2014 Volunteers of the Year
Poway Unified Announces the Selection of District Volunteers of the Year
Mary Belay, Zoom Duong, and Bill Warner Receive Honors
The Poway Unified School District is fortunate to have hundreds of volunteers who donate countless hours to the children on PUSD. The PUSD Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. John Collins would like to thank all of our volunteers for their time and support. Each PUSD school has the opportunity to nominate a candidate as an outstanding volunteer of the year. The following volunteers were chosen as PUSD Volunteers of the Year:
Mary Belay, Sunset Hills Elementary School
Mary Belay’s warm smile, willingness to help anyone, positive comments and daily volunteering for the past 32 years at Sunset Hills Elementary School does not go unnoticed. She can be seen every day helping out in the TK (Transitional Kindergarten) classroom. She helps with bulletin boards, sews chair covers, and attends all Sunset Hills events to lend a helping hand.
She does all of this with a broad smile and a loving attitude. Mary especially loves to work with the littlest Seagulls. She will encourage each child to do their best and sit one on one with a child to help with reading, math, writing, or to wipe a tear or skinned knee.
“One of things I love the most about Mary,” says Principal , Tina Ziegler, “is her positive twist on every situation. She often will come into the Principal's office, asking, “Do you have a minute?”. Mary never complains about any situation without having a ready solution. If the lunch lines are moving too slowly, she will come up with a different route or dismissal to ease the long lines.”
Mary generously gives her time with a loving attitude, compassion and humor. What is even more impressive is that she does not even have a child attending the school. She does not ask for accolades and is most often the ”behind the scene” person ensuring that everything goes smoothly for our students. She is a person who just loves to give her heart, time and skills to help children.
She does all of this with a broad smile and a loving attitude. Mary especially loves to work with the littlest Seagulls. She will encourage each child to do their best and sit one on one with a child to help with reading, math, writing, or to wipe a tear or skinned knee.
“One of things I love the most about Mary,” says Principal , Tina Ziegler, “is her positive twist on every situation. She often will come into the Principal's office, asking, “Do you have a minute?”. Mary never complains about any situation without having a ready solution. If the lunch lines are moving too slowly, she will come up with a different route or dismissal to ease the long lines.”
Mary generously gives her time with a loving attitude, compassion and humor. What is even more impressive is that she does not even have a child attending the school. She does not ask for accolades and is most often the ”behind the scene” person ensuring that everything goes smoothly for our students. She is a person who just loves to give her heart, time and skills to help children.
Zoom Duong, Black Mountain Middle School
Zoom Duong is involved in everything at Black Mountain Middle School: Academy program, maintaining the Academy website, maintaining the school volunteer signups, fundraising for various clubs, head coach for Science Olympiad, First Lego League, PTSA representative, 2 Foundation representative, Fall Fest advisor, and more. For each club, program or event that she is involved with she gives 110% effort. As head coach for Science Olympiad, over 120 BMMS students participate. Only 90 can be sent to compete in the regional competition, but because the school wants all of their students to have the opportunity to compete, they host their own site Science Olympiad Day. Thanks to Zoom’s leadership and organization, they are able to make this unique event possible.
She is always willing to pitch in and find ways to make the impossible happen. One example of this comes from Principal, Charan Kirpalani: “Earlier in the year, I told her about my interest to bring computer programming and coding onto the campus. I had some ideas, but nothing ready to roll out. Sure enough, Zoom took the idea and ran with it – in Spring 2014, we held our first Cyber Security Education Program meeting at school where students and parents heard from a parent volunteer/coach about joining a cyber-security team and participating in a nationwide competition.”
Zoom is recognized for her hard work, tireless effort and gigantic contributions she has made to Black Mountain Middle School.
She is always willing to pitch in and find ways to make the impossible happen. One example of this comes from Principal, Charan Kirpalani: “Earlier in the year, I told her about my interest to bring computer programming and coding onto the campus. I had some ideas, but nothing ready to roll out. Sure enough, Zoom took the idea and ran with it – in Spring 2014, we held our first Cyber Security Education Program meeting at school where students and parents heard from a parent volunteer/coach about joining a cyber-security team and participating in a nationwide competition.”
Zoom is recognized for her hard work, tireless effort and gigantic contributions she has made to Black Mountain Middle School.
Bill Warner Abraxas High School
Bill Warner has a great amount of patience, compassion and is heavily involved in Abraxas High School. For the past year and half, he has volunteered on a weekly basis working with students during TLC (Technology, Learning & Cooking). These are students who face the most challenges in their daily life and Bill treats them with the utmost respect, patience and dignity. He will work alongside a student giving them words of encouragement, helping them complete a cooking, vocational or craft type task. He frequently takes students for walks who need a break.
In addition to TLC, Bill has helped with two Transition Proms held off campus using his construction expertise to secure props and décor. Bill has also served as videographer during the Transition Vocational Skills Conference, staying the entire day videotaping mock interviews which students and staff review for educational purposes. Bill has also participated in campus beautification projects.
Principal Dave MacLeod says, “Bill is a natural working with students with special needs. He enters the room and jumps right into what is going on without hesitation. His time and compassion are greatly appreciated by all of us at Abraxas.”
In addition to TLC, Bill has helped with two Transition Proms held off campus using his construction expertise to secure props and décor. Bill has also served as videographer during the Transition Vocational Skills Conference, staying the entire day videotaping mock interviews which students and staff review for educational purposes. Bill has also participated in campus beautification projects.
Principal Dave MacLeod says, “Bill is a natural working with students with special needs. He enters the room and jumps right into what is going on without hesitation. His time and compassion are greatly appreciated by all of us at Abraxas.”
The following is a list of all the PUSD school site Volunteers of the Year. All of these finalists are representative of the high caliber of volunteers whose sincerity and dedication benefit hundreds of PUSD students.
The Selection Committee was made up of David Hall, Personnel Support Services; Noreen Walton, Learning Support Services; and Mike Tarantino, Business Support Services.
| Name | Site |
|---|---|
| Bill Warner | Abraxas High School |
| Jackie Celo | Adobe Bluffs Elementary School |
| Kim Gimlin | Bernardo Heights Middle School |
| Zoom Duong | Black Mountain Middle School |
| Noriko Ashihara | Canyon View Elementary School |
| Lisa Knecht | Chaparral Elementary School |
| Dana Simone-Kurtz | Creekside Elementary School |
| Sabine Schroeder | Deer Canyon Elementary School |
| Ted Jones | Del Norte High School |
| Kristine Song | Del Sur Elementary School |
| Charlotte White | Garden Road Elementary School |
| Danielle Spartz | Meadowbrook Middle School |
| Library Volunteers | Mesa Verde Middle School |
| Cynthia Cribbins | Midland Elementary School |
| Linda Manning | Monterey Ridge Elementary School |
| Charmaine Quidachay | Mt. Carmel High School |
| Paula DeLessio | Oak Valley Middle School |
| Abby Boretto | Painted Rock Elementary School |
| Laurie Minark | Park Village Elementary School |
| Kate Budd | Pomerado Elementary School |
| Kei Laliberte | Poway High School |
| Christ & Kathleen Kennedy | Rancho Bernardo High School |
| Ella German | Rolling Hills Elementary School |
| Susan Bowers | Stone Ranch Elementary School |
| Jennifer Hunsaker | Sundance Elementary School |
| Mary Belay | Sunset Hills Elementary School |
| Rachel Allums | Tierra Bonita Elementary School |
| Joann Gaytan | Turtleback Elementary School |
| Jocelyn Lozier | Twin Peaks Middle School |
| Tammie Statler | Valley Elementary School |
| Julie Leonard | Westview High School |
| Dawn Shetzer | Willow Grove Elementary School |