A bigger world

Students in K-Kids help others, make friends and see that there is more to learning than sitting in a classroom.

By DONNA WINCHESTER

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 21, 2001

PINELLAS PARK -- When 10-year-old Brittney Thomas arrived at Crystal Oaks of Pinellas nursing home on Valentine's Day, she found things much the way she had imagined they would be. Elderly people were grouped at round tables sipping punch. Some were dozing in their wheelchairs. Nursing assistants in brightly colored tunics navigated the room serving slices of cake on white paper plates.

But then Brittney saw Joe Ramies, the 110-year-old-man. He was wearing a navy suit jacket with a red tie. He had a crown on his head made of shiny gold paper. And he was dancing.

Brittney moved closer to get a better look.

"I brought him a cookie," she said. "We didn't talk a lot. He kissed my forehead and then he danced with me."

It convinced Brittney of what she already suspected: Being a member of K-Kids is a pretty cool thing.

The club is part of Kiwanis International, a service organization founded in 1918, with more than 580,000 members in 73 regions. K-Kids was created about 10 years ago to provide elementary-level students with opportunities to serve their schools and communities.

Lori Frenden introduced K-Kids to Pinellas Central Elementary, 10501 58th St. N, in November. The fourth-grade teacher was a member of Circle K, Kiwanis' college club, when she was a student at the University of South Florida. She started K-Kids clubs at Temple Terrace and Oakhurst elementary schools, where she taught before coming to Pinellas Central in 1999.

"K-Kids gives children the chance to learn about the joys of helping others," she said, adding that it also builds self-esteem and provides opportunities to develop leadership skills.

The visit to the nursing home was the group's first community outreach. To prepare for the visit, the children attached silk flowers to drinking straws and gave them to the residents. They also attached flowers to pens and sold them at the school to raise money for a pre-K playground.

Mrs. Frenden said two conditions must be met before a K-Kids club can be chartered: School administrators must support the idea, and a local Kiwanis club must agree to sponsor the children.

Pinellas Central principal Lon Jensen and assistant principal Sandra O'Bryant wholeheartedly endorsed the idea. Commenting at the K-Kids induction ceremony Feb. 9, Mrs. O'Bryant told the children it makes her feel proud that they wanted to be charter members of the club.

"A really important part of getting an education is not what you do in the classroom," she said. "You won't be successful in life until you learn to give back part of what you have to someone else."

Once Mrs. Frenden had the school's support, she asked the Pinellas Park Kiwanis Club if it would sponsor the children. Bill Vanatta, a 40-year member of Kiwanis, said the club was happy to oblige.

"Kiwanis encourages members to reach out to K-Kids," he said. "Kids are a focal point for Kiwanis. We want them to be the best they can be."

Mrs. Frenden said Pinellas Park Kiwanis has been supportive from the beginning, sending three to five representatives to the club's bimonthly meetings.

"These are business men and women," she said. "The kids see the teachers all the time, but having other adults come to their meetings is very important to them. It makes them think, "We must really be special. These people came to see us.' "

She said the seven teachers who have volunteered to work with the children are another reason for the club's success. First-grade teacher Kutana Parrish said she got involved before she knew the club would be limited to third- through fifth-graders. Once she realized the club's potential for nurturing children, she decided to help anyway.

Mrs. Frenden said the teachers made a decision at the outset that they wanted a variety of children in K-Kids.

"We didn't want all "perfect' kids," she said. "In deciding which children to include, we asked the teachers to extend the opportunity to those children who would benefit the most from it -- those who needed self-esteem building and guidance in making right decisions in life."

The teachers asked each child who was interested to write a short essay explaining what he or she hoped to get from the club. They ended up accepting every child who applied.

Many of the children said K-Kids is the first club they've ever joined. Alexander Low, 11, said he's never belonged to anything before. He moved here recently from Portugal when his father was transferred to MacDill Air Force Base. He said the club has helped him make new friends and fit in better.

Mario Jones, 10, also said he has made some new friends.

"It's made my world bigger," he said. "I've found people I can talk to when I'm sad."

Mario said being a part of the club has made him a better helper around the house. He said he takes out the trash, washes the dishes and helps his grandfather cook dinner.

"He's doing a whole lot better," Albert Caldwell, Mario's grandfather, said. "But what I'm waiting for is his grades to come up."

Brittney Thomas' mother, Tracy Thomas, said she has seen improvement in her daughter's grades, as well as her behavior.

"She knows she's got to keep her grades up to stay in the club," Mrs. Thomas said.

Brittney plans to stay in K-Kids as long as she can. After dancing with a man a century older than she is, she said there's no telling what might happen next.

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