Fluency Friends at Michener Elementary

Mike Olsaver introduced the program speakers today but before he did, he informed members who didn’t already know that he met his wife, Tiffany, one of today’s speakers, after one of the infamous Rotary shows. They are celebrating 11 years of marriage!

 

Tiffany Olsaver, kicked things off by saying that the topic she and others would be speaking on today was “Fluency Friends”, a new program started last year at Michener Elementary school. Michener, she said, happened to be one of 4 in the Adrian Public School system with the highest “at risk” population at that level. Michener currently has 300 students, 90% of whom are “at risk”. There is also much diversity at the school, Tiffany noted: 32% are Caucasian, 46% Hispanic, and 14% African American. Michener students come to school with many needs not the least of which is reading assistance which was the reason Tiffany and her colleagues on hand today were presenting this program soliciting our club’s help.

 

Fluency Friends, she said, utilizes adults who volunteer for a brief amount of time helping students read. Volunteers are matched up and trained by Kathy Sielsky, Michener’s Reading Specialist, should they wish to get involved. The school works around the volunteer’s schedule to find a workable time during the school day for them and will match them up with specific students. The skills volunteers would be working on with students, Tiffany said, are: the accuracy, speed and smoothness of their reading, all affecting their comprehension. Volunteering for such an important important role, she said, allows people to make a huge impact on these children’s lives as mentors and insure their success as adults in the future in this community.

 

Michener School’s Reading Specialist, Kathy Sielsky, reiterated what Tiffany said about how volunteers greatly enhance and fulfill the meaningful relationships developed with students. She assured members who wish to volunteer that she will “guide them every step of the way” by modeling what they need to do and explaining all the material she has on cue cards.

 

Teacher Rachel Perez related a moving experience she had with the father of one her students who admitted that he was “terrified” by not being able to help her read while at home because he couldn’t speak English. She asked members to consider the impact a Rotary member could have on this young girl’s life.

 

Tiffany and Mike’s daughter, Rosemary, who is in the third grade at Michener, reminded members that not all of the children she goes to school with have parents at home who can help them read and that it would be important for others to volunteer to do this.

 

So, should you wish to volunteer (1) you can select a time any day during the school week between 8:30am and 3:00pm to volunteer (2) you may choose a routine day and time each week to volunteer (3) you would spend up to 12-15 minutes each time you meet with a student and, if you have time, stay another 12-15 minutes to help another student from Kindergarten through 4^th grade (you can even specify) read. Whatever fits your schedule. Background checks are mandatory. Forms were given out to those who thought they might like to volunteer. Contact information should you wish to get involved is as follows: Tiffany, Kathy and Rachel can be reached at 263-9002. Hope everyone can help!

 

President Mary, as we all know, is passionate about programs like this and encouraged everyone present today that if we really wanted to live by RI President Gary’s theme to “LIGHT UP ROTARY”, we should NOT hesitate to get involved!