Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I mentioned a week or so ago that I want
to get into an occasional, maybe weekly series of talking
with listeners or friends of mine who are retired and
doing something fun, interesting, inspirational in retirement. So first, let
me say if that describes you or someone you know,
shoot me shoot me an email at ross at Did
(00:22):
I just say shoot me? Oh, shoot me an email
at ross at KOA Denver dot com or oss at KOA,
Denver dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
And and well, there's a good chance we'll have you
on the show.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
You know someone who's doing something really interesting in retirement.
So joining us now with our own story is listener Louise.
Louise sent me an email about something she and her
husband have been doing since retirement, and I just thought
this this falls more into the inspiring category.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
So Louise, welcome to KOA. Thanks for being here.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Oh, thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
So tell us what you and your husband are doing.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
We volunteer at our local elementary school. I work with
kindergarten and he works with second grade. I wrote to
you because I want to encourage other people to do it.
It's the easiest thing in the world. Everybody's got a
school in their neighborhood, you get summers off, you get
(01:21):
a week off in the fall, in the spring, and
two weeks off at Christmas. They will take anybody that
can give you one hour a week. We do about
twenty hours a week and it's just perfect. We don't
go in till ten thirty. We'd leave at two thirty
and it just feels so there's nothing like the feel
(01:42):
of a five year old's hand in yours. What exactly
do you do well with the kindergarteners. I do a
lot of one on one work because if you think
about it, with kindergarten, there's a lot of five year
olds that come in that can read on a second
grade level, and there are other kids that have never
(02:04):
seen the alphabet or numbers. So I do a lot
of one on one work. Has nothing to do with intelligence,
they've just never seen it. So to get them caught
up with the others, you have to do a little
bit of one on one work. And five year olds
(02:24):
you figure their baby still. You know, they don't have
any filter. They're just they're genuine people. We have over
ninety languages in their oral public schools. We had a
child this year who came in only speaking Swahili. So
(02:47):
sometimes you need a little one on one because you
need a pat on the back. You know, it's a
little overwhelming to you this first time you've been without
your mommy, and it's a little overwhelming. My husband and
in second grade grades all of their time tests, so
you know, you figure they're learning how to add ones, two,
(03:08):
three fourths. They start with their tests based down on
the pay on the desk, and they write notes to
him and they say, oh, I think I can do
it this time, or I've been studying hard. He keeps
a spreadsheet of all of their answers. He grades all
of them, so he writes back to them and says, wow,
(03:31):
you only got fourteen last time, and you got thirty
eight this time. Way to go. It's just that little
bit of encouragement.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
That so let me ask you, yeah, go ahead, let
me ask you sort of a logistical question, because I
could listen to these fabulous stories all day, but you
started by saying you want other people to do it,
and you know you're doing this in Aurora. I'm not
certain that the process will be the same in every
school district, but it's probably you know something, So if
(04:02):
somebody is interested in doing what you're describing. What's the
process for getting involved.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Just walk into their local school. Walk into the school,
and they will direct them for Aurora. They've then sent
us to the main administration building and they do a
background check and you get your picture taken and you
get an ID card so that everybody knows this person
is supposed to be in the school. It's okay. But
(04:31):
it's that simple. It is. And you walk in and
you say, I would like to help, and I want
I will give you two hours a week on Thursdays.
And they say, well, I think you would be good
in third grade. We really need somebody in third grade.
Look at preschool through about third grade, it's almost all paper,
(04:55):
so there's a ton of copying, there's a ton of
prep work for the art projects. We do a lot
of that. And that's okay, twenty hours a week. That's
twenty hours a week that the teachers who are still
you know, in family mode, they've still got kids at
home they would have to put in. So it's and
(05:16):
it's it's so much enjoyable.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
It sounds like you enjoy it every day, like you
don't think if it as oh, I have to.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Go to work today.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Oh school, let's not in May. And we look at
each other, we go, now, what do we do? Although
these are all kids in our neighborhood, so they know
in the summertime, when they ride by on their bikes,
if if my husband is outside with the hose on,
he'll square them with the hose. They all know they
can come to him and he will fix their bikes.
(05:48):
We've got the air compressor or whatever. They all know.
We have popsicles in the freezer in the garage. It's
it's just.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Like the neighborhood's grandparents. Yeah, well you're the school grandparents, right.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
That's We had a second grade mom asked her kid, so,
who is mister Nikirk and he said he thought about it,
and he said, he's the second grade grandpa. And because
we're volunteers, we can't give him a hug. You know.
We had we had a child whose last whose name
began with a Z, and he was just sobbing one
(06:26):
day and they sent him out to my husband and
what is the problem. I'll never be the line leader.
She goes alphabetical and my name begins with Z. I'll
never be the line leader. And that was just the
straw that broke the camel's back, you know, and.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
So did you my husband, did you go to the
teacher and have the teacher do reverse alphabetical one day?
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Oh? I think they probably talked about that, but he
just sat and talked to him about the advantages of
being the last in line. You get to close the door,
you get to turn out the life, you have responsibilities,
you know, on the positive side of that, This is life.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
It's a fabulous story, Louis.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
We'll just walk people up and down the hall, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Louise, thank you so much for getting in touch, and
thanks for agreeing to come on the radio station and share.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
This with people.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
That's just beautiful and touching and inspiring. And I'm glad
you are loving retirement so much.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Oh we are. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Thanks for doing this, Louise, and for other listeners.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Again, you know, shoot me a note at Ross at
Koadenver dot com if you or someone you know is
doing something fascinating, inspiring, whatever, something in retirement that you
think other people would dig hearing about, like I enjoyed
hearing about that.
I mentioned a week or so ago that I want
to get into an occasional, maybe weekly series of talking
with listeners or friends of mine who are retired and
doing something fun, interesting, inspirational in retirement. So first, let
me say if that describes you or someone you know,
shoot me shoot me an email at ross at Did
(00:22):
I just say shoot me? Oh, shoot me an email
at ross at KOA Denver dot com or oss at KOA,
Denver dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
And and well, there's a good chance we'll have you
on the show.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
You know someone who's doing something really interesting in retirement.
So joining us now with our own story is listener Louise.
Louise sent me an email about something she and her
husband have been doing since retirement, and I just thought
this this falls more into the inspiring category.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
So Louise, welcome to KOA. Thanks for being here.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Oh, thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
So tell us what you and your husband are doing.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
We volunteer at our local elementary school. I work with
kindergarten and he works with second grade. I wrote to
you because I want to encourage other people to do it.
It's the easiest thing in the world. Everybody's got a
school in their neighborhood, you get summers off, you get
(01:21):
a week off in the fall, in the spring, and
two weeks off at Christmas. They will take anybody that
can give you one hour a week. We do about
twenty hours a week and it's just perfect. We don't
go in till ten thirty. We'd leave at two thirty
and it just feels so there's nothing like the feel
(01:42):
of a five year old's hand in yours. What exactly
do you do well with the kindergarteners. I do a
lot of one on one work because if you think
about it, with kindergarten, there's a lot of five year
olds that come in that can read on a second
grade level, and there are other kids that have never
(02:04):
seen the alphabet or numbers. So I do a lot
of one on one work. Has nothing to do with intelligence,
they've just never seen it. So to get them caught
up with the others, you have to do a little
bit of one on one work. And five year olds
(02:24):
you figure their baby still. You know, they don't have
any filter. They're just they're genuine people. We have over
ninety languages in their oral public schools. We had a
child this year who came in only speaking Swahili. So
(02:47):
sometimes you need a little one on one because you
need a pat on the back. You know, it's a
little overwhelming to you this first time you've been without
your mommy, and it's a little overwhelming. My husband and
in second grade grades all of their time tests, so
you know, you figure they're learning how to add ones, two,
(03:08):
three fourths. They start with their tests based down on
the pay on the desk, and they write notes to
him and they say, oh, I think I can do
it this time, or I've been studying hard. He keeps
a spreadsheet of all of their answers. He grades all
of them, so he writes back to them and says, wow,
(03:31):
you only got fourteen last time, and you got thirty
eight this time. Way to go. It's just that little
bit of encouragement.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
That so let me ask you, yeah, go ahead, let
me ask you sort of a logistical question, because I
could listen to these fabulous stories all day, but you
started by saying you want other people to do it,
and you know you're doing this in Aurora. I'm not
certain that the process will be the same in every
school district, but it's probably you know something, So if
(04:02):
somebody is interested in doing what you're describing. What's the
process for getting involved.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Just walk into their local school. Walk into the school,
and they will direct them for Aurora. They've then sent
us to the main administration building and they do a
background check and you get your picture taken and you
get an ID card so that everybody knows this person
is supposed to be in the school. It's okay. But
(04:31):
it's that simple. It is. And you walk in and
you say, I would like to help, and I want
I will give you two hours a week on Thursdays.
And they say, well, I think you would be good
in third grade. We really need somebody in third grade.
Look at preschool through about third grade, it's almost all paper,
(04:55):
so there's a ton of copying, there's a ton of
prep work for the art projects. We do a lot
of that. And that's okay, twenty hours a week. That's
twenty hours a week that the teachers who are still
you know, in family mode, they've still got kids at
home they would have to put in. So it's and
(05:16):
it's it's so much enjoyable.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
It sounds like you enjoy it every day, like you
don't think if it as oh, I have to.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Go to work today.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Oh school, let's not in May. And we look at
each other, we go, now, what do we do? Although
these are all kids in our neighborhood, so they know
in the summertime, when they ride by on their bikes,
if if my husband is outside with the hose on,
he'll square them with the hose. They all know they
can come to him and he will fix their bikes.
(05:48):
We've got the air compressor or whatever. They all know.
We have popsicles in the freezer in the garage. It's
it's just.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Like the neighborhood's grandparents. Yeah, well you're the school grandparents, right.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
That's We had a second grade mom asked her kid, so,
who is mister Nikirk and he said he thought about it,
and he said, he's the second grade grandpa. And because
we're volunteers, we can't give him a hug. You know.
We had we had a child whose last whose name
began with a Z, and he was just sobbing one
(06:26):
day and they sent him out to my husband and
what is the problem. I'll never be the line leader.
She goes alphabetical and my name begins with Z. I'll
never be the line leader. And that was just the
straw that broke the camel's back, you know, and.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
So did you my husband, did you go to the
teacher and have the teacher do reverse alphabetical one day?
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Oh? I think they probably talked about that, but he
just sat and talked to him about the advantages of
being the last in line. You get to close the door,
you get to turn out the life, you have responsibilities,
you know, on the positive side of that, This is life.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
It's a fabulous story, Louis.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
We'll just walk people up and down the hall, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Louise, thank you so much for getting in touch, and
thanks for agreeing to come on the radio station and share.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
This with people.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
That's just beautiful and touching and inspiring. And I'm glad
you are loving retirement so much.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Oh we are. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Thanks for doing this, Louise, and for other listeners.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Again, you know, shoot me a note at Ross at
Koadenver dot com if you or someone you know is
doing something fascinating, inspiring, whatever, something in retirement that you
think other people would dig hearing about, like I enjoyed
hearing about that.
The Ross Kaminsky Show News
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