Just before 10 a.m. at Cunningham Park Elementary School, teacher Karin Markley is leading a vocabulary lesson as her first-grade students sit on the carpet. The door opens and two of Cunningham Park’s sixth grade students walk in. Markley’s students immediately smile and wave. The sixth graders wave back. After consulting with Markley, the sixth graders lead a small group of her students to an open classroom, where together they recite a readers’ theatre piece, “How the Chipmunk Got its Stripes.”

It’s part of a new program at Cunningham Park called “Cardinals Care for Cardinals.” Named for the school’s mascot, it involves sixth grade student volunteers mentoring the school’s first grade students in various subjects, especially reading and math. The visits typically occur two or three days a week, and only when the sixth graders are caught up on their schoolwork. 

All it took to start Cardinals Care for Cardinals was one student with an idea and a slideshow presentation.

Cardinals Care founder and Cunningham Park sixth grade student Ruth Gaffiney said the plan came to her a few months ago after she helped the first graders log into their computers. “A lot of teachers commented, ‘You guys are such a help… I wish you could help us here every day,’” Ruth recalled. “That lit the light bulb and made me think, ‘Maybe we could!’”

Ruth prepared a slideshow to present to Cunningham Park Principal Allison Hoak, who described it as “a very comprehensive plan” that even included a permission form: students who want to participate need a parent's signature and a teacher's recommendation.

“She went through her whole rationale of why she wanted to help,” said Hoak. “She had thought through the timing and how to make this work so it fit into her busy schedule, and she had already done some kind of survey with some of her friends to see if they would join. She had all of her ducks in a row, and she wanted to get started right away.”

Cardinals Care for Cardinals is off to an outstanding start. Hoak said 10 sixth-grade students signed up to volunteer at the beginning of the school year. Since then, the number of participants has doubled.

Mae Ruth McGarrigal, one of the sixth graders leading readers’ theatre with Markley’s students, explained why it’s so important to help her younger peers: “When I was in first grade, I would look up to all the sixth graders; I always wanted to be just like them, but they wouldn’t always come in and help.” Her co-mentor, sixth grader Caroline Andrews, agreed, remembering a similar first grade experience: “There’d be a bunch of sixth graders coming in [the classroom] but they didn’t really help the kids, they were just there helping the teachers.”

These sixth graders leave a clear impact on the first graders the moment they walk into the classroom. First grade student Elizabeth Kyle explained she loves working with Caroline because “she helps me with spelling words.” 

Her classmate, Carter Ruffner, said he feels happy when the older students arrive. “I like it when they come in the room; it means a lot because I get to read!” Carter happily shared his favorite book to read with them, “Red at the Vet.”

Markley has noticed how those relationships help support her students’ learning. “A lot of times when I’m reading words, when I’m doing a small reading group, they’re like, ‘I learned this with my buddy!’ They’re definitely making a lot of connections. It’s been a very positive environment all around.”

The program supports multiple pillars of the FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan, especially Goals 2 and 3: the sixth grade buddies help their first grade peers feel Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered, and they’re leading the first graders to Academic Growth and Excellence. 

In turn, the sixth grade students make strides toward meeting their Portrait of a Graduate goals — through this project, they’re becoming better communicators and collaborators, as well as goal-directed and resilient individuals. 

As Ruth explained, “A really good life skill to have is to communicate with people. No matter their personality, you have to be able to talk to them and be able to negotiate things with them. Being able to find common ground with them is a really good life skill to have.” 

Next year, Ruth will leave Cunningham Park behind as she moves to middle school, but she expects Cardinals Care for Cardinals will continue. She’s already working with Principal Hoak to develop a transition plan for next year’s sixth grade class to take over.

But the real future of Cardinals Care might be in the younger grades. When asked if she wants to help the first grade students once she reaches the sixth grade, Elizabeth gave an enthusiastic “Yeah!”