Student Snapshots

Adam C., PS 221, Queens

Dorothy Manso, a thirteen-year veteran of ArtWorks—as well as our College Planning program—has gotten to know a special student this year. A retired High School Special Education teacher, Manso lives near P.S. 221, and when ArtWorks came to the school many years ago, she was thrilled. “There must have been karma someplace,” she says. “The administration, the teachers, the students—I can’t tell you what an amazing experience it’s been.” Manso particularly values her close relationship with third-grade teacher Bess Friedman.

It was Ms. Friedman who first introduced Dorothy to a very special third-grader: Adam C.

Adam is an English Language Learner who assimilated from ESL classes into Ms. Friedman’s class this year. Other than his uncle, Adam is the only member of his immediate family who speaks any English. “I think the fact that he was still learning English was why he was very, very shy at first, earlier in the year,” Dorothy explains. Yet as the year went on, Ms. Friedman attests, Adam gained confidence. “He really seemed to enjoy the ArtWorks presentations leading up to the museum visit, and was anxious to learn.”

This spring, Dorothy Manso took Ms. Friedman’s class to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Adam was completely taken with the experience. According to Manso, he was observant and engaged throughout the visit. Adam’s thank-you note (pictured here) to Dorothy captured all of our hearts at Learning Leaders.

“It’s things like that that make me love volunteering,” Manso said. Ms. Friedman agrees that it’s just one of many reminders why the ArtWorks program is good for kids. “I can’t wait to tell Adam that his note will be on the Learning Leaders website! It will make him realize how important his words are.”