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	Event Calendar
	Announcements & Press Releases

Announcements & Press Releases

Ten-year Volpe Reading Buddies Honored at Award and Recognition Event - May 14, 2008

Cambridge School Volunteers (CSV) honored nine Volpe National Transportation Systems Center employees at its recent Mack I. Davis award and recognition event that took place at Harvard University’s Gutman Library Conference Center. All nine have been with the Reading Buddies/Lunch Buddies program since its inception ten years ago, and each was given a special citation by CSV’s Executive Director, Harriet Finck. The honored employees were: Philip Coonley, David Daley, Bob Dorer, Richard Gopen, Sarah May, Joe Monaghan, Marilyn Mullane, David Phinney and Donna Woodford. The Buddies program pairs Volpe employees with second and third graders at the Kennedy-Longfellow School. Employees come to the school on their lunch hour to read with students, and at each year-end celebration, Volpe employees present their student Buddies with a gift book. Since its inception, 296 employees have participated in the program. Congratulations to our ten-year awardees!

Mack I. Davis Award and Recognition Event - May 14, 2008

On May 14, Cambridge School Volunteers (CSV) honored the almost 900 volunteers who served in grades K-12 of the Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) during the 2007-2008 academic year at a reception hosted by the Harvard University Office of Government, Community and Public Affairs at the Gutman Library Conference Center. Together, the volunteers provided more than 50,000 hours of individualized academic services to Cambridge youth.

After a welcome by CPS Superintendent Thomas Fowler-Finn, Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons, and CSV Board president Louise Adler, longevity certificates were awarded by CSV Executive Director Harriet Finck to those who had volunteered for four, 10, 15 and 20 years.

Awards honoring the late Mack I. Davis II, a Harvard administrator with an extraordinary record of public service, including membership on the CSV Board, were presented to the following outstanding CSV volunteers by Ms. Finck:

Phil Aurigemma (Elementary Volunteer, Graham & Parks School); Arnie Miller (CRLS Classroom Assistant and Tutor); Mary Nelson (Elementary Tutor, Tobin School); Lisa Smith (CRLS ESL Tutor); Branner Stewart (NetPal and Elementary Tutor, Peabody School); and Charlotte Swartz (Intergenerational Math Program Tutor, Haggerty School). In addition, the Kenneth S. Neal Award, given to a teacher or administrator with exceptional commitment to CSV and its volunteers, was presented to Maria Athanassiou, Teacher-in-Charge of the CRLS Bilingual Program.

Awards were also presented to the following corporations whose employees participate in CSV team-based projects in the Cambridge Public Schools: Cambridge Systematics; Draper Laboratory; Genzyme; Grace Performance Chemicals; Harvard Graduate School of Education; IBM; MIT; Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research; Stride Rite; and the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center.

Newest CSV Board Members - March 27, 2008

Cambridge School Volunteers (CSV) welcomes its newest Board members, Daniel Leonard and Kathleen Murphy. A resident of Cambridge, Leonard has been a Genzyme employee since 2000. His expertise centers on regulatory affairs in the development of new therapy products for the biopharmaceutical company. Fluent in Japanese, Leonard has traveled extensively in Asia, Australia and the Middle East while monitoring compliance and regulatory issues. He is also a competitive triathlete. Murphy, also a Cambridge resident, is currently a police sergeant in the Community Relations Unit of the Cambridge Police Department. Since the early 1980’s, she has been a police officer, a detective in various CPD units, and a sergeant, covering many divisions within the city. CSV was founded in 1966 to support the academic success of public school students, grades K-12. Currently almost 900 volunteers participate as tutors, e-mail mentors, classroom or library assistants, and more.

Peabody 6th Graders Participate in Corporate Math Presentation - March 7, 2008

Every sixth grader from the Peabody School joined their NetPal for a math-focused breakfast hosted by Cambridge Systematics and WR Grace on March 7. NetPals, a program developed and managed by Cambridge School Volunteers, matches all 46 sixth graders with 46 employees from both companies located in the Alewife area. The highlight for students were presentations by three NetPals around how math is used in the workplace and in everyday life. They focused on the use of percentages, decimals, benefit cost-analyses, estimating, ranking, graphing and similar math tools that enhance ones understanding of the real world. This is the second of three face-to-face meetings between students and NetPals.

KeyPals/NetPals Breakfasts at the Kennedy/Longfellow - February 7 & 28, 2008

Several 5^th and 6^th grade classes at the Kennedy/Longfellow School celebrated their collaboration with IBM, MIT, Draper Laboratory and Stride Rite at mid-year breakfasts provided by parents and the Cambridge School Department Food Services. More than 200 people attended the two events in February. KeyPals and NetPals are Cambridge School Volunteers programs that pair employees from participating corporations one-to-one with 5th and 6th graders. Almost 70 students participate, using the exchange of e-mail between adult and student to improve writing and computer skills, as well as enhance awareness of career choices. At the recent breakfasts, students shared their personal experiences in the program with corporate volunteers, staff and parents. In honor of the poet’s birthday, students recited The Children’s Hour by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Kathy Malone, Technology Integration Specialist at the school, is the teacher-in-charge of both programs.

Peabody Students Hear Peace Corps Presentation - February 7, 2008

The entire 6^th grade at the Peabody School was treated to a slide show presentation by Chip Taggart, Chief Operating Officer of Cambridge Systematics, about his 4-year experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda, East Africa, from 1968-1972. Taggart, a NetPal in the CSV program that matches Cambridge Systematics and W.R. Grace employees with every 6^th grade Peabody student around science themes, has also been a CSV Board member for several years. During his presentation Taggart described his early involvement in the Peace Corps, from learning the tribal language and building water wells to finding and testing villagers afflicted with a virulent eye disease prevalent in Uganda at that time, in order to get them treatment. Three years ago, Taggart returned to the same Uganda village and included slides of his return visit as well. Students shared some of their comments after the presentation. “Chip is a hero and very good at saving lives and helping people out. I admire that.” Another student said, “Your presentation showed us that you are a good person who is brave and caring.”

Student Wins Holiday Card Contest - January 17, 2008

Simone DeJonge, a sixth grade student at the Peabody School, shows off her winning holiday card design while Susan Krabbe (L) and Marilyn Carvalho (R) look on. Krabbe, of Cambridge Systematics, initiated the holiday card contest several years ago. Her company has partnered with sixth graders for nine years in the NetPal program coordinated by Cambridge School Volunteers. DeJonge created the holiday card that was sent to over 4000 Cambridge Systematics clients world-wide. Carvalho, from Grace Performance Chemicals, is DeJonge’s NetPal. This is Grace’s second year in the NetPal program.