Volunteer helps spread the word about reading
Working with kids a rewarding experience for Monroe resident
BY SETH MANDEL
Staff Writer

Above, Gloria Sachs, who volunteers to read weekly at Jamesburg’s John F. Kennedy School, reads to kindergartner Abby Kayhart in the hallway. At left, Sachs reads to kindergartner Sebastion Hinostrzo outside Stephanie Palisay’s class recently.

JAMESBURG –– Gloria Sachs does her volunteer work by the book.

Literally.

Sachs, now retired and living in Monroe’s Clearbrook community with her husband, Hillard, reads to kindergartners at Jamesburg’s John F. Kennedy Elementary School every Friday as part of a program spearheaded by Superintendent of Schools Shirley Bzdewka.

“It’s cute, and they do love it,” Sachs said of the 6-year-olds who get her undivided attention, one at a time, each week. “There’s a satisfaction in it, to see that they are interested and they remembered the stories. And they look forward to it, so I keep doing it year after year.”

And it has now been over five years since Sachs’ penchant for volunteer work landed her at the school.

PHOTOSBYJEFF GRANIT staff

“Like Mrs. Bzdewka used to say, I’m almost part of the school,” Sachs said. “I’ve become like an institution there.”

Sachs, who belongs to the local chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women, was told about the program and contacted Bzdewka, who was principal of JFK at that time.

Soon after, Sachs met with Bzdewka and a reading specialist who provided Sachs with some suggestions about reading to young children, such as pointing to the words on the page, showing the children the pictures, and testing the youngsters’ memory of what they have already read.

“[Bzdewka] is also a marvelous, marvelous person, and she was very anxious for the children to be exposed to more reading of different people, because they come from all different kinds of backgrounds,” Sachs said.

Sachs said the program originated in South Brunswick, and local schools not only added the program, but added Sachs to their list of volunteers.

“The idea was to interest children in books and reading, because so many children from deprived areas or less affluent areas start school never having seen a book,” Sachs said.

Sachs at one point did after-school volunteer work in Monroe, and while some teachers welcomed the involvement of outsiders, some didn’t, she said. The program in Monroe didn’t last, and Sachs then began working in Jamesburg.

She said she enjoys living in Clearbrook, but noted that her residence in the retirement community inspired her volunteer work in the schools.

“It’s a little isolating — when you’re living with people all pretty much your own age, you don’t see a lot of kids,” Sachs said. “That’s another reason I enjoy going to school; I see the different children, different ages, the teachers, because otherwise everybody here is 55 and older.”

Sachs reads short action stories to the kids, as well as books with characters like Mrs. A and Mr. B in order to help the children learn the alphabet and the basics of reading.

And Sachs admits that reading is a passion of her own, as well.

She and Hillard, both from New York, at one time lived in Princeton, where Hillard managed co-ops and condominiums for a real estate firm. Sachs worked as a secretary at Hillard’s office. While living there, both she and Hillard took classes at Princeton University in English literature, a specialty of Hillard’s.

“That was great, too, seeing all those nice young people,” Sachs said.

Sachs is now a member of two reading groups — one fiction, one nonfiction — at the Monroe Township Library. Both groups are associated with Brandeis University in an effort to raise money for the university’s own library. She doesn’t have much of a preference when it comes to the group’s choice of books, but rather enjoys the discussion on the books the most.

“It broadens your horizons a little bit,” Sachs said.

Gloria and Hillard, who recently celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary, don’t travel much anymore, so her hobbies consist mainly of reading and watching movies with Hillard.

And though most of her fellow volunteers no longer participate in the school program, Sachs said she plans to continue it as long as she can.

“I guess as long as I’m physically able to fit in one of those little chairs,” Sachs said. “I just think that volunteering to help children is very important, because they are the future, and whatever we can do to help them, I think is worthwhile.”