As the school year draws to a close, it’s time to thank a group of intrepid volunteers who have cared for scraped knees and elbows, shown compassion for bruised egos, and helped your children problem solve troubled friendships, rules of the game and negotiate fairly all things in between. Please add your thanks to mine to Jessica Christofferson, Julie Clark, Kelly Daniels, Seyeon Eddey, Stephanie Fox, Anne Gerich, Erica Gilliand, Keely Gleason, Rachael Groark, David Halleran, Venetia Halsey, Julie Harrold, Ami Hidaka, Melissa Herron, Gary Hurley, Rachel Lambert, Jenny Lee, Tyler McClenahan, Erin Osborne, Liz Overland, Sue Pierce, Bobby Jo Ramos, Jackie Reese, Megan Richards, Jamie Riley, Annie Roff, Sue Scanlon, Keely Schoonover, Cindy Semick, Robin Sheridan, Chris Sourov, Anita Souza, Amy Szyszko, Steph Wade, Cara Wakefield, Emily Wiederspan, and Lisa Zevenbergen.
I wish I’d kept track of the countless volunteers who came before; there are so many people to thank for their support and comradeship over three decades. Each of them deserves my sincerest thanks.
I couldn’t have asked for more support, encouragement or mentoring from the administrators, faculty and staff. An ear or shoulder was always available in addition to their creative energy to help tackle difficulties. I’ve learned and grown a great deal from their examples.
But it’s the children who kept me coming back. Spending the last 30 years with them has been a blessing. I’ve loved watching them grow and mature and helping them learn lessons fine-tuned on the playground – inclusion, responsibility, compromise, communication, kindness, tolerance, assertiveness and confidence just to name a few.
I will treasure their happy faces, shared hugs and high fives, the conversations about the important and mundane topics pertinent to their daily lives, and the tears and disappointments that help us grow. I may be leaving the asphalt, but I’ll still be on campus in the PreSchool, taking delight in the first lessons of their school career.
As of this writing, the position of Playground Supervisor is still open. If you have the flexibility to be on campus during the day, love the challenge of children and are not daunted by the weather, I encourage you to apply. Please contact Mrs. O’Leary.
Farewell with a grateful heart,
Mrs. Catherine Dahlgren, Our Lady of Perpetual Asphalt
