Judy Ireland - won't stop, can't stop

Judy Ireland is Tuesday's Volunteer of the Week in a five-day look at five members of the Havre community who have done more than their share to help better Havre and the Hi-Line.

Ireland has been reading to third-graders at Lincoln-McKinley Primary School au gratis for two years now.

"Teachers need all the help they can get," Ireland said. "Whether it be working with kids or helping with bulletin boards, helping with getting things ready."

She works exclusively with Jane Leinwand's class of students and helps the teacher with cutting and laminating classroom material and preparing other things to help with her instruction of the children.

"She never has time for that," Ireland said. "Teachers don't have time for little things like that. They're important, but they just need to be with the kids."

Ireland spends about an hour and a half every week taking students from the classroom to help them read books in the library. She works with about three students to help them catch up on their reading quota.

She has been retired for three years, and has volunteered at Lincoln-McKinley for two. She was a teacher for 36 years, 19 of which she spent at Lincoln McKinley.

"It keeps me in touch and keeps me around the school environment in retirement," she said. "I miss the kids. I miss the teachers. ... Any little bit I could do to help them spend more time working one on one with the kids or working with the kids in important."

Ireland humbly made notice that she is by far not alone in her endeavors.

"There are lots and lots of people who volunteer in the schools," Ireland said. "Not just retired teachers, but lots of other parents, grandparents and just people who know that it's really needed."