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January, 2008
Students from Nesbit School in Belmont made a presentation to the Belmont-Redwood Shores School Board in Q1FY08 to thank Oracle volunteers for their time and effort. What made this presentation especially meaningful was that the students were in elementary school and were still learning to read and write in English.
Oracle volunteers have been donating their time on a weekly basis at Nesbit School to help students gain confidence in learning English. The volunteers often read with students and help them work through language and math problems.
“Nesbit Elementary seemed to be the perfect opportunity for this as they are located very close to Oracle headquarters,” said Hubert Sun, Senior Member of Technical Staff at Oracle HQ in Redwood Shores, California. “Once a week for 45 minutes or less, I would drive over and read with kids during their silent reading sessions. To see how much the students improve from week to week is amazing. I was especially touched when, at the end of the year, a few of the kids wrote a piece about us and presented out loud to the Belmont school board! Honestly, the time and energy taken out of my life to work with these students is really negligible. Seeing the kids make such enormous strides in such a short time is what makes it more than worthwhile to do.”
Nesbit School is part of the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District and has been an Oracle Community Impact Grant partner for the last 10 years. Nesbit School has the largest number of ELL (English Language Learners) students in the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District, with 28 different languages being spoken by Nesbit families at home. Oracle's two-year donation of $50,000 has allowed Nesbit School to employ a half-time volunteer coordinator who will involve more employees, family members, community representatives, and other company volunteers in the ELL programs at the school.
Beyond the monetary assistance, Oracle volunteers make a lasting impact on the lives of students.
“Oracle volunteers have been so committed and helpful in supporting our students in learning English and helping with reading and math skills,” said Cherie Ho, Principal, Nesbit School. “The students' faces light up when their volunteer appears on Thursday afternoon. The volunteers not only help with academic support, but also motivate, encourage, and inspire student efforts.
“Many of the students are new to America and find that school work is overwhelming,” Cherie continued. “Oracle volunteers make a difference by providing the time and patience to help students with strategies to build confidence in their reading and problem-solving skills. Three students made a presentation to the school board of trustees to thank the volunteers for their help in providing the support needed to accomplish academic goals. They highlighted the amount of growth and understanding of language that volunteers provided. Their academic struggles were diminished with the extra help and they felt more confident in applying their skills in the classroom. I hope these few words express the gratitude from Nesbit students to Oracle for their commitment to their learning.”
Oracle is committed to using our technology and resources to advance education in innovative ways, promote diversity, enrich the life of communities, and protect the environment. We are proud that the same innovative spirit behind Oracle's technological success also drives the creation of innovative global corporate citizenship initiatives that benefit our communities. Our work with Nesbit Elementary School is an example one of our initiatives. For more information about Oracle's Commitment and our approach to corporate citizenship, visit our Web site.
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