Amy with some of her 1rst grade students

Check out what Amy Lamparelli is up to at the Holy Cross School in Kansas City, MO.

Click here to find out more about how excited she is about teaching her students to read. 

Amy with some of her 1rst grade students

Service Site: Holy Cross School in Kansas City, MO

College: The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY

What do you do?
I teach 18 wonderful first graders, after school tutoring, and coach 5th&6th grade girls volleyball.

Why did you choose to become a Lasallian Volunteer?  Have your hopes about the Program been realized?
I choose to become a Lasallian Volunteer because I love to teach. More importantly, I love to teach in urban schools. I was born and raised in Upstate New York, and my mother worked at The College of Saint Rose. I had experienced as much of Upstate New York as I could. I was ready to travel and see the country. Volunteerism played a large role in my life throughout High School and my time spent at Saint Rose. The Lasallian Volunteer program has exceeded my expectations. I am living and serving in a completely different part of the country, and I am a full-time teacher. This program has provided me with my dream, to be a teacher. Being in this program, the core values Faith, Service, Community have allowed me to grow. I have grown as a teacher through service, I have grown spiritually through faith, and I’ve learned to live with others through community.

Amy celebrating 100 days of school with a student

Have you noticed any signs of success in your work?  What are they?
I’ve found that regardless of how frustrating the day is I can always find some positive outlook on the day. I would say that I have a mini success everyday. Mini successes can range from: having my class simply raise their hands instead of calling out, following directions, or getting through a lesson without someone (either me or a student), cracking up laughing at ourselves or someone else.

I have one student who is a true success story.  Sally (*Names have been changed) is faced with many challenges. At six months she was diagnosed with Epilepsy and suffered a few severe seizures when she was a toddler. Last school year Sally was diagnosed with a significant cognitive disability. She has an IQ of 51. Most teachers would just write her off and have her sit in the class and either do nothing or have other students do the work for her. When I met Sally she wouldn’t speak to me or make any eye contact. She didn’t know the alphabet, numbers, or how to write her name. I had met with her mom after the first day and asked her what she would like to see for Sally. Sally’s mom told me that her goal for the school year was to have Sally write her name, learn the alphabet with sounds, numbers, and speak up for herself. So Mom’s goals became my goals. I started trying to find time during the day to pull Sally aside to work with her one to one and to work towards our goals. I found that slowly but surely Sally was learning how to write her name, and was gaining letter recognition.

October rolled around and I started to notice that Sally had hit a little road bump. She wasn’t making as much progress as I thought she would. I suggested to her mom that twice a week Sally should stay after school for 45 minutes of extra one-on-one tutoring. I met with Sally after school every Tuesday and Thursday and she was progressing really slow, that is until the Thursday before Thanksgiving.

I was having a hard time at my site with some of the things that were happening at the school and that Thursday was especially challenging. I pushed through the day and wasn’t really looking forward to tutoring after school. Then that day, for the first time Sally READ A BOOK!! Now, I had this awesome alphabet book that showed each letter on a page, with a mouse doing something, for example “Mouse Airbrushes the A” For the past few sessions I would point to the mouse. Sally would read “mouse,” then I’d read the rest and she would finish by saying “A” at the end. But that day, she just started reading the whole book! It was AWESOME! I was so proud of her and couldn’t wait to tell every other teacher in the school. What topped that day off even more, was watching Sally read the book to her mom and mom tearing up! That moment will be forever be in my top five teaching moments.

Now, at the end of January, Sally is making great gains. She can spell her first name and she can almost spell her last. She can correctly identify the alphabet, and knows 23 of the 26 sounds. We are working on identifying the first 25 sight words and Sally is also adding single digit numbers. She is an amazing student and I am excited to see her make huge leaps and bounds through another semester.

Amy with one of her students

 Which of the core values (Faith, Community, Service) are most important to you?  Why?
Service. I was sent to Kansas City, to Holy Cross, to serve the students and community. I spend the most time within my service site working with the students. Faith and Community also help me to continue to grow in my service. When I am frustrated or have had a rough day within my service I find that turning to my faith and my other community members help support me to keep growing and serving the students.

Which of the core values (Faith, Community, Service) are most important to you?  Why?
Service. I was sent to Kansas City, to Holy Cross, to serve the students and community. I spend the most time within my service site working with the students. Faith and Community also help me to continue to grow in my service. When I am frustrated or have had a rough day within my service I find that turning to my faith and my other community members help support me to keep growing and serving the students.

What would you say to a friend from home who questioned why you chose to live with the Brothers?
I would tell my friends that yes, it seems crazy, but it is a wonderful and unique experience. Living with the Brothers provides great support for teachers. Both Brothers whom I live with are seasoned teachers. They provide a great outside perspective of teaching and always have a tip when dealing with a difficult situation. I wouldn’t want to re-do my first year of teaching in any way.

Christian Brothers Conference (CBC) is the office for the USA-Toronto Region (USAT) of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. The Conference provides programming and support for Lasallian educators through the Region’s four Districts and their 100 ministries. It is rooted in the vision and innovations of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, the founder of the Institute and the patron saint of teachers. 

General Responsibilities (include, but are not limited to):

• Organize and prepare materials for events (meetings, conferences, programs ranging in attendance from 15-300), ensuring all materials are properly compiled and delivered to all parties as appropriate
• Work with Event Team and Communications Department to coordinate published materials
• Support events related  to planning committees and task groups
• Coordinate travel and accommodations as necessary
• Database entries, compile and process expense reports and coordinate supplies
• Assist with correspondence and event files, faxing and scanning
• Assist with soliciting underwriters, sponsors, advertisers and exhibitors
• Create and maintain department contact lists for venues, restaurants, speakers’ bureaus, etc.
• Maintain event management calendar
• Assist Event Planner in printing name badges, processing invoice requisitions, following up on payment post-event, etc.
• Answer and return phone calls
• Minimal travel nationally for events
• Work as part of the overall team to support the work of the Christian Brothers Conference

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• 2-5 years of relevant non-profit event planning experience
• Ability to work both independently and as part of the event planning team
• Exemplary interpersonal skills, written and verbal communication skills
• Meticulous attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Excellent computer skills, including but not limited to, Microsoft Office, databases and internet
• Commitment to the mission of Catholic Education
• Ability to multi-task in a fast paced environment

Location of Office: The Christian Brothers Conference, located in Washington, DC

Start Date: March 1, 2012

Benefits: Full health benefits, Employee Pension Plan, 403B Employee Match, Professional Development

Salary: Competitive

Application Deadline: February 10, 2012 or until position is filled.

Applicant should submit a resume, cover letter, and three references to:

Dr. Margaret McCarty
Christian Brothers Conference
3025 Fourth Street NE, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20017
jobs@cbconf.org

Chay at Midyear

Reflection courtesy of Chay Tanchanco 

From the writings of St. John Baptist de la Salle: “To touch the hearts of your students is the greatest miracle you can perform.”

This miracle of being a Lasallian Volunteer became unquestionably clear as we gathered together for our Midyear retreat. After 5 months of service work that took each of us out of our comfort zones, we finally had the chance to express and unravel our experiences.

We began our retreat at Point O’ Pines around the beautiful, newly frozen Brant Lake, and took time unpacking our suitcases as well as the lives we have led over the past few months. It took little time getting reacquainted with the supportive nets that are our fellow volunteers and LV staff.

LVs attentive to the retreat process.

The retreat centered around sessions inspired by key quotes from St. John Baptist de la Salle. LV alumna and her husband, Melissa and Peter Altman led many large and small group discussions, opening up the space to share our experiences and to understand the struggles of others while celebrating our triumphs. It became clear that each of us had truly been “chosen to do God’s work”–and through acknowledging the difficulties of touching the hearts of our students or clients we also realized that “it’s not supposed to be easy.” We had the amazing opportunity to talk about our sites and our communities, focusing on how we “inspire and lead others by encouraging them”.

Some of us braved the cold and the ice for the chance to walk over the frozen lake, and found we were inspired anew. I found myself more deeply motivated than I had been in a long time, simply because of the encouragement that exists through naming and sharing experiences with others in service clear across the country.

LVs at evening prayer.

A true mark of a Lasallian Volunteer is shown through the ability for each individual to contribute to and to grow within the community where he or she lives. There were two specific occasions in which this really stood out to me. The first came as we gathered for mass at a small local church, St. Isaac Jogues in Chestertown, NY. We filled nearly half of the church and naturally we were quite a presence! Most of the mass-goers silently marveled at the increased size of their ordinary Saturday evening service, and the cantor decided to jump on the opportunity to invite us to come up and sing with her. There could be no doubt that, in a church of volunteers, we as LVs answered the call to serve at mass with a wholehearted and spirited, “Yes!”

LVs Megan Conolly and Kristen Brenner excited about Midyear!

The second moment happened within the intimacy of our own community–all of us gathered around and watched the shiny new LVs Ride documentary. As I watched the bike riders discuss their arduous trip, I was struck by the generosity of others in opening up their homes and their lives to this group of people. And our experiences of community as LVs are not unlike theirs. Not only did we get to look back on the journey that the riders took across the country to raise awareness for our program and service, we were also reminded of the long journey each of us had just taken from our Orientation in the July heat of Chicago to the cold of a January winter in Upstate NY.

Current LVs Amy Lamparelli, Jamie Chis, Andrew Napier, Megan Weiss, and Krysia Kustra enjoying each others company.

Midyear has given us each so much; the strength to carry on for the next few months or even years, the chance to rekindle the friendships we began in July, the courage to continue to grow in the spirit of love and compassion for service, and the space to breathe and enjoy what we have accomplished thus far. We have committed ourselves once more to faith, service and community, and of course reaching a deeper understanding of ourselves. In this renewed understanding, we continue to learn how to perform God’s most pressing miracle–the ability to touch hearts, no matter where we are.

Jesus live in our hearts...FOREVER!

Lasallian Volunteers is pleased to announce a three-year Strategic Plan for the development of the LVAA (Lasallian Volunteers Alumni Association) and alumni engagement, which comes as a direct result of a comprehensive survey of LV alumni during 2011.

For full details, we welcome you to review the full version of the LVAA Strategic Plan itself.

The strategic plan was based heavily on the input derived from 84 responses to an online survey issued to LV alumni spanning twenty-two years of the program’s history.  The LV Staff has also made available the Results of the Alumni Survey here.

LV alumni contributed, by way of the survey, a number of wonderful suggestions, thoughts, and experiences — so much so that the LV Staff has articulated responses to many of the suggestions and questions that arose.  Those are also available for the alumni and friends of the LVs to review on our FAQ & Responses page.

The publication of these next steps come on the heels of a significant achievement at the end of the 2011 when LV alumni reached the Alumni Legacy Challenge $25,000 Matching Grant.  The Matching Grant, which began in December 2010, matched dollar for dollar all donations by LV alumni.  With a record-breaking amount of financial contributions in 2011 LVs alumni were able to earn the full benefit of the $25,000 match for the program.  Congratulations!

Questions, comments, and ideas about the Alumni Association can be directed to Peter Tooher, Program Coordinator of Lasallian Volunteers, at ptooher@cbconf.org.

You can now request an LV for the 2012-2013 Service Year to serve at your service site and be a member of your community! Please note: completed requests/applications are due February 15, 2012. Incomplete requests will not be considered as placement options.

Below you can access the informational letter regarding requesting LVs and the actual application. Please contact jwagner@cbconf.org for access to the other resources listed in the informational letter.

A Way to Change the World Informational Letter

Application for LVs 2012-2013 Actual Application

Learn more at Star Tribune Minneapolis

Tom and fellow LV, Megan

University: Manhattan College

What do you do?
I teach World History and Contemporary World Issues. I am also Yearbook Moderator and Assistant Baseball Coach.

Why did you choose to become a LV?  Have your hopes about the Program been realized?
When applying to be a Lasallian Volunteer, I wanted to teach, to serve and to travel. Through the program, I have been able to do all of those things. I am a full time teacher, serving in Yakima, with students who have the capabilities to go far in the future, but some need a bit of extra motivation or a push in the right direction. I am hoping to leave them with more confidence in their own abilities, and have already seen success in several ways, such as higher grades, increased motivation, more participation in school activities, and more kindness to each other.

Tom and a class at La Salle HS in Yakima

Which core value is the most important?
I believe that community is the most important core value because of the support that I receive from several different communities that I am a part of. My school community at La Salle is a privilege to work in because of the students and my fellow teachers. Rather than a group of individuals, the faculty works together to support each other and I always feel comfortable asking questions when I need help. The community that I live with supports me by cooking awesome dinners, offering advice on various situations and making me laugh after a tough day. The LV community supports me through friendship. I know that if I need help, one of the other LVs is just a phone call, a text, an email or a Facebook message away. Even though there are miles and time zones between us, we are all willing to help each other. The greater Lasallian community also supports me. From staff members to Brothers to LV Alums to Lasallian teachers, there are so many people with an interest in my service and the service of all the volunteers. I know that there are countless people that I can call in the future if I need help. Overall, the amount of people I have waiting to help me or catch me if I fall because I am an LV is a reassuring feeling, and is why I think that community is the most important core value.

Tom assists one of his students at La Salle

A few years in the future, how will experiences with those served and with Brothers have changed me?
I am confident that my experiences as a volunteer will be priceless to me in the future. From a teaching perspective, I have learned so much from my colleagues and students that I can take with me in the future. From the Brothers and fellow volunteers, I have learned about faith and dedication. Having the faith that God will take care of me in the future and dedication to helping others through education will be an important gift to have in the years ahead. The experience of living in a different area of the country and seeing the challenges that are faces by others is something that I will carry with me and do my best to inform others about, in what ever path I choose to take. I will have changed because of my openness to serve others, and I know that I will do my best to accomplish that goal.

Coach Magrini also helps lead the baseball team at La Salle

Why would I recommend the LV program to a college senior?
I would recommend the LV program without hesitation to anyone interested in volunteering. This is a rare opportunity to serve others in some of the areas of the country that need help the most. You will also be welcomed into the loving Lasallian family with open arms and you will meet some amazing people and great friends.

What would I say to a friend from home who questioned why I chose to live with the Brothers?
Living with the Brothers is a unique experience that cannot be found anywhere except for this program. I am able to relate to them and they are easy to get along with. Their experience in the world of education is a priceless asset to someone just starting in teaching. I have learned so much from them and their lifelong dedication to the purpose of educating the poor is inspiring.

Tom and fellow LVs at the 2011 LV Races in Minneapolis, MN

Click on the individual question to reveal the response below, or download a PDF version of this page.

Staying Connected

LV Alumni Association (LVAA) Initiatives

Practicality