December 2, 2005

GE volunteers mentor students from K.R. Smith

By Ann Fleischer
Special to the Times

As budget cuts whittle away school resources, the private sector has been asked to step up to fill some of the void.

Jeanine Hugunin reads with fourth-grader Kassandra Perez as part of the GE “Power Lunch” program.

Volunteers from General Electric Company have been helping to fill that void at K.R. Smith Elementary School in the Evergreen School District for the past 10 years.

GE Volunteers first became part of the campus when they began a “Power Lunch” reading program, which is a literacy-mentoring program. Its goal is to increase students’ interest in reading. Student and reader meet once a week at lunchtime and share the reading of a book.

“It (the reading program) gives me an opportunity to give back to the community what was done for me when I was young,” said Jeanine Hugunin, who was recruited by someone in the GE Volunteer program to join in 1999 and hasn’t missed a reading date since.

Along with Judy Scally, Dilip Rao, Christina Garcia, Pauline Pohorski, and Richard Gutierrez, she reads at lunchtime with two different students once a week in the school’s library.

“I really enjoy working with these children. I feel I am having some influence on them, even if it’s just by increasing their self-esteem because they know that someone is interested in helping them become a better reader and that I am committed to being here for them,” said Hugunin.

“On the surface it might appear to be just a reading program,” said Gretchen Zane, former president of global GE Volunteers. “But I think the volunteers serve as a good role model for the students, letting them know what opportunities are available to them if they get a good education.”

“My reader is nice,” said fourth-grader Kassandra Perez. “When I’m eating, she reads the book. When I’m done, I read. She tells me when I don’t know the vocabulary. She is a real nice lady and I had her last year too.”

GE Energy has long been a presence in San Jose. The Northern California chapter of GE Volunteers has 1,500 members: 400 active employees and 1,100 GE retirees.

“GE Volunteers have 53,000 volunteers around the world in 46 countries with a total of 147 chapters. We try to match the needs of the community with the passions of the volunteers,” Zane said.

Steve Gay, a retiree and GE Volunteer, delivers an electricity lesson to Mark Fujimoto’s fifth-grade class. Hands-on activities help cement concepts with the students.

Science and Math
At K.R. Smith, along with the reading program, other courses include science and math. In the fifth grade, they conduct science instruction and do in-class math tutoring.

“Tony James’ creativity with math tutoring never ceases to astonish me,” said Rita Swencionis, a fifth-grade teacher at K.R. Smith. “He makes up games and is always figuring new ways to get students involved with math. My students get mad if they don’t get called to the tutoring table,” she laughed.

Hands-on electricity experiments and exploration of inventions are science classes led by James, Tom Bower, Bob Hamilton, Jim Kilty, M. Barr and Steve Gay.

“The volunteers/retirees are such a diverse group,” said Carole Schmitt, K.R. Smith’s principal. “You hear them talking to each other preparing for their next science class and it’s as if they were getting ready to launch a satellite. They are serious and earnest as they consult with each other on what worked and what didn’t in a previous class. These are scientists who can connect with our kids and it’s wonderful.”

Ano Nuevo State Reserve
Every February, GE retiree Robert Droege and a team of volunteers takes 40 K.R. Smith fourth-grade students to Ano Nuevo State Reserve during the peak Elephant Seal breeding season.

“The students can’t believe how big the seals are and how quickly they can move,” said Leslie Pickering, a fourth-grade teacher. “Some of these students have never seen the ocean, let alone an elephant seal. The entire day is a wonderful experience for them.

“The outing not only ties in with the science standards but also lets the students experience first hand the environment and the creatures that rely on us to protect it so their lives won’t be disrupted,” Pickering added.

Lego League robotics program
GE Volunteer Wayne Marquino started the Lego League robotics program at the school three years ago. With Earl Nichols, the chapter’s education director, he helped to bring the world of software-hardware integration to a fledgling group of students in the newly formed science club.

Richard Gutierrez heads the “Power Lunch” program for GE Volunteers. He said he wishes he could find more volunteers to work with the kids. Here he reads with fifth grader Anthony Villanueva.

Marquino has moved to North Carolina, but Yogi Dayal, who is an engineer and a GE Volunteer, continues to aid the robotics group with mentoring and the organization’s financial support. The robotics group has grown to two teams and 19 members this year.

Every year GE Volunteers also judge the school’s science fair. “The engineers break into groups and interview each student about his/her project,” said Sarah Lam, a second-grade teacher who coordinated the fair last year.

“Each student, whether they are in first grade or in sixth grade, gets the one-on-one attention that lets them know how special they are and their projects are. The children are very serious and walk away feeling both satisfied and relieved after they talk to the judges. The volunteers are really very committed to doing a good job,” she said.

“Because of the generous community partnership the GE Volunteers have formed with our school, our students have had, and continue to have, many opportunities that we couldn’t have given them. Their enthusiasm and dedication are very much appreciated by our staff and our families,” said Schmitt.

Ann Fleischer is a fourth-grade teacher at K.R. Smith, whose robotics teams have been sponsored by the GE Volunteers program.