Operation School Bell® member volunteers delivered Kokua Boxes and refills to a number of public schools with students in need around Hawaii. More deliveries will be or have been made to Oahu schools upon reopening after the Holiday Break. There are requests for refills from Molokai (Kaunakakai Elementary) for larger shorts and the Big Island (Pahoa Elementary) for a complete reorder with more slippers!
Pu’uhale Library, as part of Operation School Bell’s Literacy Program, continues to provide library services to many students. Our volunteers, including Carol Hasegawa, Hazel Sumile, Linda Andersen, Joan Helbling, Gloria McGehee-Koel, Jaye Devendra, and Helen Taufa’asau, all work together to conduct library services for 260 students in Grades K-5, with weekly class visits on Tuesdays (8 classes) and Thursdays (6 classes). There are an average of 15-25 students in each class, many of whom are second language learners.
The typical day begins with the first class visit at 9 a.m. and ends with the last class visit at 1 p.m. (There is a lunch break.) Some volunteers read books, do storytelling and give book talks. Other volunteers check books in and out of the library, shelve books and process new and cancelled books. The students enjoy listening to stories and often request to borrow the specific titles the readers have introduced. Teachers also request specific types of materials for their class use.
Books keep us busy. It is rewarding to see the students’ excitement and reactions to new information. We are always looking for new member volunteers!
This post was compiled from an entry made in our January 2023 member newsletter.
