Sue Gilbert has served as a longtime educator in the Springfield Public School District. Over the years, she has worked at Washington Elementary, Homer Street, Balliet, and, most recently, Indian Orchard Elementary School. Sue retired at the end of the 2024-2025 school year, but her passion for helping students succeed motivated her to return to Indian Orchard this school year as a retiree callback.

A vital part of the Indian Orchard school community, Sue looks forward to participating in the Read Aloud Program each month. When she recognized a growing need for readers at Indian Orchard, she went above and beyond — encouraging members of her church, First Church of Christ in Longmeadow, MA, to step up and help fill the gap. In addition to her many responsibilities, Sue loves volunteering for the Read Aloud program.

“I keep coming back — again and again and again. It’s so rewarding. I still love what I do, and as long as I can keep doing it, I’m going to do it.”

For Sue, the most meaningful part of the Read Aloud program is the connection students build with their volunteers.

“They get the feeling that somebody cares enough to come in,” she shares. “The kids are so excited — they become connected to their person.”

Volunteers are often invited back into classrooms to assist with projects or support teachers in other ways, extending the impact beyond story time. As a former English Language Arts Instructional Leadership Specialist, Sue also deeply values the literacy impact of the program.

“I think literacy is such a huge piece of education,” she says. “Having another person coming in and reaching [the students] is so great.”

Sue’s impact within the Springfield Public Schools is immeasurable. Her dedication and commitment to students shines through each time she shows up, and through her leadership, advocacy, and example, she has inspired others to do the same.

To have a reader assigned to every Pre-K through grade five classroom across the district, SSV would need approximately 630 volunteers annually — a goal that is difficult to meet. Of those 630 classrooms, 32 are at Indian Orchard, one of the largest elementary schools in the district. Thanks to Sue’s dedication and outreach, 24 of those classrooms were filled, ensuring more students had the opportunity to experience the joy of being read to by a special guest.

Thank you, Sue — and thank you to First Church of Christ in Longmeadow — for your care, generosity, and continued commitment to Springfield’s students and Springfield School Volunteers.