Seymour Newberger: unsung hero
This season it is our pleasure to feature volunteer Seymour Newberger from our Temple Beth Emunah team. For over 5 years Mr. Newberger has been working with 5th grade students at the Arnone School in Brockton, for a whopping 20-30 hours each week! Team Leader Tina Langson and the 5th grade teachers at the Arnone join GBJCL in honoring Mr. Newberger for his remarkable dedication of time and unwavering commitment to students’ success.
Mr. Newberger, a retired civil engineer, works on math and science with gr
oups of students at the Arnone almost every day, from morning until the end of the day. He arrives with his own custom prepared lesson plans, complete with original questions and activities on the subjects being learned in the classroom. Arnone teacher Erin McGuire sums up Mr. Newberger’s vast contribution saying, “Sy has been a lifesaver in meeting the needs of our students who are individual learners. He started volunteering for 30 minutes and now spends almost the entire day helping the entire 5th grade.”
A former long-time Boy Scout leader, Mr. Newberger also serves as a mentor. Ms. Oalican, another 5th grade teacher, shared the positive impact Mr. Newberger has on her students, “Sy is very patient, extremely giving, funny, and the kids fight over who gets to go [work] with him. He’s a great male role model for the students who don’t have that in their home and he creates real world examples of how math is used.”
The teachers who work with Mr. Newberger weren’t the only ones bursting with pride. Mr. Newberger’s son, Steve, proudly shared, “My father is very humble about his volunteer work and always wants to do more for the students. He’s very selfless and has always been my hero.”
