Making a connection
at Lawton Elementary

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

As Lena Namnun pursues her principal’s certificate, she’s taking a graduate course that requires candidates to identify a problem in a school.
Namnun is a social studies teacher at Frankford High School who served an internship at Wissinoming’s Henry W. Lawton Elementary School, her alma mater.
There are 700 students at Lawton, a kindergarten-to-fifth-grade school at 6101 Jackson St. A massive construction project is under way to increase space on the campus.
In the meantime, Namnun has created the Frankford-Lawton Connection. The program brings Frankford students to Lawton every Wednesday to assist teachers in classrooms, some of which contain more than 30 students.
At Frankford, the program has become an easy sell. The baseball team and school clubs have visited en masse.
"My kids are lining up and looking forward to their next visit," Namnun said.
Over at Lawton, the staff welcomes the assistance, which comes from freshmen to seniors.
Lawton principal Anita Urofsky calls the visits by the high school students a "godsend." The Lawton youngsters look forward to the visits as much as the high school students.
"They love the big kids," Urofsky said. "They love the attention."
Urofsky said the overall goal of the program is student achievement. She wants to see as many students as possible become advanced and proficient in their learning as they prepare to take the PSSA standardized tests.
The older students provide personal attention, whether it’s in one-on-one instruction or in small groups, in reading, math and other areas. They try to get the youngsters to focus on their work and offer support to teachers in classrooms and during recess.
One specific focus is on multiplication. Identifying that many young students have trouble memorizing times tables and doing multiplication in their heads, the staff has asked the high school students to emphasize that kind of learning.
"We have bright, capable students who need an extra push," Urofsky said.
There’s also a type of integrated learning. For instance, senior Kialeya Simmons Mortimer was sitting outside a classroom one day last week as a small group of fifth-graders read from their science textbooks.
"They’re learning the reading skills and the science content," said Urofsky, who hopes the Frankford-Lawton Connection continues next year.
Seniors Patricia Philippe and Chanel Cason are members of the Danaides, a sorority of 12th-grade girls at Frankford. Both have visited Lawton on multiple occasions.
Philippe said the program especially benefits students whose parents don’t take an active role in their schooling.
"The students get more individual help with homework and tests," she said.
Philippe helps grade papers and works with students to correct wrong answers on homework and tests. Like several of her fellow Frankford students, she has changed career plans since participating in the program.
"Now, I’m really interested in becoming a teacher," she said. "I’ve liked the experience, and I like the students."
Cason, who has spent much of her time helping the kids with their spelling skills, has loved her time at Lawton and wants to continue working with children.
"Every time I come, I get a lot of hugs," she said. "I love working with kids. I want to be a pediatrician when I get older."
Last week, Cason was in teacher Mary Nash’s third-grade classroom. The students were told to write about where they’d like to go on an education-related field trip.
Cason worked with students to explain reasons why they should go to the zoo, the aquarium or the Franklin Institute and had to put in more effort with the students who wrote that they wanted to go to the beach, Mexico or an Ohio State football game.
Nash has enjoyed Cason’s presence.
"She’s been a big help," the teacher said. "She’s establishing a rapport with kids. She’s been a nice addition. She jumps right in with them and can identify when a child is struggling." ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com