by Kathy Baird, Monadnock Senior Corps RSVP Program Director & Allison Riley, Monadnock Senior Corps RSVP Program Coordinator

Senior Corps volunteer Brenda Garozzo has a fun time selecting books for her students at the Annual RSVP Book Fair

For many children, abnormal events or disasters can leave them feeling frightened, confused, and insecure. Whether a child has personally experienced trauma, has merely seen the event on television, or has heard it discussed by adults, it is important for parents and teachers to be informed and ready to respond to the varied emotions that children experience

On April 13, Rindge Memorial School in Rindge, New Hampshire was evacuated to a nearby meeting house after school officials found a bomb threat, written in crayon, in one of the bathrooms.

Nick Noyes had just arrived to spend his weekly hour as a Senior Corps RSVP America Reads volunteer to work with six 3^rd-grade students on reading and writing.  He saw that the students were outside and waiting to walk up to the town’s meeting house. Not knowing exactly what was happening, Nick drove to the meeting house to see if the teacher, Becky DeGrandpre, wanted some additional hands and eyes to help.  But as he approached the group, he was detained by authorities because of precautionary security measures.

The following day Nick learned from the teacher that a little boy he worked with was so happy to see him that he was able to control his behavior and put his fears aside.

Another day in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, Emerson School lost power unexpectedly while Senior Corps volunteer Barbara Brooks was reading to her first-grade students, leaving them with an unsettling feeling. After talking with her supervising teacher, she went home and got a new book that she had just purchased called Black Out. They both thought it would be a good way to show how books really relate to what is going on in our “world” and expand their knowledge of their surroundings and beyond.  

That afternoon, the teacher read it to the class. They discussed what they do at home when the power goes out and what the families in the book did, which brought them all closer together. They went on to discuss the difference between city life and rural life. 

Many teachers have shared that the familiar, friendly face of  a Senior Corps  RSVP volunteers  motivates and builds self-confidence in students who are struggling with their reading.  But the tutoring session is not just about improving academic performance in reading;  it  is also about the relationship and connection  between the adult and the child.  As we can see, it makes a difference in how children learn about and respond to the unexpected! 

Monadnock RSVP, now in its 18^th year, is pleased to announce that the America Reads volunteer team is now 90 volunteers strong.  During the 2015-16 school year 476 children in pre-K through 3^rd grade received literacy support from RSVP America Reads tutors.  Of those 476 children 414 had improved academic performance in literacy and school readiness in terms of literacy skills.  

Monadnock RSVP is a Senior Corps program sponsored by Monadnock Family Services, a community mental health center that offers more than a dozen distinct programs in parent education, family support, youth development, substance abuse prevention and treatment, eldercare, volunteer services, and individual and group treatment for persons and families struggling with mental illness.  We are a Monadnock United Way agency.