Forest Hills — “OK, this word can be hard,” Thresa Clark said to third-grader Olivia Bravata.
Clark took a pencil and covered up the first two letters in the word “brand.”
“So we know this word,” Clark said, and Oliva confirmed by saying “and.”
“OK, let’s add in the first two letters,” said Clark as she uncovered the “br.” Olivia immediately said “brand” and continued to read the story.
Clark is part of the Hawk Heroes, a mentor program that pairs former teachers of Knapp Forest Elementary School with students.
“I went into teaching to see students grow, and through this program, I am able to see Olivia grow,” Clark said.
From a Conversation to Reality
It was a conversation with her sister that inspired school counselor Cindi Reynolds to create the Hawk Heroes.
“My sister had taught for 35 years and was trying to decide whether or not she wanted to retire,” Reynolds said. “She was (like) ‘What will I do with my time?’ I told her to become a volunteer for school because they would love to have her.”
‘The opportunity to continue to impact children in cognitive, relational and emotional ways is worthy work and so much fun.’
— mentor Colleen Buddy
That got Reynolds thinking about former Knapp Forest teachers and wondering if they would be interested in coming back to work with the school’s students.
Last year, Reynolds reached out to about six teachers, with five responding back. Mentors were asked to work with one child for one hour once a week for the school year, with flexibility for vacations and other activities.
Reynolds connected the mentors to teachers so the two could coordinate the academic and/or social emotional support the student may need.
“They are also building a relationship,” Reynolds said. “It is one extra adult who is focused on that student, which in turn gives them self-confidence while supporting them on their academic journey.”
Several of the mentors approached Reynolds about returning this year wanting to work with the same student, she said. She’s hoping to encourage other former teachers to join the Hawk Heroes.
“As teachers who have taught for oodles and oodles of years, children and learning is part of our DNA,” said mentor Colleen Buddy, a retired Forest Hills teacher and reading consultant. “The opportunity to continue to impact children in cognitive, relational and emotional ways is worthy work and so much fun. I treasure my time at Knapp Forest.”
Building Relationships and Confidence
Teacher Rachel Sanborn, who worked with a mentor in her first-grade class last year, said she saw the student grow in confidence as they worked with the Hawk Heroes mentor.
“I think it is the most amazing thing to see the student’s excitement and joy for that one person who is there for them,” Sanborn said. “One time, when the mentor came, the child ran out the door to see her.”
Olivia said she looks forward to when her mentor comes to the school.
“I like that we read and write,” Olivia said of her work with Clark.
The two have been focusing on Olivia’s writing, working on sentence construction, said Clark, who retired from Knapp Forest in 2022 after 34 years in education.
Clark said because of her background in schools, she has a solid understanding of the foundations in reading and writing and is able to apply strategies for phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.
As Olivia read “Little People, Big Dreams: Coco Chanel” by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Clark helped Olivia sound out words and cheered as Olivia pronounced them correctly.
Olivia’s teacher, Ami Hayhurst, said she has seen Olivia’s confidence build through the mentorship program.
“It is about building a connection,” Hayhurst said, adding that this is the second year that Olivia has worked with Clark. “Having someone in your corner, along with Olivia so willing to work hard, has impacted what she has been able to do in class.”
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