THE PLASCHKES
B
ob and Betsy Plaschke have been active members in the SHS community for more than a decade, supporting annual fundraising activities and campaigns, and equally important, volunteering for everything from room parent, to field trip chaperone, to classroom speaker, and more. Throughout, their relationship with the school has continued to deepen and flourish. Not long after they enrolled their eldest child at the PSK in 2004, friends with older children at Sacred Heart helped them realize that getting involved and ingrained early on with a community that espoused—and practiced— their own family values could only bring tremendous benefit in the long run. Now, with their four sons in attendance, and all four participating in sports, the performing arts, and other enrichment activities, the pair spends a lot of time on campus, “It feels like our second home.’” The unintended but welcome consequence from all this activity has provided, as Bob notes, a social context that is etched into the fabric of their Sacred Heart experience. “It’s true, the more you contribute [here], the more you get back,” affirms the tech executive, whose enthusiastic service has included chaperoning the annual fourth-grade Outdoor Ed trip to Coloma, and visiting his sons’ classes as a costumed “mystery reader”—dressed as Abraham Lincoln, Yertle the Turtle, Sinterklaas, and others—bringing literature to life for young readers.
Each year, the Parents’ Association at Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton provides numerous avenues for family engagement within the campus community, from participation in the Annual Fund and Pledge Day drive, to organization of numerous events and activities, to the more than 50 active committees at the PSK through Preparatory levels.
“As parents, the reason you initially join is to feel like you belong, and somewhere along the way, you feel the invisible hand sweep you along, nurturing and encouraging you. Eventually your role changes to mentor, and then you’re showing new parents the ropes and helping them find their way.” The couple encourages families to take advantage of the numerous volunteer opportunities available and to contribute in any form or fashion, either in the classroom, as they did when their children were in PSK and Lower School, or for school-wide activities, as they did when their children approached and entered Middle School. In doing so, they say, “your kids will not only find their way” but what’s more, “you will too.” “The wonderful thing about the Sacred Heart community,” says Betsy, “is that it really has become an extension of our family. The development of longstanding friendships, the exposure to service, the focus on spiritual inclusion, the emphasis on participation—all of these are a continuation of things we embrace as a family. And I think that’s pretty typical for most families here. “As our boys approach high school, too, knowing they have a strong surrounding community that will help them continue to develop personally and academically and to make wise choices—that’s what makes the difference and helps us all get through,” she adds. And that, says the couple, is a long-term benefit that has been well worth their investment of time.
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