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me the color. One of the children is now able are not privileged children, so any attention
to read out of first and second level books. they get is so warmly welcomed.
After third grade I move over to fourth and I’ve been recruited along with BJ Kelly and
Let me tell you a little about my experiences work with last year’s pen pal for 45 minutes, Jill Egbert to go on class trips for the last two
with the Adopt A School Program here at the then back to third grade to work with this years. We’ve gone to the Zoo, the aquarium,
Club, especially the Pen Pal program which year’s pen pal for anywhere from 10 to 15 and the Blue Line Art gallery. Parent partici-
has become near and dear to my heart. I’ve minutes, just going over sight words, I take pation is low due to the fact that so many just
been a pen pal since the start of the program my cue from him. The good news is we are can’t afford taking time off work, or can’t af-
with Woodbridge Elementary School. My first adding more and more words, so we are mak- ford the cost of the screening. It’s so wonder-
pen pal couldn’t write a word, so his letter was ing progress. ful to see how children just light up on these
all scribbles. That touched my heart trips.
and led me to volunteer in his classroom to Your donations to Adopt a School support ac-
help him learn to write and read. I’ve been tivities and provide supplies that they wouldn’t
there ever since, and I’ve followed him from ordinarily receive. Last year we purchased
third grade on to fourth grade and we have butterfly grow kits with live caterpillars. The
such a wonderful relationship. I am happy to children noted each stage of the butterflies'
report that he is reading at grade level this growth and when fully grown they took them
year. His writing still needs improve- out and released them. We noticed this year
ment, but I tell him he writes like most doc- that the children didn’t have enough balls to go
tors, so he’s in good company and has some- around on the playground at recess. After a
thing to aspire to. quick text to Jill Egbert, 24 balls were pur-
This year I start my morning in Ms Lee’s third chased in less than a week. The children were
grade class with two non-English speaking so excited when they went out to recess and
children. I don’t speak Spanish, and that’s al- Your pen pal letters mean so much to these they had enough balls to go around. This
right. We start with flash cards. I show them children. They ask me all the time if I know month we purchased healthy snacks for the
pictures and I say what the pictures are and “so and so”, do I know your dogs or your cats testing breaks, classroom supplies, and the list
they repeat it back. We do this several times that you write and tell them about, are you goes on. All of this only happened because of
then we move on to writing where they trace nice, will you come to school some day. They your generosity.
letters and color pictures to match the col- have so many questions about their pen I can personally say with all the committees,
or requested. We’re making such great pro- pals. They just love the fact that they are re- groups, and events that I’m involved in, work-
gress. Children learn so fast especially around ceiving letters from people that seem to care ing at the school gives me the most satisfac-
other children. They see the pictures on the about them. Woodbridge children are some of tion. I know I get so much more back than
flash card, they repeat the word and then tell the sweetest children I have ever met. They what I give. ~ Caroline Crawford

Welcome summer! And Happy Father’s Day! Everyone loves a great BBQ and reason to gather as family and
friends. Poolside relaxation should be ramping up and time away to near or far destinations a possibility. Remember
to stop by the Retreat Library and find your perfect read. The community library check out process is simple; browse
the shelves, find a good book (or two), take the book(s) with you, and return with a date recorded on the inside. Due
dates are flexible but try to be timely. The recorded date helps our volunteers especially on weeding day. (Note:
noncirculating books don’t stay on the shelves and are repurposed or discarded.)

What’s on my night stand? The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War. Master storyteller
Erik Larson accounts the chaotic months between Lincoln’s election and the Confederacy’s shelling of Sumter. This period experienced tragic
errors and miscommunications, excessive egos and ambitions, personal losses and betrayals. Lincoln wrote, that these five months were “so
great that, could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed possible to survive them.” Another compelling title gaining traction is “Wild
New World: The Epic Story of Animals & People in America” by Dan Flores. Eons in scope and continental in scale, this title shares the big his-
tory of the animal-human story in America.

Wishing everyone a safe and fun-filled summertime.
Sara Schlehofer
Email: sschlehofer@roseville.ca.us Voice: 916-774-5972
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