Cardinal Buddies, a collaborative school partnership between the Lamar University College of Education and Human Development and Groves Elementary, concluded the school year amid fanfare with a farewell celebration April 24 in the Groves Elementary auditorium.
The event included a TAKS pep rally for both fourth- and fifth-graders. Students enjoyed music, played games and cheered in a sea of purple feathers to the Port-Neches Groves fight song. The goal is to demonstrate confidence in the elementary students so that they feel more confident about the upcoming test, said Lori Graham, assistant professor of professional pedagogy and collaborative school partnership coordinator between Lamar University and Port-Neches Groves school district.
An author celebration followed, allowing students to reveal their newly developed writing talents. Groves students shared with their parents and grandparents the writing skills taught to them by Lamar students.
“The pep rally is just one way that our college students have tried to make a difference for the students at Groves Elementary,” said Graham. “They have also worked with Reading Buddies and Writing Buddies one-on-one.”
The author celebration is the result of a writing course the Lamar students take. Cheryl Johnson, an instructor in Lamar’s English department, teaches a course called Writing in the Elementary School. In the course, Johnson goes through the writing process with the college students and they pass their knowledge on to the elementary students.
In Cardinal Buddies, education majors pursuing a teaching certification gain hands-on experience with students on the elementary level. Lamar students are enrolled in three courses meeting on the Groves Elementary campus two days a week. Students focus on reading and writing coursework and, in turn, apply these concepts to a real classroom setting.
“The only way to prepare yourself for this field is to work with children inside the classroom,” said Rachel Standley, junior elementary education major. “The best thing about this program is how we, as college students, get to relate to the elementary students.”
By participating in Cardinal Buddies, Lamar students gain an opportunity to concurrently participate in their collegiate courses while working with a Groves Elementary student on an individual basis. This student, their Cardinal Buddy, benefits from personal tutoring and individual lessons, along with building a relationship with the Lamar students.
“It is a great win-win combination for the school, the elementary students and our college students as well,” said Graham.
