When I started Jumpstart, I did not know what to expect. I grew up helping my mom in her classroom of first graders, and I had babysat many time before, but Jumpstart sounded like nothing I had ever experienced before. All of the children I have worked with before already had general knowledge of the alphabet, even if it was very rudimentary. Working with preschoolers, especially 3 year-olds, is quite the change of pace. Now most of these children can only pick out the letters in their names, and even then they have a hard time differentiating between letters that look similar, like y and g.

I love it. I am an Education major (albeit, a Secondary Education major with a focus on 9^th-12^th grade), and I think that is why I love seeing the changes in the children. The ones who could not pick their names out before can now recognize multiple letters in their names, and point out who else has those letters in their names. Children who did not want to participate in Read to Reconstruct have begun to answer questions about the books and can recall events from their own volition. I can tell that Jumpstart has helped the children tremendously, and I love that. I love knowing that I helped foster a love of learning in a new generation.

Jumpstart has allowed me to not only help children grow, but to help myself grow. I am now more confident in my ability to work with children of all ages, and to be able to help the children learn. I also gained valuable skills, like being able to work as part of a team and being able to manage my time properly. I am so glad that I decided to join Jumpstart at the beginning of the year. It has shaped me into a better person.

-Melissa Galvin

One Step Closer

Coming back to Jumpstart after almost two months of not going to Cedar Tree Academy has reminded me of what I was missing out over winter break. As soon as I set foot in the classroom, I was ready for another semester of Jumpstart. As our winter break was prolonged due to snow days, I was eager to get back in the routine of things again. Walking into the room, I instantly saw the smiles on all of the children’s faces. They waited patiently on the carpet as my team and I got our books ready to read. As I read the names of the students in my group, I watched as each of them came to the table I was sitting at and take a seat. Each and every student was overwhelmed that Jumpstart was back. 

Not only have I learned so much from Jumpstart this past semester, but I have also grown as a person. I have learned patience, classroom management skills, and have learned that this is what I want to do when I am older. I want to help children excel in the classroom and reach their full potential. I would love to walk into my classroom everyday and see children who are willing to learn. After going through session the first day back after winter break, I noticed how much the students have grown. Students who never gave answers to my questions are beginning to talk, and students are beginning to ask questions back to me to check their understanding. Although these may seem small, they are giant steps forward in the right direction. I am excited to see what this semester has in store for us and I look forward to making many more advancements.

-Christine Mazzocchi 

Reflections

Team Imagination finished one whole session together and I could not be more proud and astonished at how well the team works together. After my experience with a small team fall semester, I felt very grateful to have a larger team, yet the anticipation of fully taking on the role as a team leader was intimidating. I had shared my leadership with a fellow team leader and I think it was a very good preparatory leeway for me to take on a whole group this semester, I think I would have had a much more difficult time if I had not shared my responsibilities with another last semester given the situation. Coming back to Cedar Tree Academy with four new members by my side, I could not have been more excited. Snow days and Corps Members unfamiliar with Jumpstart made me feel a little nervous at first; however the extra time gave me the opportunity to allocate team planning meetings in which I was able to fully go over Session. The best part about being a team leader is seeing the work I did last year as a Corps Member being undertaken by my new team. I had one of the best experiences last year as a Corps Member and made two of my best friends at college through joining the program. My team leader from last year is my inspiration in Jumpstart; she conducted our team efficiently and really coordinated a bond that I will never forget.

            Although a late start into Jumpstart with new members makes me doubt my ability to create as strong of a team bonding experience as I had myself, I have different goals. I have a personal goal to help my team reach 300 hours each and to have them leave their service with Jumpstart proud of their service and commitment to giving back to the community. I learned so much in Jumpstart, not just about education policy and the early childhood environment, but also about myself as a leader. Every one of my Corps Members have excelled in their degree of participation and quality of work, I am looking forward to the rest of the semester to see how our children further develop their literacy and classroom skills.

-Ekaterina