At Bannon Creek School, they call him “Mr. Mike,” an extraordinary volunteer who donates about four hours a day, three times a week, to his grandson’s 5th-grade class.
Principal Amreek Singh calls Mike Harvey a “caring man who spends hours of his time so that he can make a positive impact on kids.”
Harvey shrugs off such compliments, characterizing himself as a big kid himself – not a teacher, not someone who knows everything, but simply a 63-year-old retiree who appreciates kids and has time on his hands.
“I’m just there for them,” he said. “I try to help.”
Teacher Sue Addington said Harvey assists in the day-to-day running of things, photocopying needed materials, grading papers, helping students out when needed, and he “generally will do anything asked of him,” she said.
“Mike is a great asset to not only my class but to the whole school,” Addington said. “He is Grandpa to all of the students at the school. Mike takes the time to get to know the students and enjoys interacting with them.”
Harvey has assisted in his grandson’s class throughout elementary school, initially at a Citrus Heights campus before the boy transferred to Natomas Unified as a 3rd grader. This marks the third year that Harvey has volunteered at Bannon Creek.
Born and raised in England, Harvey describes himself as a “soccer nut” who has lived in Sacramento for nearly 50 years but still roots for the same English team, Tottenham Hotspur. Principal Singh is a fan of another team, Liverpool, sparking friendly trash talk between them.
Harvey began volunteering at school as a way to reach out to his grandson, now 10 years old. But Harvey quickly found himself a role model to other kids, too, and he felt honored to win their trust and confidence.
One of Harvey’s favorite school memories occurred several years ago, when he reached out to a young student with behavioral problems. Later, the boy approached him and said simply, “Mr. Mike, you and I are friends.”
“It was neat to hear that,” Harvey said. “We still see each other, and we give each other a high-five. He’s quite happy with that.”
What advice would he give to a new school volunteer?
“I try to be very honest and fair,” he said. “If I make a promise to the kids, I’ll do it … If you say you’re going to do something, and you don’t do it, kids will remember that, they don’t forget.”
