Dist. 62 celebrates school, community volunteers

Posted July 05, 2015 11:00 pm

Submitted by District 62

District 62 celebrated the efforts of school volunteers and community partners during a special volunteer appreciation reception recently at Iroquois Community School.

The Kiwanis Club of Des Plaines was named the Students Succeed Partner of the Year for the Birthday Bag program they sponsor at South Elementary School, which has a large population of low-income families. To help the children, Kiwanis members visit the school each month and bring a bag filled with cake mix, balloons and a wrapped gift for each kindergartner celebrating a birthday that month. For many of the children, this may be the only birthday celebration they get. Brenda Murphy, former Board of Education president and Kiwanis volunteer, helped start the program. She accepted the award with Linda Traina, Norin Murphy, John Burke and District 62 Associate Superintendent Paul Hertel.

Geraldine Keasling, a retired teacher from North Elementary School, was named the 2015 Community Relations Ambassador of the Year. For the past 16 years, she has volunteered her time to prepare and teach lessons dealing with a variety of topics to students of all grade levels. She goes the extra mile by bringing artifacts to go with her lessons. While on vacation in Florida, Keasling collected hundreds of shells so that every child in second grade could receive five shells when they finished studying the ecosystem of the ocean.

Others who received recognition at the "Volunteers Make a World of Difference" reception include:

Students Succeed Partner Award:

• American Legion Post #36 and Sam's Club of Des Plaines received 2015 Students Succeed Partner Award for providing 105 Thanksgiving food baskets to needy families at South Elementary School.

Distinguished Volunteer Awards went to:

• Ann Bechtel of Iroquois Community School

• Rachel Griffeth-Luebke of South Elementary School

• Amy Hoffman, Susan Duffy, Michele Nelson and Brian Nelson of Central Elementary School, and

• Patrick and Annie Brzezinski, Jodi and Steve Nabor, and Jeff and Denise Parcell of Forest Elementary School

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Members of the Des Plaines Kiwanis Club accept the Students Succeed Partner Award and Students Succeed Community Partner of the Year Award for sponsoring the Birthday Bag program at South Elementary School. From left, Superintendent Dr. Jane L. Westerhold, Board Vice President Sharon Lynch, present the award to Kiwanis members Linda Traina, Norin Murphy, District 62 Associate Superintendent Paul Hertel, Brenda Murphy and John Burke. Courtesy of District 62

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