Youth Foundation Open House

Respect

A positive, productive, respectful and effective working relationship is emerging between Ms. Hofsess, Mrs. Blevins, Karen and me. Ms. Hofsess has been teaching about plant structure and function for the past couple of weeks. One day she had some plant leaves and stems out for kids to examine with magnifying lenses. They had read about and observed pictures of cell structures and had done a good job of memorizing plant parts and what they do. I volunteered that if we had a microscope I could help students prepare some slides that would allow them to see the structures they had been learning about. The school had some microscopes, as it turned out. Miss Hofsess has a few students who have learning disabilities that make reading and writing very challenging for them. She noticed that two of them in particular had done a very good job in the hands on “lab” work of examining plants. She suggested to me that maybe these two could be first to work with the microscopes and share their findings with the class. I met with the two students, a boy and a girl, and asked them some questions about what they had been learning. They were able to verbally explain most of the concepts in fairly significant detail. I asked them if they thought all parts of the leaf would look the same under the microscope. We talked about the top side being kind of shiny and the bottom side being kind of dull and more textured. We decided to make two slides, one of the top layer of the leaf and one of the bottom. The result was like seeing two beautiful butterflies emerging from a cocoon. With great dexterity the girl prepared her slide gently scraping away the lower layers of the leaf so that the cells of the upper surface were exposed and clearly visible under the microscope. The boy did the same thing exposing the lower layer instead. Each slide was dramatically different and the two students were very excited about what they saw and proud of their efforts. We talked about the differences and they began to verbally relate what they had seen to what they had been learning in class. Suddenly, the boy, who rarely writes anything, produced a piece of paper and started asking me questions in order to verify what he saw under the microscope. He began to write, asking me how to correctly spell words like chloroplasts and stomata. He prepared, essentially, an outline that he could use as a reference. Miss Hofsess sent the rest of the students in small groups to see what the boy and girl had prepared. For each small group the boy and girl explained what they had done, what was being viewed, why the slides were different, and cited evidence that verified that the structures being viewed functioned as taught in the class. The pride on these two students’ faces was heartwarming. The respect that the other students afforded them provided a validation that they may never have experienced in school before. There is no doubt in my mind that those two students absolutely know about plant structures and functions and can explain the process of photosynthesis in fairly technical terms. Much more importantly, they gained the respect of their classmates, not to mention a considerable amount of self-esteem. Had Miss Hofsess not had someone to help her with class that day, I am sure that the two “star” students would not have been able to achieve what they did in our team environment. There were lots of high fives between the two students, Miss Hofsess and myself.

Chalk Talk by Dave Kolquist, Director of The First Tee Program in Eagle County

The thing that I love most about my job as director of The Youth Foundation’s First Tee of Eagle County is the time I directly spend with the kids we serve. While First Tee’s portion of The Youth Foundation’s programming is most visible in the summer we are very active during the school year as well. We have a long standing relationship with schools, working with teachers to reinforce values and academic concepts taught in school through our club making classes. In fact, all of The Youth Foundation’s after school programs are dedicated to helping students acquire academic, social and physical skills that will enable them to be positive contributors. Sandra Smyser, Superintendent of Eagle County Schools, has clearly stated that the major goal for this year is to have all students reading at grade level or better. In addition, she has placed a very high level of importance on the school district’s relationship with The Youth Foundation in achieving this goal. As a lifelong educator I am ecstatic and privileged to be able to work toward this goal with the staff and students at Gypsum Elementary School.

When I walk into GES I can feel a passion and sense of pride that students and staff have for their school. Students walking through the halls readily acknowledge visitors with a smile and friendly greeting. Staff and students are enthusiastic, respectful, and inclusive. I can feel the flow of positive energy. It is a great environment for learning and I am witness to wonderful examples of it each time I am there. My involvement is two-fold: as a tutor in science and writing skills and as The Youth Foundation liaison with the after school literacy program.

Six schools in the district operate Youth Foundation funded/sponsored after school programs. Students participating in these programs receive additional academic assistance from teachers at their schools. In addition to funding teacher salaries, The Youth Foundation provides complementary recreational and enrichment activities for after school participants.
I was asked to be The Youth Foundation’s liaison with Gypsum Elementary School’s after school program. I met with Mitch Forsberg, the principal to see what his objectives for the program were. I also informed him that I had been a science teacher for thirty years prior to becoming a director in The First Tee network, and would be happy to assist with student achievement in any way I might be of help. I also mentioned that my wife, Karen, also an educator, was interested in helping as well. After talking with his staff Mitch told me that my offer of assistance was enthusiastically received by his faculty and him. I was asked if I would be able to help with science classes. Karen and I were also asked to help in editing and improving writing skills for fifth grade students. We are assisting Carol Blevins and Lisa Hofsess in language arts and science respectively. Both of these teachers do an outstanding job in their classrooms. They are extremely competent in teaching subject matter, but it is especially impressive to witness, first-hand, how much emphasis is also placed on student’s learning values in conjunction with their academic course work. Students are taught the importance of values such as respect, courtesy, responsibility, confidence, and compassion. The importance of incorporating and exhibiting these values in daily life is emphasized repeatedly and student attitudes and behavior indicate that the values taught are being adopted. That these lessons have been taught effectively is evidenced the many acts of courtesy, kindness and consideration displayed by virtually every student every day.
Karen and I both relish the experience we are having. The teachers are excellent but clearly value our assistance. They have so many expectations placed on them, so many things to teach and so many students who need assistance. It is impossible for any teacher, in my estimation to accomplish all that these teachers work so hard to accomplish. It is so rewarding and such an honor to be able to provide some support and assistance to them.
There are several observations that Karen and I have made since we became involved at Gypsum:
• The teachers are dedicated, talented, and knowledgeable
• A strong emphasis is placed on the development and use of life skills such as courtesy, confidence, respect and responsibility by their students
• There is a pervading atmosphere of positive energy among staff and students at GES
• Students want to learn
• Students need validation
• Teachers are unable to give every student the time and attention they need
• Volunteers can help improve student performance by providing extra time and attention
• Teachers stress the importance of values