Lucy Kin worked at Jack Daley Primary School in Thatcher as a teaching assistant for 28 years before retiring in 2002, but she soon realized she couldn’t stay away.

Today she is still a familiar face around the school because of her volunteer work as a handwriting tutor.

“I missed it (working at Jack Daley),” Kin said of her decision to volunteer at the school. “I kept running into teachers who said, ’I need you.’”

Volunteer tutor Lucy Kin helps Jack Daley Primary School student Connie Young with handwriting. Photo by Diane Saunders

Connie Young, a third-grade student, is one of several students who are benefiting from Kin’s tutelage.

“It’s hard work,” Young said. “We have to do it early in the morning, and I get tired.”

As Kin encouraged Young to work on several letters, Kin talked with a Courier reporter about why she tutors the children.

“I like the results,” Kin said. “All of a sudden, they come up with the ‘wow’ paper.”

Young says her handwriting is improving, thanks to Kin.

“She has pushed me. If it kind of looks good, she tells me to do it again,” Young said.

Kin works with Young and other children on different types of strokes required to make legible letters. She has names for the types of letters, such as loop letters, swish letters and push ups.

“The capital letters are hard for (the children),” Kin said.

Lynette Mulleneaux, school secretary, said in an e-mail that there are volunteers who work in several areas of the school.

“We have many wonderful parents who volunteer to teach P.E. (physical education) and art in their child’s classroom,” Mulleneaux said, adding that members of the school’s Parent Teacher Organization volunteer many hours at the school.

Jack Daley Principal Tracy Allred also gave the school’s volunteers high marks for their work, and pointed out that volunteers work under supervision.

“They just come in and help teachers, generally, if (teachers) need help in their classrooms,” Allred said. “The biggest asset of this program is it gets the community involved in the school.”