After 30 years of leadership at Portland Adventist Elementary School, beloved librarian Madelynn Cummings will be retiring at the end of this summer. Perhaps better known to generations of local families as “Mrs. C,” Madelynn’s legacy and impact on the PAES community is unmistakable. When she first moved to the area with her family from Pendleton, Oregon three decades ago, Mrs. C began serving at PAES as a volunteer. “I started volunteering here while I was looking for work,” she shared, “Pretty soon they were having me basically volunteer all the time - which was fabulous! I loved it and I loved the kids. Then they asked me if I would like to come to work, so I started working as a teachers’ aide. Since then I’ve aided in basically all of our grade levels.”
Only a few steps into the school from the front doors takes visitors into the space Mrs. C has carefully planned and curated - the Portland Adventist Elementary School library! Helping students fall in love with reading and learning is one of Mrs. C’s greatest passions. “You really want to encourage kids if you can and explain to them why they could love reading,” she said. “Then lead them along through the years. At the beginning some students are a little more reluctant, but oftentimes by the time they’ve finished a book they love they’re reading really well! I love it when the lights come on for them. I’ve loved aiding with the reading program for our younger students and seeing when they experienced that ‘Aha!’ moment of ‘I’m reading!’ Often they don’t even realize that’s what they’re doing until they do it and I get to tell them, ‘Yeah! You’re doing it! You’re reading!’ It’s fabulous. When you read the world opens up to you. You can have such great fun and go anywhere through books!”
Mrs. C described herself as a constant learner. “I love learning new things,” she said. “I technically work Monday through Thursday, so Friday is my day to go to Barnes & Noble to read and research new books to buy for my students! We keep a wishlist, so I go check out what they’re looking for. We can’t always fulfill everything, but I always tell them I will do my very best! I also work with the teachers to make sure that the materials they need are here for them and that the library is meeting our students’ needs.”
I asked Mrs. C about her new discoveries, and she said, “One of the books I found recently is a new book on black holes that has been fascinating! My junior high students have been passing it around, and just last week one of my fifth graders came in and asked, ‘Could I check it out?’” Even in the summer, Mrs. C tells students that if they want to come and check a book out from the school library she will help make that happen. “I’m here on Wednesdays in the summer and keep the library open from eleven to one, but the deal is that I live in the neighborhood so if they need to come on a different day or at a different time, we can do that. It’s a great way to keep them learning and it helps me stay connected to the kids.”
When it comes to her students, Mrs. C encourages them to look beyond PAES as well. “I tell my kids ‘Get your public library card! I will not have everything here that you would like to read. We don’t even have enough space for all of that!’ I usually send out a letter to teach them about the public library, Barnes & Noble, and any book-related local events.”
“I love the freedom that this community has given me to search and find reading materials,” said Mrs. C. “I love that they have allowed me to do all kinds of different things and supported us through it. They’ve supported us financially and by showing up any time we need help - and I just want each of them to know how much that’s appreciated. Maybe they don’t think it’s that important when they’re helping us dust shelves or wash books, but it’s all important and they are so appreciated and so loved. I respect our parents so much for having their children here and working so hard to put them through school. It’s wonderful! Getting to know their children has been a privilege, and I hope I’ve helped them fall in love with reading along the way. See, if you can pique someone’s curiosity about anything - whether it’s history or science or even just a great fiction book or adventure that gets them thinking outside the box a little bit - that’s an incredible thing. So I just want everyone to know that I love them all dearly. They’ve been so important in my life, and being part of that has been what I wake up every day excited for!”
We are so grateful for the leadership, service, and impact Mrs. C has made in our community these past years, and we wish her and her family all the best as they begin their next adventure!
