DAVENPORT, IOWA (February 8, 2021) Garfield Elementary in Davenport, IA, has recruited high school students to provide online homework help to elementary students. The high-schoolers are called the Gator-Aides, after Garfield’s alligator mascot. The mentors provide their assistance, 3-4PM, every Monday and Friday and will continue for the remainder of the school year.
“Our high school volunteers meet with the grade level students through Google Meet, an online meeting program that’s a lot like Zoom,” said Sarah Oltmanns, School Administrative Manager at Garfield Elementary. “So far, 28 students from Central and North High Schools have volunteered to serve as mentors. The grade-school students and the high-school mentors are able to see each other on their screens, and we feel that is an important factor.”
Oltmanns noted that this mentorship program improves the social skills of the young people involved. The elementary students learn the benefits of reaching out to others for assistance. The older students receive experience in helping others, and gain insights into what it is like to be a teacher. Some might even decide to become teachers someday. The internet skills of the students also improve from productive usage.
Many Garfield parents have signed up their children in the program through a link in an email from the school, and their children received invitations to attend the mentoring sessions through Google Classroom links they received. Oltmanns monitors the online mentoring sessions, along with other staff members.
Oltmann added that all Garfield students have active computers for their studies. If a family is in need, the Davenport Community School District will provide them with Chromebook laptops to use, and internet access if necessary.
Oltmanns is in her second year as Garfield’s School Administrative Manager. In this position, she said that she acts as the school’s “Swiss army knife of education,” taking on many diverse tasks. She assists the principal, handles disciplinary issues, and handles many concerns for parents. If a teacher is out for the day, she acts as the substitute teacher.
“We are incredibly grateful for the assistance these Davenport high-schoolers have offered to our students and families,” said Tom Green, Principal at Garfield Elementary School. “They are setting a great example for our students of what effective leadership and community service look like.”
About the Davenport Community School District: Serving more than 14,000 students and their families, the Davenport Community School District prepares young minds for success. Through academics, the arts, and athletics, we are growing excellence for every child. We work with the communities of Blue Grass, Buffalo, Davenport, and Walcott. With more than 3,000 employees, we are one of the top ten employers in the Iowa/Illinois Quad Cities. We employ more than 1,400 teachers, and more than half hold a master’s degree or higher. All teachers receive ongoing coaching and professional development by a staff of Curriculum and Instruction Specialists and other experts from around the nation. To learn more, please visit http://www.davenportschools.org/.
