FORT DRUM, NY (November 8, 2024) — It’s kind of brave to give a group of young children some loud musical instruments to play in a quiet library.

But for the sake of educating and inspiring children, Pamela Seidenberg was given the opportunity to try, and it worked. The children followed the lesson, had fun and learned something new.

During Parents’ Tea with Mrs. Pam on October 30, children were encouraged to play while their mothers sang nursery rhymes at the Robert C. McEwen Library. She also read them a children’s book in which they repeated rhyming words from the story.

Seidenberg said the focus that day was on developing phonemic awareness, language and literacy skills through the use of rhythm and rhyme activities. Previous sessions have covered topics from learning about colors and shapes, expanding children’s vocabulary and teaching parents how to maximize reading time for their children.

As a Fort Drum volunteer, Seidenberg has found various ways to be helpful over the past 10 years at the library. She also volunteered with Army Community Service’s Army Family Team Building program.

“I started volunteering here more and more because I don’t like being retired,” she said. “After having such an active and busy career and life as a wife, mother and educator in the Army, I felt like I was really helping other people and I wanted to continue to do that in some way.”

Seidenberg’s career as a speech and language therapist, special educator, school administrator and learning consultant spanned 30 years and focused on learning disabilities, particularly reading. When her husband, a retired Army colonel, was assigned to Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty), North Carolina, she volunteered to teach reading to small groups of kindergarten and first grade students in the school district.

“A great population to work with is military kids,” Seidenberg said. “I am at my best. They were so loving and their parents were so appreciative of every little thing you do.”

She said volunteering her time as a library assistant has been gratifying because it allows her to stay connected with military families while contributing to their overall training.

“A lot of people really have no idea about the additional stresses and challenges that families have while on duty,” Seidenberg said. “But they are wonderful, they are adaptable and they deserve our support. This is my way of giving back to the military and it’s a great experience.”

Karisah Brock and her children have attended Parent Tea since its inception.

“We started attending just to get a little help in certain areas of education with my kids,” she said. “Interaction with the reading was helpful. He is very good at explaining ways to improve his vocabulary. They were words I barely realized my kids were hearing and implementing into their daily vocabulary. So this has been very beneficial for all three of my children.”

Brock said Parent Tea is also a way to connect with other spouses, and sometimes that extends outside of the library.

“One of the benefits was the social interaction and meeting parents who have children of similar ages,” she said. “My kids love it. This is one of their favorite places.”

Early literacy can be a huge boost for a child entering school. To that end, Seidenberg also helped establish the Parent Information Center at the library, which she stocks with educational activity packs, articles on various areas of child development, and crafts for families to do at home .

“My focus is mostly pre-kindergarten through second grade, but sometimes I’ll put higher level stuff in there,” she said. “There will be information and activities about reading, math, vocabulary, fine motor development and other educational topics. And it’s all free for parents to take home and try different activities with their kids.”

Dani Reed, program manager for the Army Volunteer Corps, said Seidenberg has accumulated nearly 3,000 volunteer hours at the library.

“I think Parent Tea is great,” Reed said. “She’s so wonderful with kids and parents and you can tell she really cares about what she’s doing.”

Reed said volunteers who draw on their own experience and expertise can significantly improve the quality of support organizations provide to the military community.

“Those opportunities are everywhere, and Pam has taken her skills and experience to develop something really special,” she said.

The next parent tea is scheduled for 10:15 am on November 13 with the topic of why it is important for children to learn basic maths skills. To register, call (315) 772-9099 or stop by the front desk inside the Robert C. McEwen Library, Bldg. 4300 on Camp Hale Road.

(Editor’s note: This is the first in a limited series on volunteerism leading up to National Volunteer Appreciation Month in April.)