Oasis Tutor Tribune
One Child, One Tutor, One School Year. Two Lives Forever Changed.
November 2025
From the Director’s Desk
Dear Oasis Tutors,
Happy Fall! 🍁I hope this season finds you well and enjoying the beauty and joyful activities that come with it. I want to thank everyone for the warm welcome I received during recent visits to Pike Township in Indianapolis, Indiana; Scotland County in Memphis, Missouri; and Wadsworth City Schools in Wadsworth, Ohio. It was such a pleasure to welcome new volunteers to Oasis Tutoring.
A few weeks ago, I attended the Missouri Association of Rural Educators (MARE) conference. During the MARE conference, I joined a roundtable discussion where administrators were asked, “What is your greatest challenge at the elementary level?” Their unanimous answer was Social-Emotional Learning—especially helping students with self-regulation. That conversation reminded me of the powerful role each of you plays in supporting students’ social and emotional growth through your tutoring sessions.
The stories you share together offer wonderful opportunities to build essential life skills like self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Even nonfiction books can spark meaningful conversations about choices, challenges, and relationships that help children better understand themselves and others.
Stories are also a safe and engaging way for students to explore emotions such as anger, courage, determination, and empathy through the actions and decisions of characters. Remember, your tutoring site has a library of books and session plans ready for you to use—so you always have great tools at your fingertips to inspire both learning and growth. There is a list of suggested books in this newsletter.
As we are quickly approaching the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to take a moment to express my deep gratitude for each of you. Your time, patience, and compassion make a lasting difference—not only for the students you mentor but also within your school communities.
As the first semester comes to a close, stay encouraged and determined. The impact you are making may not always be visible week to week, but it is happening—being seen, felt, and remembered in the hearts of your students.
Wishing you a joyful Thanksgiving and a warm, restorative holiday season filled with peace, gratitude, and moments that remind you why the work you do truly matters.
Warm regards,
Mary Click
Your time, patience, and compassion make a lasting difference—
not only for the students you mentor but also within your school communities.
2025 Tutoring Snapshot
Tutor Training Sessions
We had such a fantastic time during our fall training sessions! Our team came together to learn, share, and support one another—and the energy in the room was incredible.
Take a moment to browse through the photos to see our staff and tutors in action as they built new skills, exchanged ideas, and prepared for a great season ahead.
Welcoming New Oasis Facilitators & Coordinators
We’re happy to introduce our newest facilitators and coordinators! Each of these incredible individuals brings passion, expertise, and a shared commitment to supporting our learners. Please join us in giving them a warm welcome.
- Indiana: Jody Durica – Pike Township
- Ohio: Laura Maslyk & Emilee Dillenmuth – Wadsworth
- Oregon: Renni Ferguson – Gresham-Barlow SD
- Illinois: Matt Harris – Mississippi Valley Library District
- Missouri: Ebonee Shaw – Ferguson-Florissant SD; Dr. Shawn Brown – Desoto SD #73; Shannon Murray – Hillsboro R-3; Jeremy Conley & Casey Tinker – Fox C-6; Sara Hermann & Mia Tolerico – Mehlville SD; Lisa Sensenich – Father McCartan Memorial School, Marceline; and Madison Turner – Clayton
We are also excited to announce that San Antonio has added seven additional school buildings across two districts–San Antonio Independent and Northside Independent SD.
Celebrating the Retirement of Pat Williams
We are honored to celebrate Pat Williams, Oasis Tutoring Coordinator for Livingston County, MO, as she retires from Oasis on January 2, 2026.
Since joining Oasis in July 2020, Pat has been an avid advocate for our mission of empowering older adult volunteers to support and inspire young readers. Her leadership has strengthened partnerships, nurtured meaningful intergenerational connections, and created welcoming spaces where volunteers and students could thrive together. Pat’s ability to champion older adults as mentors and reading partners has made a lasting difference in the Livingston County community. A multitude of encouraging, confidence-building, and joyful interactions shared between volunteers and young learners stand as a testament to her dedication.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Pat for her commitment, her compassion, and her care for the volunteers and students she has served. We wish her a retirement filled with happiness, health, and well-deserved rest. Thank you, Pat! Your legacy lives on in every volunteer and student you’ve supported.
FIRST FRIDAYS
Are you interested in fresh ideas to implement within your tutor sessions? Back by popular demand, Oasis Tutoring is hosting tutor enrichment meetings, in-person & via zoom, on the first Friday of each month (November – April). Each First Friday meeting will take place at 11 a.m. Central Time (12 p.m. Eastern, 10 a.m. Mountain, 9 a.m. Pacific).
First Fridays feature a topic that is relevant to your role as an Oasis Tutor and provide practical applications you can use in your sessions with students. Click on the buttons below to learn more, register for upcoming sessions, and view the recording from our November session. Plus, be sure to check out the photos from our first session to the right!
Social and Emotional Learning Books
Explore thoughtfully selected titles below from Oasis Tutoring Libraries that help children build emotional intelligence, empathy, and self-awareness through storytelling. New additions for the 2025–2026 school year are marked with an asterisk.
In the News