Oasis Tutor Tribune
One Child, One Tutor, One School Year. Two Lives Forever Changed.
May 2025
From the Director's Desk
Oasis Tutoring Quarterly Newletter
Dear Oasis Tutors,
Is it really May already? January—and even February—felt like they stretched on forever, but March, April, and now May have flown by in a blink!
One of the highlights of this school year has been the First Friday Enrichment sessions held from November through March. We were fortunate to have these sessions led by Tamara Rhomberg, Oasis Educational Consultant. Each session offered valuable insights—not only from Tammy's expertise but also from the thoughtful participation of tutors both in person and online. Inspired by the success of these sessions, our team is already planning more learning opportunities for the upcoming school year. Stay tuned—more details are on the way!
Looking ahead, we're excited to invite you to our annual Summer Literacy Celebration! This summer, authors and illustrators of beloved children's books will join us for three engaging webinars. Be sure to check the announcement for all the details—we would love to have you join us!
Spring also brings some bittersweet news, as several of our district facilitators are closing their chapter with the tutoring program. In this issue, they have shared reflections and future. We are deeply grateful for their dedication and the many ways they have helped shape a meaningful tutoring experience for both you and your students. They will be truly missed.
Your impact on students goes far beyond what we can see, and we thank you for giving so generously of your time and heart.
With gratitude,
Mary Click
Whether you’ve volunteered for one year or thirty-six, your commitment is appreciated more than words can express. Thank you tutors!
Facilitator Spotlight
In appreciation (and a little sadness) – we announce the retirement of five district facilitators from the Oasis Tutoring Program:
Mary Darting – served for 22 years in the City of St. Charles School District in St. Charles, Missouri
Kim Gullo – served for 11 years in the Madison Elementary School District in Phoenix, Arizona
Mary McDonald – served for 20 years at the MSD Pike Township in Indianapolis, Indiana
Corey Sexton – served for 8 years in the Gresham-Barlow School District in Gresham, Oregon
Amanda Zink – served for 30 years (5 with Oasis) in the Mehlville School District in St. Louis, Missouri
Kathy Harlan – served for 2 years at the Father McCartan Memorial School, Marceline, Missouri
Below, find their answers to the following questions: As you retire, what reflections do you have on your time with the Oasis Tutoring Program—what will you miss, what will you cherish, and how has it shaped your view on education and mentoring?
“My 20 years coordinating Oasis for Pike schools in Indianapolis after I retired from teaching have been filled with joy, friends, worthwhile work, support from our school system and Oasis, and a sense of using my years of teaching in such an exciting, worthwhile way. It’s such a joy to combine the help for struggling students with helping older adults have a valued input into the students’ lives. What I will miss is the tutors, all the support I have received from many sources, and learning about all the new books and resources and ideas for helping students. Lifelong learning matters! My plans for retirement include gardening, exercise, some travel, family visits, all these things I also love but at a more leisurely pace. Thank you, Oasis!”
“I will miss the opportunity to share this wonderful program and its core values with amazing community members who want to make a difference in the life of a child. I will miss the daily interaction with the tutors and the opportunities to support them with materials, resources or ideas which helped them support their students. I will miss learning from the tutors and children as well. I will miss Iearning from the tutors and children as well. I will miss the kindness and support from the great people at Oasis especially Mary Click with whom I hope to keep in touch and even visit! Because my office is in an Elementary School, I will miss hearing children’s voices, talking to them, listening to them nervously but proudly reading their journal stories to me, observing their enthusiasm when they discover the magic of books and being excited when students finally believe that they truly are readers.”
“I will cherish the memories with the kids during my time as principal at Fr. McCartan School. I was blessed to teach Religion, which gave me the opportunity to know each student as an individual and learn about them in a special way. As always, when you teach a subject, you learn more about it. I will also cherish the beautiful lessons I learned during my time here. Thank you to the Oasis Tutoring Program for providing a much-needed service to our students!”
“I have always been a huge supporter of public education and will continue to be even when my kids are out of school. My father and grandfather were both educators and a deep respect for teachers was instilled in me at an early age. I firmly believe that teachers should be one of the highest paid professions, yet it is one of the lowest. I remember the name of every teacher I had in my school career and aspects of their teaching that shaped me for good and helped me become who I am today. We don’t have enough teachers and staff in our schools due to many reasons so volunteering was one way I could support my kids and the school system. I have always been a working mom but felt it was so important to have a schedule that allowed me to volunteer and be present at my kiddos schools. Now that my youngest is a junior in high school I am seeing some of that come to an end. The Oasis program is inspiring to me since it connects the generations and gets more volunteers and mentors in the schools, at a crucial development stage in our children’s lives. The community connections are inspiring, the joy on the faces of those who have retired and are striving to be active, the drive to be involved has been so heartwarming and has inspired me to look to other ways to help our next generation. Supporting our teachers and school system is critical, and helping young ones is beneficial to all as these littles will be our future. I am grateful to have been part of this program and hopefully benefited our volunteers and our students.”
“Supporting the goal of all students reading on grade level – reading is the foundational learning skill, and I am very passionate about supporting all students to become proficient readers and learners. I enjoy getting to talk with the tutors at our training meetings and learning about their diverse backgrounds – our tutors bring a wealth of life experiences with them to tutoring and it is fun to hear about their experiences.”
“It has been a privilege to be a part of Oasis Tutoring for the past 22 years. The Oasis staff have always been so supportive as well as great people!!”
Sessions and Presenters:Tutoring Survey – We need your help! Every survey counts!
The annual Oasis Tutoring Survey is now available. Each survey taken helps us with future funding! As an incentive for surveys taken in your district, your district facilitator or Oasis Staff Coordinator will receive an Amazon gift card for the purchase of books or materials for your Oasis Tutoring Library.
Please click on the survey link below that matches your role in the Oasis Tutoring Program.
Celebrating You!
Volunteer celebrations are taking place across Missouri and the country. In honor of National Volunteer Week, on Friday, April 25, St. Louis Oasis hosted its Spring Volunteer Celebration in Fulton, MO, an event to recognize and provide professional development to older adult volunteers who serve as Oasis tutors in school districts across Illinois and Missouri.
“The Spring Volunteer Celebration is not only an opportunity to enrich the work of our volunteers but also a chance to thank them for the service they provide in their communities,” said Mandy Plybon, Senior Program Manager for Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring. “Oasis is proud to celebrate not only our dedicated volunteers, but millions of Americans who have chosen to serve their country through volunteering with AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors. We encourage others to follow in their footsteps and make a lasting impact through volunteerism.”
Thank you, volunteers! Your dedication, time, and compassion make a lasting difference in the lives of the students you support. As the school year comes to a close, we’re celebrating you and the incredible impact you’ve had in your communities.
Photos from Oasis volunteer celebration events are featured to the right.
Support Oasis: Help Us Keep Lifelong Learning Alive
You may have heard about the massive cuts to grant allocations that support programs such as ours across the country.
These cuts will directly impact Oasis’s ability to continue providing older adults with opportunities to stay healthy and active, continue learning, and engage in their communities.
There has never been a better time to support Oasis. You can register for classes and/or make a donation by clicking on the buttons below.
