Students Learn Value of Volunteering
Prince William County students witnessed volunteerism in action this year as the Student Services department of PWCS developed a Disaster Response Team to help the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Wilma. Ten school employees were deployed to the south by the Prince William County Chapter of the American Red Cross to participate in hurricane relief efforts.
“How better to help students understand the importance of community and giving to those that are in need than by being a living example?” says Catherine Fermo, a guidance counselor at Potomac High School and a member of the PWCS Disaster Response Team. She says that dozens of students would come by her office each day just to talk about her experience in New Orleans. While chatting, Ms. Fermo says she tried to give her students an “idea of how rewarding it is to give.”
The volunteers were deployed in teams throughout October and November and provided counseling services, client services, food, water, and cleaning supplies to the people who were stranded in Louisiana and Florida. To show the school system’s support of the team’s actions, Steven L. Walts, Superintendent of Schools, authorized that each volunteer be paid “professional leave” for the duration of their deployment.
As part of this effort, the school system also took in nearly 100 students who had relocated due to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. However, many school employees realized that the larger problem remained in areas where the hurricanes had actually done their damage.
Members of the PWCS Disaster Relief Team included:
Carrie Brown, school psychologist, Henderson/Montclair Elementary and Child Find
Sue Danielson, school counselor, Minnieville Elementary
Shannon DiMisa, school counselor, Stonewall Jackson High
Catherine Fermo, school counselor, Potomac High
Beth Graney, guidance director/school counselor, Bull Run Middle
Mary Minter, school nurse, Stonewall Jackson Middle
Dany Peabody, school nurse, Triangle Elementary
Kimberlee Ratliff, school counselor, Penn Elementary
Shannon Raymond, school counselor, Neabsco Elementary
Deborah Roche, guidance director/school counselor, Woodbridge Middle
Once their work in the Gulf Coast was done, the volunteers returned and began helping here at home. By sharing stories and photos with their schools, these women taught their peers and colleagues the true value of getting involved for a good cause. Ultimately, PWCS’ response to the hurricanes gave many students a new perspective on community relations and local politics, and many learned from first-hand accounts the true value of volunteerism.
1/10/06
