Now that school is officially in session I’d like to remind everyone of our continuing need for volunteers in our schools. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines a volunteer as “one who enters into or offers himself for a service of his own free will.” Using this definition, there are many ways for community members to assist the schools, and our students, as volunteers. These include joining various district and school groups that work to improve our schools including school councils, the school committee, advisory and ad hoc committees as some easily recognizable examples. We have very involved fundraising groups who create additional opportunities for our students through their hard work, including Parent-Teacher Organizations, the Gateway Athletic Booster Club, and our Band and Choral Boosters. We also appreciate the many people who volunteer their time to make things work better for students—those folks running our elementary libraries, parents and others who help chaperone field trips, individuals coming in and helping in our classrooms by monitoring student activities, giving presentations, preparing materials and providing other services to our students and their teachers. We also appreciate the many businesses that help our students by allowing them to use their facilities, provide monetary or ‘in-kind’ donations for various fundraisers, and generally support the district as it attempts to offer a broad range of opportunities to our students. For contact information on these groups, please see the Volunteer webpage (under the “Parents & Students” drop-down menu).
All of these activities are crucial in helping the district expand student opportunities, bring in different viewpoints, and provide learning experiences that wouldn’t be available otherwise. We are always seeking to expand the participation of volunteers in the schools and I’m sure that there are many additional opportunities for volunteers that we haven’t even thought of or put into place.
The district also has an active and growing educational foundation that funds activities beyond the standard instructional practice and academic day. These have included supporting field trips, materials for specific lessons, after-school activities, and a range of other, student-focused opportunities (see more in the foundation’s website – a link may be found under the quick links at grsd.org). The foundation has been very successful but is always under the pressure of funding projects within a limited budget, so any tax deductable donations are greatly appreciated.
In addition to hosting SHAEC (Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center), Gateway is also adding adult education courses as after-school and evening activities. This is also a great way for individuals who wish to volunteer their time and knowledge to serve the community (also under quick links on Gateway’s home page). SHAEC also provides additional opportunities to become involved in providing adult education. Thus, for those who have specific skills they’d like to share, we certainly have opportunities for your participation in these important endeavors.
Our communities, our residents, and our children can all benefit from individuals and businesses sharing their resources, knowledge, and skills through volunteering with the district. I certainly extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to every individual and business that volunteers their time, efforts, or resources to helping our students (young or old) succeed. I am asking everyone to consider becoming a volunteer – sharing something as simple as time, offering to share a particular expertise with classes throughout the district, or providing additional resources so that we can continue to expand opportunities for all.
