April School Board Meeting: Community Partner   Mrs. Terri Marikis (left) with Mrs. Debbie Lahue, Director ofLearning.

At the April School Board meeting Mrs Debbie Lahue, Director of Learning, presented parent volunteer extraordinaire, Terri Marikis. Mrs. Lahue informed the School Board Directors that Mrs. Marikis is the epitome of community leadership. “She generously shares her time to help out throughout our system. She benefits students at every grade level through her ongoing support of district initiatives. She can be found volunteering in classrooms, teaching art, supporting developing writers, reading with students, coordinating family math night, supervising students on field trips, teaching science, providing leadership in DestiNation Imagination, and so much more.”

Teachers, administrators, students, and community members all have words of praise for Terri Marikis. Mrs. Millie Brezinski, District Math Coach, said, “She was instrumental in contributing to the success of our recent family math night at Lakeside Middle School, enthusiastically agreeing to do whatever was needed to create a memorable fun evening for our school community.” Mr. Todd Clark, middle school language arts teacher, said, “Terri’s demeanor, always friendly, helped the kids trust her during the writing process. Her diligence to push kids and help as many as possible was vital to our writing process. Having a parent helper in my classroom was a new experience for me. She has certainly set the bar for what I would desire in an assistant, but I know she’ll never be matched.” Mrs. Ellie Lochhead, fifth grade teacher, said, “She is fabulous! She is always the first to volunteer to do ANYTHING in the classroom. The latest is that she’s helped me set up for the fifth grade Book Club Celebration. I feel that I can trust her with anything--a teacher in her own right!” Mrs. Jeana Vierra, middle school science teacher, said, “I have worked closely with Terri for the past two years. She was a wonderful volunteer for DestiNation Imagination last year. She is very organized and always goes the extra mile for the kids. She also helps me in my science classroom. She is very dedicated and works extremely well with our most difficult students. They always work well for her, and she helps them get the necessary information they need to succeed. I couldn’t do it without her.”

Mrs. Marikis can always be counted on, and her willingness to take on many different roles greatly contributes to the success of our students. She was also recognized at the Northeast Washington Association of School Administrators’ luncheon on April 18th when they presented volunteers from area school districts with Community Leadership Awards. The School Board thanked Mrs. Marikis, and Mrs. Lahue presented her with a pin in appreciation of her service to our District.