April 20th is National School Volunteers Appreciation Day and the perfect opportunity to share our gratitude with the multitude of people who spend time in our schools to support our students.
From parents, grandparents, retired teachers and even students themselves, the group of school volunteers throughout our District give from the kindness of their hearts.
At Woodland Elementary, Mrs. Waller, a parent volunteer with three children in the District, volunteers with the Woodland PTO Circles Group, which spreads awareness of diversity of cultures, races and holidays within their school population. Another amazing volunteer is Mrs. Boyle, a retired teacher whose efforts to collect recycled plastic earned Woodland a free outdoor recess bench made from recycled plastic.
And Randy and Joyce Schau, who have volunteered for more than 10 years at Woodland, providing learning opportunities to help students thrive.
"They volunteer from the kindness of their hearts to help children flourish as students and good little humans," Woodland's secretary Mindi Hayward said of the volunteers.
At Curious Kids, Stacy Klingerman has dedicated
more than two decades of her life to helping our youngest learners. Stacy, once a Curious Kid herself and a graduate of Portage Northern High School, has served in a variety of roles at Curious Kids for the last 20+ years.
She helps greet families as they arrive and helps distribute snacks to students while also teaching the kids about Down Syndrome.
Stacy is one of the many adults cherished by our teaching staff as amazing partners in our school buildings.
And volunteering can even include students! At Portage Central High School, students volunteer time out of their day to sell coffee at Vinnie's to raise funds for their peers and initiatives that help the entire student body.
At Twelfth Street Elementary, a group of parents deserve all the thanks for always going above and beyond to support our teachers and students -- donating their time and resources to the classroom.
THANK YOU to all of these volunteers and the many others who dedicate their lives to helping our students thrive!