The Loiuson Center was awesome tonight! We had perfect attendance for both the tutors and the students and everyone was on time!
The kids worked on their writing contest projects after doing their homework. Ilana made a cool poster and wrote a story about 10 bunnies. She was so proud of her project.
Liza loved her new backpack! Her eyes lit up like saucers when she saw it. She unzipped every zipper and counted every pocket twice.
Not only did Liza's eyes light up when she saw her new backpack her spirit lit up too. Liza said she wished she could go to school right then so she could show her teacher and her friends her new leopard backpack!
James, the cutest kindergarten student you have ever met melted all of us when he sang his ABC's and counted to 100!
It was a magical night at the Louison Center. It definitely reaffirmed why I started School on Wheels out of my home 10 years ago.
Cheryl
This year I have had the incredible experience of tutoring homeless children, both in a homeless shelter setting as well as in the classroom. The time spent with these remarkable, sweet, funny and eager children has been one of the most enriching times of my life.
When Margaret Ferrell, a cardiologist at a local hospital, started working with Elijah, a very bright 8th grader living at the Harbour House shelter in New Bedford, she recognized that her student had special gifts. He was taking honor classes in school but he was not working to his full potential. Elijah rarely had homework to do during tutoring, so Margaret would go on the computer and challenge Elijah to discover new things he was interested in. Elijah said that what he liked best about his tutor was she was smart and never treated him differently because he was homeless. She made him feel like a normal kid!
This year, School on Wheels of Massachusetts will deliver 500 Holiday Learning Boxes to children whose lives have been impacted by homelessness.
The students in our programs know they can count on us for one-on-one tutoring and mentoring, as well as backpacks, books and school supplies.
3 Ways to Help:
At age 18, Suffolk University sophomore Marc-Daniel Paul seems destined for success. A Brockton High graduate who experienced homelessness as a teen, Paul was chosen as a Bank of America Student Leader and published his first book, Breathing Ink: The Heart of Poetry, during his senior year in high school. As an intern in the office of state Sen. Mark C. Montigny (D-New Bedford) this summer, Paul wrote an amendment to the Massachusetts State Budget which will save college students with MassHealth insurance coverage thousands of dollars by allowing them to remain on their health insurance and not be required to purchase their school’s health insurance. The bill was signed by Gov. Deval Patrick in July.
