Editor:
    At the completion of another school year, I want to extend my personal thanks to all the wonderful people who support our South Portland school staff members by volunteering thousands of hours of their time.
    In the South Portland schools there are more than 900 volunteers helping in the classrooms, chaperoning field trips and dances, assisting in the computer labs and libraries, supporting Booster organizations and parent groups. There are volunteer coordinators in every building to organize the individual efforts of parents. The Parent/Teacher organizations in all the schools raise funds to support field trips and enrichment projects for the students. There are mentors who work one-on-one with students at every grade to provide a caring, responsible and reliable adult role model.  There are over 100 job shadow program hosts in the greater Portland area, who welcome South Portland’s 250 eighth graders into their businesses and organizations to share with them the “real world” of work and expose the students to a professional environment.  There are senior citizens whose presence creates a multigenerational climate for our children; business professionals who, through the Junior Achievement program, bring their expertise into the classrooms; and students of every grade who work with fellow students and their community.  
    In addition to the hundreds of volunteers who are doing their fine work in the schools, there are two unique partnerships in South Portland that exemplify the best of volunteering, job shadowing,  and community service - Mentoring.     
    The Memorial Middle School - Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield Mentoring Program has just completed its 9th year of matching Anthem employees with middle school students. This spring UNUM and Skillin Elementary School partnered to form a new Mentoring program. Both of these programs are unique in that they are ‘site based’, meaning the students are bused from school to Anthem weekly to spend the lunch hour with “their” mentor. The goal is to provide for the student the support and encouragement of a caring adult. Students and mentors all benefit.  The student gets exposure to the business community, the ear of an objective adult outside of a school or home environment, and the experience of interacting in professional situations.
    The mentor gets the opportunity to be a part of the educational community in which he or she is working, influence the decisions facing our youth today, and feel the rewards of making such an important contribution to society. Time after time we’ve heard about the significance a mentor has played in someone’s life. These students thrive with the added attention they receive during this particularly challenging and unpredictable period in their emotional and social development.
    In South Portland and elsewhere, volunteers are crucial to the success of that vision. From the “grammy” who comes in to read to a kindergarten class to the businesses who welcome students into their world, our volunteers’ caring and selfless service deserve the highest of praise and most generous thanks!
    It is a privilege for me to work with our volunteers. Thank you for a great year!!
Molly Aldrich
Director, Volunteer Services
South Portland School Dept.