Please Note: The following article was written by reporter Tom Hanney in recognition of our TBK-School 52 Partnership. Our Partnership will be featured in an upcoming Rochester City School District newsletter (mailed out to 34,000 homes and businesses) as "RCSD Partnership of the Month." Heartfelt congratulations go out to everyone involved in our School 52 Partnership: Your efforts truly reflect the spirit of Tikkun Olam.

Are YOU still seeking a meaningful and satisfying volunteer experience? If so, please contact Cathy Harris at cwh1@frontiernet.net or Don Ginsberg at 388-9614 to find out more about our volunteer opportunities.

Temple B'rith Kodesh and School No. 52: Partners for the Long Run
By Thomas F. Hanney at tomh@frontiernet.net

Every Monday and Wednesday afternoon, Jim Littwitz signs in at the office at Frank Fowler Dow School No. 52 and heads upstairs to Jennifer Johnson's third grade classroom. If he gets there a little early, the children will still be at lunch and he'll have time to review the students' work that is posted around the classroom.

When the children return, Littwitz will take two or three of them out to the quiet of the hallway so they can read together."Some raise their hands in class because they want to come out and read," said Littwitz. Littwitz, a retired Kodak researcher and manager, has been helping third graders read at School No. 52 since September, 2005. He previously volunteered at School No. 14.

Keeping it interesting helps motivate the students so Littwitz sometimes has his students role play the stories they are reading. He says the students appreciate his help. "The students are a delight to work with," said Littwitz. "A number of them made Hanukkah cards for me." Jim did not end up at School No. 52 by chance. He is a member of Temple B'rith Kodesh in Brighton, which has a long history of working to make a difference in the community.

"We are guided by the principle of Tikkun Olam, which means repair of the world or making the world whole," said Cathy Harris, a temple congregant and Community Outreach Social Worker at Jewish Family Service.

In the spring of 2005, temple members met with RCSD to see how they could help children in the district. The result was the formation of the Temple B'rith Kodesh-School No. 52 Partnership. A partnership committee consisting of school and temple representatives was formed and immediately began developing ways temple volunteers could help prepare students to learn and develop their reading and writing skills.

Volunteers began working in the school in September, 2005. The focus was and is squarely on the children. "It involves lots of creativity and innovation," said temple congregant Bruce Pollock, who coordinates the volunteers. "There are no rules. It's all about meeting needs." The partnership has resulted in a range of support, from reading and writing assistance, to providing teacher training in computers, to donating books and supplies.

One congregant, Bruce Pollock, works at IBM. Bruce alerted School No. 52 Principal Denise Rainey to the IBM Reading Companion grant program, an interactive web-based reading program. Principal Rainey applied for and was awarded a grant. School 52 was the only Western New York school to receive this grant. The same IBM employee connected the school with the IBM MentorPlace Program to provide sixth graders with adult guidance while improving their writing skills. Another congregant organized a field trip to see the Garth Fagan dance company.

Many students lose reading skills in the summer. A five-week summer reading program for first through third graders was held in the summer of 2006. Ninety percent of the students maintained or increased their reading levels. "Everyone gave 150 percent to make the summer reading program happen," said resource teacher and partnership committee member Rose Vercolen. "It was a dream of ours. We saw students reading and growing every week." Second grader Victoria Mascitti, enjoyed the summer program.

"I liked to come because I like to read," said Victoria. "I liked reading books at home and getting a prize when I returned the book. I would do it again."

The partnership is a win-win relationship. Volunteers, who range from young adults to senior citizens, feel a tremendous sense of satisfaction working with students who benefit from and enjoy their encouragement and support. "Our volunteers bring new perspectives to our students," said Principal Rainey. "And they convey the message that there's a community beyond the school campus that is willing to help them succeed."

"This partnership could only happen with this type of cooperation," Don Ginsberg, a retired RCSD principal and administrator, temple congregant and chair of the temple's partnership committee. The Temple B'rith Kodesh School No. 52 partnership helps teachers and administrators, but mostly it helps the children.

"They should have [the summer reading program] every year," said third grader Yakira Coleman, who worked with volunteer Judy Slade. "I think people who have problems with reading should sign up." Sixth grader Coco Palmer, who works one-on one with volunteer Nancy Rosenberg during the school year, agrees, "I think it's great."

The partnership is not a short-term, let's-see-what-we-can-accomplish-in-a-hurry relationship. "At our very first meeting, the temple representatives said, 'we would like to build a partnership for the long haul and make a difference in student performance,' " said Principal Rainey. Bruce Pollock reaffirms that commitment. "We're in it for the long run. It's part of what we do."