Richland One thanks volunteers for touching minds and shaping future

Richland One thanked hundreds of volunteers for providing invaluable service to its schools and students at the annual volunteer recognition breakfast on April 23.

According to Stacey Bryant, coordinator of volunteer and mentoring programs, "This year' theme, Touching Minds and Shaping Futures, reflected the real impact of the work of volunteers in the district's 47 schools."

The following special awards were presented:

• 2004 Volunteer of the Year (tie)- Dr. Scott Gwara, a parent at A.C. Moore Elementary School, has given untold hours of service to his school and has done so while telling them that he does not want recognition for it. He created a weekly chess club to help improve test scores; 60 students participate in this one-hour-a -week program. Because of his direct ties to the faculty at the University of South Carolina, A.C. Moore was invited to become a cohort school for the College of Education at USC. He has worked on weekends to help build playground equipment, taught after school writing classes, and he is constantly listening for new program opportunities and funding sources the school might pursue. All of these things have made a real difference at AC Moore and in the lives of the students.

• 2004 Volunteer of the Year (tie)- Kevin Entzminger of Lewis Greenview Elementary School has excelled far beyond the call of duty. Each Friday he takes a group of students to the library to take Accelerated Reader tests. It is not uncommon for him to pop into the school in the middle of the week to spend extra time with low-achieving students and reassure them. He allows students the opportunity to see themselves as winners and has proven himself as a coach for classroom events and performances. He has redefined the word volunteer at the school. He has helped to give students a zeal for reading and encouraged them to stop and think about their behavior while allowing them to discover their hidden talents. He gives from the heart, teaches from the soul and encourages students to be the best that they can be at all times.

• The Sam Hopkins Volunteer Administrator of the Year Award was presented to Sharlene Golden from Bradley Elementary School. She was recognized for developing a Parent Resources room and increasing the number of volunteers as well as volunteer hours at Bradley Elementary School.

• Partnership of the Year Award was presented Palmetto Health. This partnership started in 1992 with a high school and has grown to include all schools in the A.C. Flora cluster.

•       The Volunteer Group of the Year is Trinity Episcopal Church. This group of approximately 40 volunteers provides tutoring, enrichment clubs and weekly student incentives. They provide enrichment programs that include golf, fabric weaving, drama, cooking, needlepoint and sewing, soccer, baby-sitting certification through the Red Cross and creative movement. All resources needed for the enrichment clubs are provided Additionally, they provide snacks, tickets to cultural events, sponsor family night, conduct workshops and sponsor an essay contest. This summer the church will sponsor 50 students to a weeklong camp at Camp Bob in Hendersonville, North Carolina. WA Perry Middle School is a major part of their missions department.

• Elementary Volunteer with the Most Hours: Hattie Bailey and Edith Whitner of Watkins-Nance Elementary tied for honors with 3,600 hours each.

• Middle school Volunteer with the Most Hours: Mark Taylor of Crayton Middle, who logged 360 hours.

• High School Volunteer with the Most Hours: For the second straight year, Amy Fling of A.C. Flora High School won top honors with 2,430 hours.

• The Stevenson Award of Excellence, which recognizes an administrator for excellence in volunteer administration, was presented to Erica Fields, principal at Bradley Elementary School.

• Satchel Ford Elementary, Crayton Middle and A.C. Flora High schools were recognized as having the most volunteer hours at the elementary, middle and high school levels, respectively.