Thank You Volunteers

As you probably suspected, due to the pandemic we are unable to host our traditional Volunteer Celebration.That stated, the Bremerton School District Staff and Students miss having volunteers in their schools. We are looking forward to the time when we will be able to invite volunteers back. You truly are missed and we imagine that many of you miss us also. When the time finally comes to welcoming you back, it will be a special day. Thank you for all you have done in the past and will hopefully plan to continue to do once the world opens up.

Due to the pandemic the hours have decreased greatly, but the impact of the service of volunteers has not.

Currently we do not have any volunteers in the school buildings, but the following groups have been approved by the District Leadership Team and are now actively engaged in a variety of socially distant ways throughout the District.

• Under the direction of Corinne Beach and Sam De Lano. PSNS and Keyport Engineers have zoomed with multiple classes in several schools as well as the District Wide Math Blast STEM Family Night.

• Once a month, Bremerton Rotary supply Bremerton High School with 70 Virtual Mentors, thanks to the efforts of Steve Rice and Larry Eye who transitioned live mentors into virtual.

• The Kindness Team have written over 800 uplifting notes to students that are delivered via snail mail for The Kindness Project.

• BHS TEALS (Technology Education and Literacy in Schools) Volunteers are part of a virtual classroom every week. Teacher Bryan Webb says " These guys do a great job and we appreciate their support.

• BHS athletes are finally back in the game partly due to the assistance of Volunteer Coaches. BHS Athletic Director Casey Lindberg says "Quite honestly, there are many sports that would be nearly impossible to run smoothly without volunteers."

• CTE (Career Technical Education) partners with our local Safeway store. Weekly, CTE volunteers go to the store to package up supplies so that the students in the BHS culinary program can attend a virtual cooking class from the comfort of their own kitchens.

• Last but certainly not least, we need to recognize the dedicated PTA (Parent Teachers Association ~ now could also be referred to PTAH Parents Teaching At Home :0) PTA members have transitioned into home school parents as well as struggling to keep their school’s PTA alive. Please consider joining PTA. Here is the link so you can become a member: https://www.bremertonschools.org/Page/8542
  

Kathy has volunteered at Crownhill Elementary for six years. Her reason for volunteering is to help the community and indeed she does.

Prior to the pandemic she was at the school every day from before the students arrived until after they went home. Now that volunteers are currently not allowed into the school she has switched her efforts toward The Kindness Project. It is not surprising to anybody that nobody that knows her, that this kind lady is willing to do whatever it takes towards the success of this wonderful project.

Steve has volunteered for many years throughout the Bremerton School District. He is the co-chair of the Bremerton Rotary AVID Mentor Committee - a group of more than 70 Rotarians and community volunteers who mentor Bremerton High School AVID students. This year due to COVID restrictions, AVID mentors have met monthly via Zoom with students. One of Steve's favorite events of the year has been the AVID Recognition Night at BHS. He enjoys hearing about the seniors' accomplishments and their plans for college.

FUN Fact

Steve is an avid cyclist and he rode his bicycle across the country with a few friends.

Connie has been volunteering at West Hills STEM for the past three years assisting with grades K-5, doing whatever is needed, from preparing materials to working directly with children, to special projects like STEM Fair and field day. She enjoys working with children, seeing them learn and become more confident. Prior to volunteering at WH, she taught there.

She knows when children are involved there’s always a story. Her first day in the building as a volunteer, one of the students from the previous year followed her down the hall, urging her to get to her classroom quickly because another teacher was trying to take over the room.

FUN Fact
Connie works with a beagle rescue program to bring unwanted beagles from other states and from South Korea to the Pacific Northwest, where there is a waiting list of adopters.

Gail spent her entire career teaching in the Bremerton School District. Her first job was at Navy Yard City Elementary, followed by West Hills Elementary and she finished her career at West Hills STEM Academy, ironically all three schools were at the same location. After retiring, Gail missed the interaction with students and started volunteering the following school year.

Volunteering gives her a chance to have that interaction and use skills developed while teaching. She has been volunteering at WH STEM for six years.

FUN Fact

Gail Green and Connie Wheeler not only taught the majority of their careers together, but these ladies attended East Bremerton High School and UW together. In addition to that they both welcomed many volunteers into their classrooms. One group of their volunteers came in every week for over 30 years. Lastly, these ladies both taught Kathy Cates's sons when they were in elementary school.

The Kindness Project ~ Spreading Kindness via Cards of Encouragement

• The Kindness Project was inspired by volunteers who wanted to help and were willing to do anything!

• The Kindness Team is a group of kind and caring individuals who volunteer to write (print) cards to give a glimmer of hope to students and their families :0)

• These volunteers has collectively written over 1,000 notes to students and many of the writers are continuing to write more. Some are written in Spanish.

• New to the project is writing "Notes to Staff". Currently we have extra notes waiting to go to students so the Kindness Team have started writing notes to teachers and support staff.

• ,New writers are welcome. To join the Kindness Team Here is a link for instructions: https://www.bremertonschools.org/Page/8556

​Joyce Cowdery

District Volunteer Liaison
Joyce.Cowdery@BremertonSchools.org