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School volunteer wins inaugural county award
by Jason Dietrich
After five years of multiplication tables, spelling bees and reading nights, the Los Angeles County Office of Education presented its first ever Parent Volunteer of the Year award to Redondo Unified volunteer Alice Snyder.
Snyder, a former management consultant, has been volunteering 40 hours a week at Washington School. She spends most of her time as an instructional aide working directly with students, and was honored by the Redondo Union School District as the 1998 volunteer of the year.
"Alice is more than remarkable. We are very lucky to have someone like her," said Jeff Bordosky, principal of Washington School.
Snyder helps children who are having trouble mastering reading skills or just need extra attention on a particular subject. She helped spearhead the district’s family reading night that has grown from a handful of parents reading to their children to attracting more than 150 participants every two months. She trains senior citizen volunteers, helping them learn the skills they need to assist teachers, and helping overcome their reluctance to enter the classroom.
"I hope that I can set an example for parents by my actions as well as provide encouragement to others through everyday conversation and activities," Snyder said in her application to the program. ER