Being relocated from Barth Elementary School to Franklin Elementary due to the ongoing renovations projects could not stop a group of fifth grade girls from taking part in leadership activities. The BEES is an acronym for Believe, Esteem, Excel, Success. The program is coordinated by Jeniffer Burkholder with support from teachers Mandi Langdon and Kelli Wolfel. The girls meet each week to discuss the qualities and skills of leadership, citizenship, and academic success. They take the lessons they have learned and use them as they act as mentors to younger grade students.
“Our girls are valuable classroom assistants in the lower grades. They read to individual students, help them with their math and language skills through the use of flashcards, they practice spelling words and math facts with them, and act as support for the classroom teacher. It’s amazing to see the girls bloom in their self-confidence and apply the skills they have learned to their school work and personal goals,” said Burkholder.
Helping to make the BEES a successful program is the local Pottstown Chapter of the Soroptimist Club. Members of the club meet with the students once a month and serve as one‑on-one mentors to help the girls become the leaders of tomorrow.
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“Soroptimist is translated to mean ‘Best for Women.’ The members of our club are dedicated to helping these young girls develop the skills they need to become our future leaders. We act as a support to teachers and parents in helping the girls become successful in life,” said club member Rose Hoffman.
Every year the Soroptimist Club plans a project for the girls. This year the girls were given the necessary materials to develop a poster that depicted a timeline of their lives.
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In the spring of the year, the BEES and the Soroptimist partner with a local business “Books 4 Less.” The Soroptimist Club donates books to the store and is given credit to be used at a later date. This year, the BEES Club was able to take a field trip to Books 4 Less and each girl left with four books that they could use for summertime recreational reading.
Mrs. Hoffman is encouraging people to donate their books to Books 4 Less at the Upland Square Center and asked that the proceeds from those books be donated to the Soroptimist International of Pottstown. For more information on the Soroptimist group, you can email bjmcelroy7@aol.com – subject line SI of Pottstown.
