Lead / Create / Contribute
235 Hope Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724  /  732.542.4777

More Stories

List of 10 news stories.

Community Service Board Active in After-School Tutoring Program

Members of the Upper School Community Service Board shared their love of learning with elementary school children in Freehold on February 25 as volunteers for the Amistad After-School Program. Amistad, which means “friendship” in Spanish, is an outreach ministry of the First United Methodist Church that serves the Greater Freehold area. The program, which began in 1996, aims to bring Hispanic children and their families closer to the community through education, health and advocacy programs, which include after-school tutoring, ESL for children and adults, and nutrition and parenting classes. Ranney students got involved with the program in 2012 through the Upper School Community Service Board.

There are more than 35 students engaged this year in the Community Service Board, which is led by Pauline Braka ’15 (Elberon), Nikita Mikkilineni ’16 (Morganville) and Rachel Staats ’16 (Colts Neck). At Amistad, the students help the children—who range in grade level from kindergarten to fourth grade—with their homework, as well as with reading and math, and play educational games with them.

The following Upper Schoolers tutored children on February 25: Pauline Braka ’15 (Elberon), Cassandra Kalinowski ’15 (Monmouth Beach), Hailey Maher ’15 (Colts Neck), Nikki Mikkilineni ’16 (Morganville), Carla Papetti ’16 (Colts Neck), Remi Rohl ’15 (Freehold), Dana Schioppo ’17 (Freehold) and Rachel Staats ’16 (Colts Neck).

Most of the children who come to Amistad are from Mexico and their parents do not speak much English, explained the program’s chair George Sologuren. Many of the parents are also illiterate but they are huge supporters of education and want to be sure their children are learning. Volunteers come from high schools around the county twice a week to work with the children; Amistad has 55 registered children this school year.

What’s unique about the program, adds adult volunteer and Freehold resident Jane Healton, is that volunteers work to identify and help children who need extra attention in certain areas, such as reading comprehension and memorization of math tables. “They end up becoming a lot more confident with these skills,” she says.

The February 25 session was Ranney Junior Cassandra Kalinowski’s first experience with Amistad. She said she had fun helping a student to better understand her math division homework and teaching her how to give change with a toy money kit. “I would definitely love to do it again,” she said after the tutoring session.

“Our Ranney volunteers impact the lives of the children in many ways. The best part for me is watching the smile on the children’s faces as our amazing students help them with their homework,” says Ina Gurman, a Ranney Upper School Spanish teacher who co-advises the Community Service Board with language teacher Maggie Reiter. “I, too, love this program, and I am infinitely proud of our students who devote their time and energy to this worthwhile activity. The administrators of Amistad have repeatedly told me how fabulous our students are and how grateful they are for their service to this lovely community of very motivated and precious children.”

Board leaders Pauline, Rachel and Nikita said, “Organizing Amistad has had such a positive impact on our lives. Doing this simple task of helping these kids with their homework goes such a long way. All the volunteers leave with a smile on their face. We know how important our help is to the children, and it makes it all the more worthwhile to us. Amistad is truly a special organization, and we are grateful to work with everyone there.”

Earlier this year, the Community Service Board members prepared meals for families at the Ronald McDonald House in Long Branch and helped senior citizens at the Kensington Court Nursing Home in Tinton Falls make holiday wreaths. Looking ahead, the group is planning a dance featuring student-led bands that will support Autism Awareness Day in April.
Back

Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society. 

We envision Ranney School as a nurturing learning community, in which families, faculty, alumni, and all of Ranney’s constituents collaborate to know and value every child, foster individual talents, sustain powerful connections between children and adults, and graduate resilient, globally-minded citizens.