Round 2: Executive Summary

Larchmont Elementary School, located just north of Sacramento in North Highlands, is a kindergarten through sixth grade facility and part of the Twin Rivers Unified School District. Larchmont has been open since 1955 and now serves approximately 380 students of varying backgrounds, including three Special Day classes. The student population at Larchmont is 38% Hispanic/Latino, 32% Caucasian, 16% African-American, and 14% other. Many of these students are faced with outside challenges to their education, such as single-parent or foster homes, drug abuse, and bullying. Furthermore, many of the students at Larchmont come from Spanish speaking homes and know very little English. Despite these obstacles, the staff at Larchmont works every day to fulfill the school’s mission statement, which is “to inspire each student to extraordinary achievement every day.”

Apart from the mission statement, Larchmont also outlines a set of beliefs for their school, with one being: “The education of each child is the shared responsibility of the entire school community: parents, guardians, school staff, local agencies, and service organizations.” This sums up the project mission for Blue 2; the team was expected to help educate the students not only in the classroom, but also in life in general.

Blue 2 was the second AmeriCorps team to serve at Larchmont for the 2009-2010 school year, so the team’s role was basically to follow in the footsteps of the previous team and act as the best possible role models for the students. The team was also expected to help the students achieve their potential in the classroom through one-on-one and small group tutoring, and after school programs for grades two through four. Every teacher had different expectations for how the corps members would assist in the learning process of their classes, ranging from grading papers and assignments to leading reading groups or small group sessions with students who needed extra help. Blue 2 was also expected to interact with the students during recess in an effort to cut down on bullying and citations, which included leading games, talking to the students, and encouraging fair play and respect.

Throughout this project, benefits were seen both in the children and in the members of Blue 2. All of the corps members formed strong bonds with the students that will have a lasting impact on their lives, and the students at Larchmont consistently showed their appreciation and love. Members of Blue 2 were able to gain many skills in tutoring children, as well as a more vast knowledge of the California education system and the profession of teaching in general. The team is leaving with a newfound respect for the desire, determination, and patience it takes to be and educator, and hopes that Larchmont Elementary will continue to thrive despite the many obstacles they face.