The sweat was beading up on Ed Evans' forehead as he stood in the library at the Dr. Louis A. Cerulli School No. 34 on Lexington Avenue. It has been many years since Evans retired from his teaching career at Hilton High School and now he was once again standing amongst about two-dozen active third graders. His demeanor wasn't the result of nerves; it was a visible sign of infectious energy Evans was sharing as he ran from student to student looking to see what each had discovered. Kerry Zito, a third grade teacher at the school, looked on with admiration. "It is great that we can benefit from his expertise in the field and the fresh perspective he brings," Zito said. Evans is one of about 15 retired school workers who volunteer their time at School 34 through Grace Urban Ministries. Grace Urban Ministries is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to helping build and strengthen the families in the community located in the Driving Park/Dewey Avenue area. This was Evans' first time volunteering through this organization and he said he will definitely be back. He was drawn in by two of his former Hilton High School colleagues and friends - Tom Dowd, retired science teacher and coach, and Judy Gagnier, retired secretary. Dowd and Gagnier have been volunteering at the school once a week all year. Dowd, who taught science for 34 years before retiring four years ago, described his experience at School 34 as "amazing." "It has been one of those things where you can see a clear need for our help," Dowd said. "The enthusiasm is there and this is the best time to work with these students." Gagnier, a Hilton secretary for 24 years, said she has gotten a lot out of her volunteering. "I feel like I have learned more this year than I have helped the kids," she said with a laugh. "This experience has given me a much better understanding of a diverse culture." On this day, the students' better understanding came from sorting through fossils. Evans led the students on a quick trip back 20 million years. He was able to help them visualize that distance with salt crystals. Once students had made the mental journey back, Evans shared a pile of gravel collected from North Carolina with each student. They were then given a sheet with pictures of different sea life that they were asked to find in the gravel. Kiaira Angerlo, third grader, was on the edge of her seat searching for artifacts. "They told us whoever finds the most shark teeth wins a prize," Angerlo said. "I like trying to find them because it is a real challenge." Students feverishly searched for sea treasures stopping every few moments to get an expert opinion on what they had discovered from a teacher or classmate. Evans was impressed with the focus of his new third grade friends. "The first encounter with stuff like this ought to be mind blowing," said Evans. "These students really came away with a feeling for what 20 million years is, and that is a concept that high school kids struggle with." Evans said he has enjoyed his opportunities to continue teaching in retirement. "I knew when I retired I wasn't all done," he said. "I just get pure joy out of these experiences. It helps that there is no grading and no early mornings." |
