Dr. David Hopson
12 Littleville Rd
Huntington, MA 01050

Please visit the district website.

January 17, 2008

In an article in the Springfield Republican last week, Chicopee’s mayor suggested pay raises for city officials, including raises for members of their school committee. All of these positions have many responsibilities that are difficult to fill, as anyone who has served in any elected or appointed position in local government knows. The difference in the hilltowns is that town positions, at best, carry a small stipend while many positions have no monetary compensation attached. One of the many voluntary positions within the Gateway hilltowns is being on the school committee.

School committee members are a small part of people working to improve the educational system. Volunteerism, in all of its myriad shapes and forms, is alive and well at Gateway. Although most people recognize the importance that volunteers play within the district, it’s often overlooked in the pressures of meeting MCAS testing requirements and the day-to-day activities in our schools. Often we think about those special and ongoing volunteers—such as people serving on school councils, PTO’s, booster clubs—not as volunteers but just as parents involved in their child’s education. While many are, this is does not diminish the fact that they are freely giving their time and resources to provide better opportunities for all.

Last week a group of volunteers, including several students, helped put small gift bags together for those attending the annual volunteer dinner next month. These students (both middle and high school) worked diligently and cooperatively, were very pleasant and were a great example of the decency that is found in our student population here at Gateway. Too often we hear of the negative aspects of young people but walking through the halls, visiting classrooms, watching athletic and performing arts events and working with students at Gateway on a variety of issues reaffirms my belief that the media plays up the bad and ignores much of the good. I say this because our students in general exhibit the same characteristics as those who helped prepare the bags. They have much to offer the world, don’t fit the ‘media mold’ and remind so many of us why we first entered education.

Children don’t become positive members of society without much guidance from parents, friends, educators and many others. In honor of all of those who help children grow, I’d like to share the items put into those bags for the volunteers that help Gateway students succeed.

These seven items represent the many ways that volunteers in our seven communities come together to help educate the students in our seven schools. A rubber band because you help bind us together as we work towards a common goal. A peppermint patty because your service is worth a mint to us. A paper clip because they have many uses just as you have many talents to share with us. A bag of sunflower seeds because you help plant the seeds of knowledge in our students. A box of raisins because of all your help in ‘raisin’ our students’ achievements. A marble because of all the ones you’ve lost as a volunteer. A puzzle piece because things just wouldn’t be complete without you.

###