By Tom Hintgen of The Fergus Falls Daily Journal
Gene Donley helps Madison Shjerve scrape her lunch tray at McKinley School.
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Starting kindergarten can be intimidating for many kids — including those attending McKinley School in Fergus Falls this year. With that in mind, arranging to have volunteers on hand to provide a grandmother’s or grandfather’s type of presence seemed appropriate.
That was the approach taken by School District 544 volunteer coordinator Peg Kalar.
She asked for volunteers from The Village senior housing complex in northwest Fergus Falls. Sixteen people volunteered — for different time slots — to help the kids on Thursday and today and Monday and Tuesday this coming week. Specifically, they helped kids acclimate themselves to the daily lunch line.
The senior citizens assist the kindergarten students with things such as where to gather trays and silverware, take hold of milk cartons, find places to sit and — after the noon lunch — how to use the waste containers in the lunchroom.
This year fourth graders at McKinley School also will assist the kindergarten students with various classroom projects — the final year of this activity. That’s because, starting in 2008, McKinley School attendees will include only pre-schoolers and kindergarten students.
First and second graders will attend Adams School and third, fourth and fifth graders will attend school at Cleveland.
“We at The Village enjoy volunteering and doing community service,” Gene Donley said while assisting kindergarten students Thursday noon at McKinley School.
School secretary Joan Helgeson said she, Elementary Principal Scott Colbeck and McKinley teachers and staff all appreciate the assistance provided by the group of Fergus Falls senior citizens.
“They’ve been very helpful to the kids, and their warmth and love of children really shows through,” Helgeson said.