March 1, 2010
NAME THAT KID!

ONE ISSUE FOR us cruisers volunteering at the Mt. Airy Young Readers Program has been remembering and pronouncing the students’ names. It was decided a few weeks ago that name tags would really help not only us to connect better with the kids, and Grenadian names and spellings, but also, so that the kids connect our faces with our names and our spellings. (I mean Susea is a weird way to spell Susie/Suzi/Susi/whatever!)
So I asked Deborah Sarlo if she could find some good name tags for us (the masking tape worked but . . . ) and bring them from L.A. to Moody Blues here in Grenada, and that she did. Forty-eight name “badges” arrived and it became a project to write your name clearly on the badge as it will be worn weekly.
Doesn’t Ronelle’s (above, he’s 8 years old) look good on him? This name badge task, although very fun and artsy in away (what’s up my alley), was educational too because it involved penmanship! Thanks, Deb.

How this volunteering works is that Keith of K & J Tours (who also volunteers his time, nice van and gas) goes to De Big Fish Restaurant in Prickly Bay first where he meets our fearless leader, Hope, s/v Starshine, and the volunteers from that bay. Then he drives over the hill to Clarke’s Court Bay Marina and picks up the rest of the volunteers and drives us up beautiful Mt. Airy. Sometimes Keith picks up volunteers from downtown in the Lagoon area—St. George’s Bay, Pt. Louis Marina or the Grenada Yacht Club. It’s a lot of driving for him so we often pass a hat and chip in for gas.

The tables and chairs are set up and work begins. Above you see how serious the classroom studies are.

Volunteers are placed with various age groups and work on the areas of study that they need.

Here are two of the youngest students, and the Volunteer Ali who isn’t a cruiser but a “Couch Surfer.” I had never heard of “Couch Surfer” before, but there’s something like 12 million people who belong to this organization and they surf for a couch to sleep on in the various countries they visit. Apparently couches are screened and it’s safer than it seems. Ali loves it.


Cute boy, too bad I can’t read his name badge, but he’s listening to Steve, s/v Starshine—Hope’s husband, read the article about the Mt. Airy Young Readers’ Program that came out in the Caribbean Compass (a free monthly magazine covering “The Caribbean’s Monthly Look at Sea & Shine”) by Chris Doyle, a cruiser famous for his numerous, accurate, cruising guides of the Caribbean. It was called, A Morning at Mt. Airy Young Readers’ Program and had two cute photos.

This is Jeanne pascal, who started the program, with her husband Everest. She is showing the kids the article and its pictures.

At the end a few students raised their hands to recite their multiplication tables. (What is 8 x 9 again?)

And here is Ninna, s/v Embla, having poured drinks and arranging treats for the kids as a treat at the end of their study time.
Now you know what it’s like to volunteer at the Mt. Airy Young Readers’ Program. Why do I love it? Because it’s a challenge. How can I make reading or writing or math more fun? Well last week counting in Spanish peaked these three boys’ interest, of course that song: Uno, dos, one, two, tres cuatro—Wooley Bulley? (Did I spell that right?) helped.
Hasta la vista babies.
























































