Temple B’rith Kodesh (TBK) – School 52 Partnership

TBK and School 52 formed a partnership in 2005 to help students succeed in school.  Don Ginsberg is the TBK founder and leader of the partnership.  Don and Denise Rainey, School 52 Principal, created a Partnership Committee that meets monthly to guide the partnership.

TBK volunteers support School 52 teachers and students in many ways.  Some volunteers help teachers in their classroom during student instructional periods.  Other volunteers assist Academic Intervention Services (AIS) teachers to provide additional one-on-one academic support with AIS students. 

Bruce Pollock is the TBK volunteer coordinator.  He works with Tanya Homer and Michelle Calogero, School 52 AIS teachers, to make volunteer assignments. 

Most classroom and AIS volunteers provide literacy and math academic support to students.  Over the years, Temple B’rith Kodesh members have donated library books, school supplies, winter clothing, and equipment to the school.  TBK has obtained weekly reader magazines and Rochester library cards for students.  TBK has also supported a summer reading program for the past four years to help students avoid the summer reading slump.

Every year the partnership has gotten stronger.  The teachers really appreciate the TBK volunteers, as reflected in the 2009 School 52 teachers’ survey regarding their TBK volunteers:

• Ms. Hatch, 1st Grade:  Students were given the extra time and help they needed to reach or get close to meeting the reading standard.
• Ms. Adams, 1st Grade:  Volunteers were very valuable to either maintain or increase reading abilities.  I couldn’t live without my volunteers; they are a major part of my teaching.
• Ms. Luong, 2nd Grade:  Volunteers were able to provide the extra assistance that students needed.  The extra time provided by the volunteers does make an impact in student learning.
• Ms. Johnson, 4th Grade: When a student gets individualized attention, works on specific goals, and can speak with an adult in a smaller setting, they gain confidence, have better attention, and work harder.  My students did benefit and with the increase of students who passed the State English Language Arts (ELA) exam, the success is apparent.