I believe one of the best parts of going to a K through 12 school is the ability to have cross-grade connections, and volunteering in Isabel Dominguez’s first-grade art class is one of my favorite ways to take advantage of these connections.
In this year’s meeting for business, students were tasked with thinking about how to get involved with different grades; my experiences with volunteering in lower school classes immediately came to mind.
Because I have attended Friends since kindergarten, I know firsthand the awe that lower schoolers have for high school students. I remember the thrill of watching Upper School musicals and then seeing the lead in the halls the next day or the joy of attending a cheer-filled varsity basketball game. Whether it was a small smile or a quick wave from a high schooler, their acknowledgment of me always made my day. Each exchange felt like a glimpse into my future as a Friends high schooler.
In first grade, I adored shop class, which was taught by the newly hired teacher Isabel Dominguez. Although we were only six, we crafted pottery, sawed our inventions out of wood, and sewed. Isabel showed us that six-year-olds can be trusted with saws and hammers. While Isabel always masterfully handled my class, an older student helped out here and there. When a student worked slower than others in the art creation process, the high schooler would patiently help them while Isabel could continue with the main lesson. My classmates and I clamored for high schooler’s attention and begged her for insight into what it was like to be a big kid at Friends, something we were all excited about but could barely imagine.
One thing I knew for sure: I wanted to be just like that high schooler. When I asked Isabel when I could help in her class she said, “When you are in high school.” While she might not have realized it at the time, my inquiry was completely serious, and ten years later, the second I entered Friends Upper School, I sent her an email about volunteering.
Although I knew I would like volunteering in the classes, I didn’t anticipate the joy it would bring me every week. Interacting with the first graders once a cycle is, without a doubt, my favorite time at school. It allows me to remove myself from my busy schedule and ensures uninterrupted meaningful conversations with younger students. There are only nine kids in the section I help with, so not only do I know everyone’s name and current projects but I also have become acquainted with their fun personalities.
They frequently make me laugh, like when they frightfully exclaimed, “You don’t have recess?” Or when a student guessed my age to be 36! They are refreshing to be around. Trading information about our lives and catching glimpses into their varying interests never fails to amaze me.
My connection with the students goes beyond the classroom, and when I run into any of the kids in the halls, a common occurrence, we exchange greetings or offer a shy wave or quiet hello.
Although my time at Friends is almost up, the memorable experience of volunteering in the art class will continue to stay with me. The joy the classes have brought me is truly special, and I know I will continue to work with children in some capacity in the future.
