Celebrating Outstanding Volunteers in Clarington

Thank You to Our Volunteers!  

Each year, thousands of incredible volunteers support our schools, and bring to life the mission, vision, and values of our school board. 

Through their caring actions and giving spirit, volunteers have a significant impact on the well-being of the school community and the overall educational experience of students across all grade levels. Whether they are supporting classroom activities or field trips, coordinating nutrition programs, planning fundraising initiatives, supporting School Council, extra-curriculars or promoting community and parent engagement – the work of volunteers and their presence truly brightens the days of students and enhances the opportunities that are available to them both inside and outside the classroom.

We extend our appreciation to all volunteers for being valued partners in education, and for sharing their time, talents, and expertise to support students and the KPR community. 

As part of our continued recognition of National Volunteer Week this month, schools were invited to nominate outstanding volunteers for the annual Volunteer Accolade Awards. From these nominations, a total of nine award recipients were chosen, and recognized for their exceptional volunteer service at this week’s Board meeting.  

We are excited to recognize three passionate volunteers from the Clarington region of our school board. Each of these volunteers have gone above and beyond in their volunteer service and were presented with Accolade Awards at the April Board meeting. 

Cassie Connell is an outstanding volunteer that has taken on a wide range of roles at Charles Bowman PS! Some of her many valuable contributions over the past several years have included leading the school book fair, attending field trips, organizing the lost and found, providing literacy support for classes, helping with hot lunches multiple times a week, and participating as an active member on School Council. Cassie is recognized for always going out of her way to support the school community – even purchasing and donating clothing to ensure all students are warm at recess during the cold winter months! “We do not know how our school would run without her!” shares Vickie Mazzocchi, Vice-Principal. 

Lea Cooke has been a longstanding and integral part of the Courtice North Public School community. Recognized for her unwavering care, optimism, and for always putting the needs of students first, Lea is involved in many activities, and is instrumental in making the school a better place for all. For almost a decade, Lea has championed fundraising initiatives in support of new playground equipment and has led additional fundraising efforts to support a variety of other causes including field trips, graduation, and the purchasing of school resources. In her role as Chair Council, Lea is always looking for ways to promote parent and community engagement. She is described as “a volunteer upon whom we are all confident we can rely on to help make Courtice North PS a better place for every one of our students and staff, every single day,” by Peter Bischoff, Principal. 

Corinne Lessif has had a profound impact as a parent volunteer at Dr. Ross Tilley Public School for the past seven years. As Chair of School Council and a leader of multiple committees, Corinne devotes her time and energy in support of student success and well-being!  

Whether she is making a positive difference through her role as Graduation Committee Lead, Spring Carnival Lead, Fundraiser Lead, or through her involvement in the work of the Outdoor Garden Committee, Communications Committee and Hot Lunch Committee, “Corrine’s friendly demeanor and work ethic is loved by all staff. She has dedicated numerous hours to our school, and we are a better place for it!” shares Lori Ranelli, Vice-Principal and Brenda McNaughton, Librarian.