Students at Matthew Whaley Are in Need
The large and enthusiastic response to our Trunk or Treat event last fall, attended by many local families, triggered curiosity among several members about the needs of our young neighbors. This led to discussion about the lopsided impact of the pandemic on reading and math scores of children of color, and confirmation that our neighbor Matthew Whaley Elementary School includes many such students. Local school budgets don’t include funds to provide paraprofessionals for each class to support struggling students, causing them to fall further behind without a boost.
WPC Can Respond
The WPC Outreach Ministry is split into eight teams that address different needs around the corner and across the globe. We now have a ninth team: Outreach Tutoring! One of the first outcomes of this team is a new relationship with the English Language Learner (ELL) Instructor at Matthew Whaley. She is very receptive to volunteer support, and after conferring with her administration, now has permission to accept volunteers (something that had stopped during the pandemic). We are ready to grow a team of volunteer tutors to help these struggling students to get back on track.
My First-Hand Experience
I began tutoring two days a week in February. The first day, I began in a second-grade classroom of 16 students. The assignment for the class that day was to answer five questions including your full name, country of birth, current home, what you like about Matthew Whaley and what you want to be. Responses were then to be combined into a short paragraph. I took four students into the hallway. After we said hello and I learned their names, we began to answer the questions. Not one of the four could spell their last name nor their country of birth in any language. No one could write Williamsburg. The most the four could produce was one word about Matthew Whaley, usually a friend’s name or recess. Only one could say what he wanted to be – he wanted to be a babysitter because that is what his mom does 14 hours a day. By comparison, other students in this classroom are reading chapter books.
YOU MAY BE WONDERING
HOW CAN I HELP?
Become a volunteer at Matthew Whaley! You can work individually or in pairs with groups of two or three children.
AM I QUALIFIED?
Do you know the English alphabet – upper and lower case? Can you count to 20? Do you want to make a difference in the life of a child?
HOW DO I START?
Pick up a volunteer interest form in the welcome center or complete it online! Contact me (Linda Eaton) with any questions. Catch me on Sundays at the church, send a note, or give me a call.
