Maxine Finger has been retired for many years and keeps herself very busy with many activities aimed at a healthy lifestyle. She is a grandmother of four, all of whom are in their twenties.

“Being a GrandPal has been a very warming experience for me, it brings back memories of my grandchildren when they were young and makes me feel bonded to my little students. Over the past five years, I thoroughly enjoyed being with these adorable youngsters. Each and every one of them have touched my heart. I loved to experience the way our relationship grows throughout the year. This past year I am lucky enough to be with these two adorable twin brothers. Every time I’m with them, they teach me things. They are extremely bright and I’m amazed how much knowledge these kids have. It is quite enlightening. Being a GrandPal has enriched my life and hope it continues.”

Meet Laurel Lerner, a passionate music enthusiast and dog lover. As a former singer turned piano teacher with a degree in music education, Laurel’s love for music runs deep. Laurel finds joy in both her human and furry companions, always with her Kindle in hand, ready to delve into a good book.

“One day I was reading a book and Chleo was staring at my face, almost two inches from me. I kept looking at her to see what she was staring at. She then asked, ‘Are you wearing lipstick?’ I say that I was. She then said, ‘It’s not allowed in school!’ Serafima said that lipstick is allowed for adults but not for children. I’m glad she cleared that up!!”

“Also, both girls are huggers. They greet me every week with a big hug, and when it’s time to go, I get more hugs. Those hugs carry me with joy all through the week!!”

“My greatest moments in reading with my GrandPals is when we break through their initial shyness and begin to have more interesting conversations.

Also, when I have been out and about in Princeton and I see my GrandPal outside of school. I usually then have the opportunity to meet Mom/Dad or siblings for a short chat.”

Meet Kathleen Wagner, a delightful soul with a warm smile and a sparkle in her eyes. Rain or shine, she shows up at every session with her trusty bag of library books in tow. Her rapport with the little ones is simply magical, and she pours her heart and soul into every reading session. Kathy is always ready to read to as many kids as needed, effortlessly stepping up when other GrandPals are absent. With her joyful demeanor and warm smile, she can handle any group size with ease, spreading joy and laughter wherever she goes.

“As I entered the classroom that day, the sweet voices of two young boys, Julian and Michelangelo, greeted me warmly. They handed me a printed invitation to the yearly GrandPals lunch, organized by the teachers and parents as a token of gratitude for reading to the little ones. Clearly confused, they seemed to believe the lunch might be at their house. As they debated whose home would be more convenient for me, Julian exclaimed, ‘Please Come Miss Kathy!’ His eyes shone with excitement as he suggested, ‘It’s your choice. We can go to my home, which is much more convenient. I don’t want to drive, and I have a big cat.’ Michelangelo chimed in, ‘It’s really up to you, Miss Kathy. Whatever you choose will be ok with me.’ Little did they know, they were inviting me to a special celebration right there at school. I couldn’t bring myself to tell them the lunch was to be held at school. Their innocent enthusiasm and genuine desire to include me in their world touched my heart in a way I’ll never forget. What surprised me the most was that these two, who usually have a hard time deciding on things like what book to read, suddenly showing such kindness and respect towards each other. Peacefully and kindly, they agreed and politely offered options. It was astonishing because typically, they would argue over every mutual decision, yet suddenly, they were polite and accommodating towards each other. This unexpected display of maturity and harmony truly blew my mind.”

Donna Wepplo brings more than two decades of experience as an educator, having taught primarily in kindergarten and first grade at Community Park School in Princeton. She finds immense reward in witnessing children’s growth from preschool graduates to rising first or second-graders. Donna’s passion for teaching in her community shines through as she embraces the opportunity to work with kindergarten children once again through the GrandPal program, making it a cherished highlight of her week.

“I loved how the children brought their classroom knowledge into our GrandPal reading sessions. They were so proud of recognizing punctuation marks and would call out ‘There’s a quotation mark, there’s a period.’”

“It’s fun to learn the kinds of stories and topics the children like and then go exploring in my own library to find more copies of an author, character, or subject they like. A little story I have for when I had two children to read with is that we would toss a coin to see who got to choose the first story. All the children really liked doing that and it prevented any sense of favoritism.”

Achilleas Antoniades — “This is not going to be a long story. It will be just enough to convey my love for these two little boys, whom I had the great fortune to read to this past year at Riverside.”

My little friends Shaham and Vince
“First, it was Shaham, the son of immigrants from Bangladesh. I knew I was going to like him the moment I saw him. He was enthusiastic, talkative, smart, and interested in everything. He had something to say about everything, even though it did not always jive with reality. That’s fantasy, the world of a small boy. He interrogated me about all subjects that came up in our books. I was there to answer. I don’t know if I satisfied his fiery imagination, but the exchange was lively. So lively, I had to try hard to keep him interested in the story we were reading. He had his own take on stories, and once he got going, I couldn’t stop him.

Shaham is going to go places. I know it. He will not sit idle for a moment. He will talk his way through anything. How can you not miss interaction with this fantastic human being? I certainly will.

Then it was Vincent, who joined us halfway through the year. A quiet boy with long blond hair, you could not guess he was a recent immigrant from Brazil. Quiet but smart, his eyes were slowly burning with interest, inquiry, and intrigue.

He was a lovely boy. I would be happy to have him as my real grandson. I didn’t see him much, but I was so happy he recognized me one day when he and his parents met me at McCaffrey’s. He was a delight to read to and such a contrast to Shaham. I will miss them both.”

Bob Swierczek, a United States Navy veteran, resides in Princeton, where he selflessly dedicates his time to various volunteer roles. He serves as a crossing guard for the police department, assists as fire police for the fire department, reads to kindergarten classes, and organizes trips to Washington, D.C. for fellow veterans.

“Every year that I read to the kindergarten classes it brings me joy listening to the comments from the kids on the books I read. Some of the rhyming books are fun to read and having the kids try and guess the last word that rhymes. This year my two boys enjoy the world atlas. They pick out states and I read about it, capital, flower, bird, and the flag. They are interested in different parts of the world also.

It’s very rewarding to see the kids progress throughout the year and their interest increasing on reading.

GrandPals is a wonderful program for both the adults and the children.”

Meet Sheila Von Zumbusch, an educator with decades of experience teaching preschool and kindergarten at an independent school. Now retired, Sheila has spent the last fifteen years as a devoted GrandPal, bringing joy and wisdom to elementary school students throughout Princeton.

“I started being a GrandPal fifteen years ago. I am delighted to be back after a three-year absence due to concern about COVID. The program is so much fun, sharing books and tales with so many wonderful, diverse, interesting children. It brightens my life to be with the young children, after retiring from teaching for twenty years.

I love to see the children grow through the year, some becoming readers themselves, yet still enjoying being read to. The program enriches both the children and the GrandPals.”

Caroline Purnell has been a GrandPal for the past two years. She is retired from teaching French, Spanish, and ESL for adults, and embodies a deep passion for travel and multiculturalism.

“The half of the biggest thrill for me is watching the kindergartners come into the library for the first time. They are new to kindergarten and now are facing a room full of grandparent-type adults who will be their readers for the year. The other half of my personal thrill is seeing how far the children have come at the end of the year. They are no longer shy and reticent, but engaged and excited to have bonded with their GrandPal. I should say there is another component to my thrill: Seeing my kindergartner, now in first grade, giving me a big hug in the hallway! To me, that’s going full circle, watching these unsure kindergartners develop confidence and reading skills while giving us GrandPals such joy and happiness.”