always wanted to be a teacher but never had the opportunity, so this is my chance to do something similar."
Mrs. Manmiller moved from Harrisburg to Elizabethtown in 1999 with her late husband, Robert. Prior to moving to the community, she and a friend participated in a mentoring program at an elementary school in Harrisburg.
"When I moved here, I really missed the program," Mrs. Manmiller said. "I checked with Ray [Tierney, Chief Operating Officer - Retirement Living Services] to see if we had a similar program here, but we didn't."
After speaking with Mrs. Manmiller, Bro. Tierney realized a Resident Mentoring Program would be a great asset for residents. He worked with the school district and the local Rotary Club to establish the current program.
"The Resident Mentoring Program is a wonderful benefit to the students in the school, and it allows the residents to share their expertise and life experiences to help the children learn and read," Bro. Tierney said. "The residents love it. The kids love it. The parents love it. The school district loves it. It's really a great partnership. Both the students and the residents really benefit and have fun with it-- I'm not sure who benefits most."
Four-year resident mentor Bill Boone agrees. "We gain as much as the children gain," he said. "The principal, librarian and students make you feel wanted and needed. They appreciate having us there. It's a great atmosphere."
So almost every Monday from September to May since 1999, resident mentors have taken the Masonic Village bus to Fairview Elementary School, where they read to kindergartners and first- graders, listen to them read and assist them with schoolwork. This year, the program moved to Tuesdays.
"We help them work on assignments for subjects they're learning in school," Mrs. Manmiller said. "We help the kindergartners write, count money and work on their colors. We use a lot of flash cards with the first-graders."
This school year, the following residents are volunteering as mentors: Jerry Edgerton, Bill and Kitty Kelly, Mrs. Manmiller, Betty Munz, Dr. Bill Reilly, Helen Stone and Mary Zimmerman..
"I find mentoring very satisfying," said Mrs. Munz, who has been a participant for the past four years. "I'm a grandmother, and I think all grandmothers enjoy working with children. I enjoy listening to them read and seeing them advance in their reading and math skills throughout the school year. It's just a pleasure."
The mentors agree that interaction between older and younger generations is important, one of the reasons they participate in the program.
"I think children need to learn to accept older people in their life," Mrs. Manmiller said. "They need to learn that older people, besides their grandparents and others in their families, can be important to them. For us, it keeps us young and in contact with the younger generation."
Bro. Boone has participated in the program because he feels community involvement is essential. "I enjoy volunteering at Masonic Village, but it's nice to do something for the community," he said. "That's important."
Bro. Boone, however, is disappointed that his schedule will not allow him to participate on Tuesdays this year, but he hopes to once again mentor.
The senior mentors have taught the children so much over the years, but the children have also taught the seniors.
"The children showed me they are capable of doing more than we ever think they're capable of doing at that age," Mrs. Munz said.
"I think they taught me a lot about how to receive the many different types of children," Mrs. Manmiller added. "There are no two people alike. You have to accept people as they are. That's one thing I learned."
Something Bro. Boone realized from mentoring is the importance of family members working with younger children to improve their reading and math skills.
"You can tell the kids whose families spend time with them reading, writing and doing math," Bro. Boone said. "It brought to my attention that I need to read to my grandchildren more."
Meeting children of various backgrounds and interests makes the mentoring program so enjoyable.
"There are so many different types of children," Mrs. Manmiller said. "Some are shy; some are outgoing; and some are stubborn. You have to try to motivate the stubborn ones who don't want to participate. I try to talk to them about their pets or brothers and sisters, or I'll tell them about how things were when I was a child. They start talking once I get them comfortable with me."
Many of the residents who mentor have been out of school for 40-50 years. Some are surprised by the changes in the education system.
"When I was in elementary school, we never had a cafeteria or a big library or even gym class," Mrs. Manmiller said. "The technique of teaching has changed, and children learn so much faster. It seems kids are much brighter today."
Schools might have changed over the years, but something that has remained the same is the bond that forms between a child and an adult. For our resident mentors, those bonds continue to flourish.
Residents in Elizabethtown who would like to participate in the Resident Mentoring Program may call the Retirement Living Activities Office at (717) 367-1121, ext. 14509.
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