MARYSVILLE — The congregation at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church was happy to help local elementary school kids with reading and math for a week in the summer.
The experience left a lasting impression on some in the congregation. They wanted to continue their outreach once school started up again.
“Just to see them light up. It’s just been awesome,” the Rev. Terry Kyllo said.
The church has organized a homework club for neighborhood children that meets Wednesday afternoons at nearby Pinewood Elementary School.
There students get help with reading, math and writing from volunteers, including teachers and high school tutors. They are given a snack and offered books to take home. There is no religious instruction and the club is open to any elementary school student.
“We have a church full of people who love to read and we have a community whose kids need help with reading,” the Rev. Terry Kyllo said.
The homework club is part of the church’s efforts to reach out to Marysville and help combat poverty.
“What better way than to support young people,” Kyllo said. “One important thing we’re working on is discovering what they are called to do and help meet the needs of people in Marysville.”
At a recent after-school session, three 8-year-old girls crowded around a table, drawing pictures, writing stories and giggling. They didn’t have any homework but they were up for doing some math problems with volunteer Mike Wray.
Wray, who belongs to St. Philip’s, teaches special education at Totem Middle School in Marysville. He volunteered over the summer.
“The kids are great,” Wray said. “They just need a little extra help.”
Marysville Pilchuck High School students Haley Ries, 16, and Austin Buchanan, 15, also volunteer their Wednesday afternoons. The younger students often ask for help with vocabulary words, the teens said.
The high school students also bring their homework to do when they aren’t tutoring.
“It’s something nice to do and I also get quite a bit of homework done,” Buchanan said.
Once the math problems were solved, the girls and the volunteers loaded up food in bags to give to other students. The church provides meals to Liberty Elementary School students on Fridays to make sure they have enough to eat during the weekend.
The three girls left homework club, smiling.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley
Join the club
The homework club meets from 3:35 to 4:50 p.m. Wednesday at Pinewood Elementary School, 5115 84th St. NE, Marysville. For more information, call St. Philip’s Episcopal Church at 360-659-1727 or go to www.saint-philips.org.
Food donations are welcome to support the church’s program for Liberty Elementary School students. For a list of needed food, go to the church’s web site.
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