Last year we partnered with Rolling Ridge Elementary in Olathe, to do Reading Club at Rolling Ridge! Every Tuesday afternoon we would hop on the bus and head out to the school for an hour of reading and interacting with the children.
Once we got there, we split into three separate groups, because there was a Kindergarten, 2’nd Grade and a 5’th Grade classroom that participated in Reading Club with our residents. Warren’s daughter Christa met us at the school every week and volunteered to help our residents with the student readers.
It was really wonderful.
The teachers would pick books for the kids and they would come out one student per volunteer, book in hand and practice their reading skills by reading out loud to us.
As each child finished reading their book, they would return to the classroom and send out another student.
The interaction between these students and our residents was very meaningful for everyone involved and at the end of the school year all of the students and classrooms who participated in Reading Club made thank you cards for our folks.
We became involved with this school because there are a large number of students in attendance who are homeless or under privileged. Lesa Suwareh and I attended a volunteer meeting where we met with other volunteers and school leaders from the Olathe School District to brain storm about how to best benefit the school.
This year we are excited that we will resume Reading Club but also have plans to host after school clubs for the kids and may participate in some music and art classes as well. Lesa and I will again meet with the school district this Wednesday and further solidify our plans for this school year.
A week ago, Lesa threw a bake sale to raise money for Rolling Ridge school. Lesa cooked all day long on Friday before the bake sale. Several of us, including Christa and Oren pitched in but Lesa worked tirelessly to accomplish her goal.
On Saturday, Lesa, her sister and kids, Ken McMullin, Christa & Oren Pickett also volunteered their entire day to stand outside the new Walmart off 135’th and K-7 selling Lesa’s delicious baked goods to raise money to benefit the students of Rolling Ridge. In all Lesa said they made $500!
Below are a few pictures from the Bake Sale and also, a few pictures from Reading Club from last school year. Many residents participated in this group, the bus was usually filled. We generally tried to keep the same residents in the same classrooms each week so that they could build relationships with the students. I was in charge of the Kindergarten classrooms and the Reading Club pictures that I took were taken with my iPhone.
A Legacy of Love 