Parent Volunteer Helps Makes School 'A Better Place'

Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) recognizes educators, employees and volunteers each month from September to June during the school year. Awards are presented at Board of Education meetings and Patch is pleased to announce the honorees.

The February "Volunteer of the Month" is Becky Andrew, parent of a student with severe disabilities at Ruth Eason School in Millersville. According to the AACPS website, the Volunteer of the Month is chosen by a committee made up of staff from the Office of School & Family Partnerships and parents.

Here is the text of the speech presented at the Feb. 8 meeting in honor of Andrew:

The Volunteer of the Month Award honors those who generously enrich our schools by providing many hours of their precious time and talents in unique ways.  They initiate programs and activities that bring new horizons to our students and they inspire others to volunteer and to engage in their children’s education.  Most are parents who, despite busy home and often work schedules, manage to devote additional energy to their child’s school. 

February’s Volunteer of the Month is one of those busy parents, only more so.  As a parent of a student with severe disabilities at Ruth Eason School and co-owner of a business with her husband, Becky Andrew regularly gives lovingly of her time and support to her daughter’s school, both in and out of the classroom.  Such direct parent involvement is unusual at Ruth Eason, where parents’ evenings and weekends are spent coping with the rewarding but difficult tasks involved in raising a child with special needs. 

Becky faithfully devotes one day each week to her daughter’s classroom to cut, laminate, copy and complete the myriad of little, yet necessary tasks that make a classroom run smoothly.  Even after these classroom duties are completed, Becky offers her assistance to the busy office staff. 

Beyond this weekly hands-on volunteering, Becky makes time to be an active member of the Home School Association.  Be it a staff breakfast or a fundraiser, it is Becky who organizes the volunteers, shops for supplies, comes early to set up, and stays late to clean up.  Because, Becky takes time to ensure an attractive table and delicious, plentiful food, the yearly Staff Appreciation Luncheon is much anticipated. 

In the world of special education, Ruth Eason staff knows how difficult it is for families to commit time to volunteering at the school. Teacher, Jessica Angle, writes, “Parents’ spare time is at a precious minimum.  To have a parent of a child with special needs who is so involved and so committed to making Ruth Eason School a better place is a rare occurrence.”

 Click here to nominate a deserving AACPS educator, employee or volunteer.