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closeVolunteers recognized for their service in schools
The Puyallup School Board applauds district volunteers, staff for their efforts
Chris Albert
So far this year more than 4,500 volunteers have logged approximately 60,000 hours in Puyallup schools.
The Puyallup School Board recognized three of those volunteers as Volunteer of the Year recipients and a district staff member with the Award of Merit at its April 14 board meeting.
“When we have parents involved in schools we have more parent ownership,” said Cory Crawford, Pope Elementary principal.
The school board recognized Diana Hines with Emerald Ridge High School, Marcia Tschida with Mountain View Elementary and Joseph “Pepe” Ugalde with Maplewood Elementary for their volunteer efforts.
Pope Elementary Volunteer Coordinator and paraeducator Hester Little was presented the Award of Merit for her efforts in the district.
“Kids affectionately call her our ‘building duty,’” because she is always looking out for students, Crawford said.
Little has a long relationship with the Pope Elementary community. She has been a parent volunteer, a teacher’s aide and now coordinates volunteer efforts at the school.
“Whatever needs to be done Hester does it willingly and with a smile on her face,” Crawford said. “This is so fitting for her. She doesn’t seek the spotlight, but she needs to be thrust into it sometimes.”
The behind-the-scenes coordinating it takes to maximize volunteers’ strengths, comfort zones and where to place them is tremendously valuable, he said.
“Hester has a good eye for where to direct people and put them in the right spots,” Crawford said.
Without a strong coordinator, volunteer programs can be ineffective because volunteers wouldn’t necessarily know what their jobs entail, he said.
Little helps them find their way, Crawford said. She even spends a great deal of her time volunteering herself. If there’s a need, no matter what it is, she finds a way to fill it.
“She’s like the best volunteer you could have,” Crawford said. “I think any one of us as principals would want to have a Hester Little in our building.”
At Emerald Ridge High School, a major contributor to the flow of the main office comes from Hines, said Troy Hodge, Emerald Ridge assistant principal.
“She’s so reliable,” he said, that it frees up time for staff to work on other educational needs.
Hines has been coming in to volunteer for the past five years. Like many volunteers, it’s a way she feels she can help students.
“She just says ‘It’s just one way I feel I can contribute to their education and help out,’” Hodge said.
Schools wouldn’t be able to do what they do without volunteers, said Liz Knox, Maplewood Elementary principal.
At Maplewood, Ugalde comes in every school day for half the day to volunteer his time. He works with different students to help them reach their potential. Ugalde is not a parent, but sees volunteering as something that he has the time for and is the right thing to do, Knox said.
“He just puts a tremendous amount of time and effort into it,” she said. “He just really believes in helping kids.”
An example of his above-and-beyond effort is that during grandparents day he volunteered as a substitute grandpa for a student whose grandparents weren’t able to be there.
Volunteers often do whatever it takes to help students, said Theresa Garrison, Mountain View Elementary principal, and are not looking for recognition.
Tschida’s work at Mountain View is an incredible resource from coordinating parent volunteers to working in different classrooms she does it all, Garrison said.
“She’s just this wonderful quiet woman who is there to help teachers and students,” Garrison said. “If we have any function she’s there helping out.”
Recently the school recognized her volunteer involvement at an assembly. Tschida helps provide all students the opportunity to participate in the district’s art Reflections Program by providing guidance, materials and recess time to work on art projects. She wanted to recognize the students at an assembly. After the students’ presentations Garrison took the microphone to let Garrison know why they were really there.
They were there to acknowledge her work. Students had the opportunity to tell Tschida what they see her do and how much they appreciate her, Garrison said.
“I thought it was really important that she hears what they see her do,” Garrison said. “It was a really nice moment for all of our students and staff.”
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Volunteers of the year
> Diana Hines was recognized for her volunteer efforts at Emerald Ridge High School.
> Marcia Tschida was recognized for her volunteer efforts at Mountain View Elementary School.
> Joseph Ugalde was recognized for his volunteer efforts at Maplewood Elementary School.
> Hester Little was recognized as the Award of Merit recipient for her efforts as volunteer coordinator at Pope Elementary School.