Last winter, shortly before schools in New York City were closed, a lively group of students from The Brearley School came to volunteer at our Columbus site. Organized by Eleanor Keohane, a “frequent flyer” classroom volunteer, the group spread out over all six classrooms and created many happy memories. Here are some of their thoughts:
- This was my fourth time volunteering with the Bloomingdale Family Program. One of the reasons I keep coming back besides the importance of the work they are doing is joyfulness of the environment. The children are so engaged and it is so much fun to be a part of their day.
- Since the classes were so small, I could watch each child for ten minutes and be amazed by their imagination and communication with each other. The kids were brilliant; they would remind each other of basic manners and dream up these incredibly fun games with little more than a simple toy. It was easy to see the positive effect of having so many activity options for the toddlers to choose from. I watched along, amazed, at their decisions and planning processes. It was so much fun to do this and I want to go again!
- And from Eleanor, As always, I loved being in the classroom with the little kids. They are so adorable and fun to play with, and it is especially rewarding to see them grow up each year. I loved being able to share Bloomingdale with my friends!
We don’t know when we can welcome volunteers back into our classrooms, but this visit was truly special and we look forward to more.