Volunteer Spotlight: Dot Schmidt

Dot Schmidt volunteers in the Kindergarten classroom, helping Miss Shantelle Shimogawa and Miss Rachelle Asuncion. She has been donating her time and energy to Island School’s Kindergarten class for ten years, after volunteering in both Connie Kakalia’s Second Grade class and Cristy Peeren’s First Grade class, and has been invaluable to the success of the program. With 21 students in the Kindergarten class, it is deeply important to have as many helpers in the classroom as possible in order to ensure that each student gets the attention, support, and guidance that is vital at such a young and impressionable age. To assist a class of 21 Kindergarten students, coming in each and every day as a voluteer, takes a very special type of person, and Miss Dot is exactly that. As a volunteer, Dot dedicates her time to these students without any expectation of reciprocation or reward, and has for the past ten years. When asked about the reason behind all of her volunteer hours, Dot explained that, “[the students] are more of a blessing to me than I am to them.” Teaching is an extremely rewarding endeavor. It is a powerful thing, Dot explains, to watch children grow and learn, experiencing the world through fresh eyes. Dot volunteers with the Kindergarten class each year, which means she also gets to watch previous students grow into bright, curious and engaged elementary school students. Through her generous volunteer work with the Kindergarten class, Dot Schmidt’s positive impact on our keiki has been immeasurable. From greeting Kindergarten students at the door on their first day at Island School, welcoming them with a smiling face, to leading students on their annual Rainbow Day scavenger hunt, Miss Dot ensures that each student in the Kindergarten class is seen, taken care of, and honored for who they are on their learning journey at Island School. Miss Dot, along with Miss Shantelle and Miss Rachelle, creates a sense of home away from home for some of our youngest students, making school a safe place for them to learn, explore and build bonds that will last a lifetime. §

“They are more a blessing to me than I am to them.”

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