{"id":8299,"date":"2018-10-29T11:37:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-29T15:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/?p=8299"},"modified":"2018-11-07T15:05:45","modified_gmt":"2018-11-07T20:05:45","slug":"volunteer-spotlight-carole-kownack-bayside-high-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/volunteer-spotlight-carole-kownack-bayside-high-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteer Spotlight: Carole Kownack, Bayside High School"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each month, dedicated volunteers or community partners will be recognized for the time and talents dedicated to Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS).<\/em><\/p>\n

Carole Kownack was a teacher at Green Run Elementary School for more than seven years and saw first-hand the benefits volunteers had in the school and in her classroom. So, when she became a parent herself, Kownack knew she wanted to provide the same service she received.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir help in the classroom was invaluable,\u201d said Kownack. \u201cTheir assistance allowed me to accomplish more for my students than I could have accomplished alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kownack volunteered in her children\u2019s classrooms whenever possible. Once she started volunteering, she knew she could never stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to support our VBCPS teachers as they worked to enrich our children\u2019s lives,\u201d said Kownack. \u201cI believed that if I could offer assistance for any areas of need, I would be helping them fulfill their goals for their students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kownack followed her children as they advanced from school to school volunteering each chance she found. Her youngest child graduated from Bayside High School and is now a senior in college.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just don\u2019t seem to be able to leave,\u201d said Kownack. \u201cI really enjoy it at Bayside High School and I think the things we do as volunteers help people, so that makes me want to stick around here and do more good stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Kownack made a point to volunteer whenever and wherever needed. From making copies to organizing fellow volunteers, she has held many different positions over the years. Reflecting on the activities and events she has helped with, she said she really enjoyed being the school\u2019s volunteer coordinator.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I found someone with skills and a desire to share their time with the school and found an avenue they could grow in and students could learn from, that was really something special,\u201d explained Kownack. \u201cI had the opportunity to find out what the school\u2019s needs were, and then find people who were interested in meeting those needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kownack now supports the current volunteer coordinator and is a dedicated member of the school\u2019s copy team.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Thursdays the copy team gets together and makes copies for teachers who have requested assistance,” said Kownack. \u201cHaving been a teacher, I know this is helpful. I remember how frustrating it could be, so to be able to support teachers in this manner, I really enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thursdays are busy for Kownack because she also dedicates her time as part of the school\u2019s cookie team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t bake, but I sell. We sell cookies to raise money for the city-wide All Night Grad Committee.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to making copies and selling cookies, Kownack is also a part of the Parent, Teacher, Student Association (PTSA) board and a member of the volunteer coordinator committee. She also shares the many different opportunities to volunteer with the Bayside High School community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have parents that interview kids during mock job interviews, community members and parents help us host the Reality Store,\u201d said Kownack. \u201cThese are opportunities where parents and community members get to make a difference, even if it\u2019s just for the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is the driving factor that keeps Kownack volunteering? The students.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see them start to develop their leadership qualities, whether it\u2019s through the Student Council Association (SCA), a sports team, or in the classroom,\u201d shared Kownack. \u201cI think that\u2019s why I don\u2019t leave, because seeing those things fill me with joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Relationships are another factor that keeps Kownack volunteering.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the best things about volunteering are the relationships you make with the staff or with other volunteers. People who volunteer have good hearts and good intentions, and when you put a group of those people together, pretty cool stuff happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

For volunteers who are concerned about how much time they are able to devote to volunteering, Kownack wants them to know there are opportunities to assist with specific one-time events or seasonal activities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would encourage volunteers to start with a small time commitment in an area that is within their comfort zone,\u201d said Kownack. \u201cAnd if it helps \u2013 bring a friend to volunteer with you. You are about to embark on a rewarding adventure that will positively impact the future!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVolunteering is about giving the gift of time back to the people,\u201d explained Kownack. \u201cWorking with others to achieve a common goal only serves to increase the fun and satisfaction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Become a volunteer or community partner today and make a difference in student\u2019s lives. For more information on volunteering visit vbschools.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Each month, dedicated volunteers or community partners will be recognized for the time and talents dedicated to Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS). Carole Kownack was a teacher at Green […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":8298,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[202],"class_list":["post-8299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-connections","tag-bayside-high-school"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8299"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8301,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8299\/revisions\/8301"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}