The New Bloomfield R-3 School District announced Monday a continuing partnership with Oasis Tutoring.
This is the third year New Bloomfield Elementary has partnered with Oasis Tutoring, a volunteer program where an older adult teaches literacy skills -- such as reading, writing and communicating -- to elementary-age children.
The program consists of an in-person mentorship program and a traditional pen pal program, an Oasis release states.
In-person mentors with the program will begin working with children in kindergarten-3rd grade once a week from October through May.
Volunteers from the 2022-23 school year are returning, but Oasis is also looking for more volunteers to grow the program.
Pen pal volunteers will write letters to 3rd grade students from February through April. This portion of the program fulfills the "writing a friendly letter" learning standard that is required of classrooms in Missouri, a release states.
Last year, pen pals wrote to approximately 50 2nd graders.
The goal for the program this year is to write to approximately 52 students.
"New Bloomfield is excited for the opportunity that Oasis brings to our community," Sarah Wisdom, New Bloomfield superintendent, said in a release. "One goal of our district is to have a relationship with our community. This program is a great opportunity for our students to get mentorship and the community to see the great things happening at New Bloomfield."
Adults 50 and older are needed as volunteers for the in-person mentorship and pen pal programs.
Oasis will host a training session from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 18 for the in-person program. An orientation session for the pen pal program will be in January.
To learn more about volunteering, contact Linda McMorris, elementary librarian and Oasis Tutoring school facilitator, at [email protected]; or Mandy Plybon, Oasis Tutoring RSVP program manager (Audrain and Callaway counties), at [email protected] or 573-416-3193.