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Working hard in Quebec City! Resources for Homework Clubs:Homework effective when properly assigned: research shows Ask a teacher Top 50 Best Writing Activities LEARN Kids Talking About Homework SupportA volunteer at Anne-Hébert primary school in Quebec City, Geneviève Perrault asked Vanessa (4th grade) and Camille (3rd grade) what they thought of the homework club run by Frontier College and its volunteers. Here is what these two students had to say about it: Vanessa: “I like homework support because I get to finish my homework at school, but also because we laugh. We learn things and volunteers learn things too”. Camille: “We have fun, we meet people, and even if the volunteer is older, it doesn’t matter because she knows more things and more jokes”. Vanessa: “At home, I have to wait before I get help because of my little brother who is two years younger than me”. Camille: “I like the surprises we get at the end of the homework session“. Vanessa: “I like to read a story when the volunteer brings books“. Camille: “When my homework is finished at home, I watch TV or draw cartoon characters”. And our volunteer adds: “After ten years volunteering for a helpline offering listening for adults experiencing difficulties, I find it very refreshing to work with kids. I am particularly lucky since both young girls are smart and bubbly“. Volunteers’ TestimonialsHere are two testimonials from Homework Club volunteers: “Last year, when I was tutoring with the Homework Club at Tyndale St. Georges, I was placed with a seven-year-old boy who was a year behind in school, partly because his family had recently emigrated from Egypt. He spoke no English and so we worked in French. He needed particular help with his reading, and so I would encourage him to sound words out, spell them, and in particular to write them down in order to remember them. Sometimes it was hard, but he made good progress. When I saw him again this year, he had passed to grade two and he was much more confident and social, talking with the other kids and finishing his homework more quickly. It wasn't just because of me, either; it was mostly his hard work. While volunteers like me can't take all the credit, we can provide encouragement and help. This past semester as an O.T. member, I've also been encouraged by the number of other volunteers who are willing to make a difference. Almost all of them mentioned in their interviews their awareness of literacy problems and their eagerness to help. Thanks everybody!” “I have been volunteering as a homework tutor at a community centre in Montreal for the past 4 months and I really enjoy it! It’s a great activity to do on a weekly basis to spend time with kids and help them with their work. Although it can be challenging, it is so rewarding and I look forward to it every week! Frontier College has provided an excellent network as well; keeping me informed and supporting the volunteers. I look forward to the next semester of volunteering!” Partner’s TestimonialWe like to receive feedback from our partners, especially when it is positive like this one! “It was just over a year ago that I attended a conference at McGill centering around the need to provide extra support for students and their homework. I was fortunate enough to be invited to speak about the program at Mountainview School and was able to meet the fine members of your organization. After the many presentations I was impressed by the dedication and enthusiasm of you and your colleagues and wondered aloud if it would ever be possible to form a partnership as our students badly required not only homework support, but in essence a far-reaching tutoring program. I wrote to you in the fall but Frontier College was busy establishing its program for the new academic year. Thus I was so thrilled and excited to receive your e-mail after Christmas asking to meet to discuss a new kind of partnership, a venture and an adventure for both Frontier College and Mountainview School. Your efforts to put together the kind of team that was not only ready, but very capable of educating a very challenging student body, was simply awesome and all the team, Pierre, Jocelyn, Kyla and Barbara have been great. They have not only successfully taught some of our more eager students but have even more importantly been able to accept that not all the sessions will go as planned or even well at all. That's the name of the game at Mountainview and they are real troopers. [...] I believe that with patience, resolve, and above all a good sense of humour we will continue this "experiment" in future years. Thanks again for all your assistance and give my fondest kudos to your whole team. Danny Olivenstein Head Teacher View the Homework Clubs archives |
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