Volunteer of the Month

John Kennedy is our November 2025 Volunteer of the Month. John has been tutoring at Baird Elementary School for more than seven years. Every week he works with first graders on reading skills.

Thank you for all you do, John! We appreciate you!

Our GBAPS Volunteers of the Month are Avyona and Guadalupe, who both attend Green Bay East High School. They are both Big Sisters to students at Sullivan Elementary School, thanks to a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Wisconsin.

Several East High School students volunteer each year to be “Bigs” for students at Sullivan Elementary.

"I like BBBS because it lets me have a sibling I never had,” Avyona said. “Being the youngest, having someone to be a leader towards feels pretty awesome."

Thank you for all you do, Avyona and Guadalupe! We appreciate you!

Cindy Derenne is our September 2025 Volunteer of the Month. Cindy has volunteered at Baird since 2009. She is a weekly volunteer who reads with students, works in the bookroom, and is always willing to help out in a classroom. For the last several years, she has volunteered in first grade.

The staff at Baird say Cindy is a joy to have around the school, and she is always positive. Thank you for all you do, Cindy! We appreciate you!

Our May Volunteer of the Month is Margaret Cohea. Margaret, or Ms. Maggie as the students call her, walked into Beaumont Elementary School last year looking to give back. Since then, she has provided new teachers with an opportunity to shop for items to start their teaching careers. She also provides monthly school supplies for all the teachers and has provided the teachers with meals for Parent Teacher Conference night. Throughout the school year she has worked closely with the Building Future Leaders Group, teaching the girls how to sew dog toys which are then donated to the Wisconsin Humane Society.

She also volunteers for the Chess Club at Beaumont and teaches the students the skills they need to be successful with learning and playing chess. Ms. Maggie continues to support Beaumont by reading to students and helping Kindergarteners find books in the library media center. Students always look forward to seeing Ms. Maggie and she receives many hugs every day! Thank you Ms. Maggie, for your dedication to our students, staff, and Beaumont Elementary School!

Our April Volunteers of the Month are Dick "Doc" McGowan and Mrs. Barbara Ring. Doc and Mrs. Ring visit Danz Elementary School twice a week for half an hour to work with students. They read together, or work on students' writing pieces and practice comprehension and word work skills. They also love to read to the whole class around the holidays.

This is the third year that Doc and Mrs. Ring have supported students at Danz Elementary School. The students say they love when they visit and many ask if they will get a turn to read with them too. Thank you Doc and Mrs. Ring, for your dedication to our students, their literacy skills and Danz Elementary School!

Dr. Terry Auger is our March 2025 Volunteer of the Month.

Dr. Auger supports Red Smith School students in all grades through science adventures and learning. Dr. Auger runs Red Smith's annual Science Fair each April, but more importantly he engages students in researching, problem solving and creating projects. He helps Red Smith students develop the skills to be lifelong learners. Dr. Auger, a retired teacher, has volunteered at Red Smith School for more than 15 years.

Dawn Esterling is our February 2025 Volunteer of the Month. Dawn is an active PTO member and volunteer at Langlade Elementary School. Staff say she has helped make Langlade a special place through her efforts. 

She helps organize the PTO, organizes events, and she works with the Library Media Center as a reading volunteer who helps struggling readers. She also volunteers on assessment days to ensure things run smoothly.

Dawn and her family put in an outstanding Free Little Library outside the school and she did a lot of work with Langlade's Battle of the Books competition.

Langlade staff say she is kind, compassionate, and always eager to help. Thank you for all you do, Dawn!

Our December 2024 Volunteer of the Month is Valerie Vandermeuse.

Valerie has been a volunteer at McAuliffe Elementary for several years. She works closely with individual students to help them read, write or simply help with whatever they need. She is a positive role model for all the students she works with and she always has a smile on her face from the moment she walks in the door until she leaves. The students always look forward to seeing her. Thanks for all of your hard work, Valerie!

Steve Carlson is our November 2024 Volunteer of the Month.  Steve is a retired teacher who volunteers his time helping students at Webster Elementary School each week. For several years he has also volunteered his time helping with the musical at Webster. He helps students learn their lines, develop their characters, and learn the craft of performing. During the run of the show, he manages the students backstage, making sure they are prepared and ready to go when it's their turn.

Steve has a heart for nurturing others and has been a huge help to our students at Webster. Thank you for all you do, Steve!