"G" Day, organized by the Goddard Education Foundation, was a deeply successful event held in October. This inaugural event, featuring twenty "Grandparents, Golden-Agers, Generous, and Grand" community volunteers (referred to as "G-Friends"), was a critical part of Growing Gratitude for USD 265 and helped launch Goddard Education Foundation’s GIVE. GRATITUDE. GODDARD campaign.
The event beautifully showcased the amazing things happening in our elementary classrooms while actively fostering new, vital connections between generations, the community, and the District's educational mission.
The day provided a focused, hands-on opportunity for the G-Friends to engage in the daily life of our students. Volunteers found deep connection and inspiration in their roles, here are a few of their favorite parts of the day:
Warm Welcomes: Greeting students off the bus or car as they started their day, setting a positive tone for learning. “Each student was greeted with such kindness. The importance of a great morning makes such a big difference in a great day of school,” shared Nancy Abin.
Active Learning: Volunteers rotated through four different classrooms and programs, experiencing various facets of the learning process in action. Terri Zubke shared, “My favorite part of the day was getting to see how our students are learning and the different ways our amazing teachers are teaching them. It was fun to interact with them and how welcomed the teachers and students made me feel.”
Shared Meal: The morning concluded with G-Friends sharing a school lunch directly with Kindergarten students, fostering genuine connection and conversation. “Lunch was so much fun. The students were so fun and shared my thoughts of dessert first,” shared Terri Zubke.
By dedicating their morning, the volunteers not only forged vital new connections but also helped enrich the learning environment and provided crucial support to our dedicated staff.
“G”Day was a powerful display of the gratitude our community holds for Goddard Public Schools. As the year draws to a close, we invite you to turn that gratitude into action and support the GIVE. GRATITUDE. GODDARD campaign. Your donation helps us GROW, ensuring more students and teachers benefit from enhanced educational opportunities and resources.
Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, we have a $25,000 match challenge in place! Every dollar donated through December 31st will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to $25,000. Please consider making an end-of-year gift to the Goddard Education Foundation today so we can continue growing gratitude and support for USD 265 in the new year.
To donate, click HERE. If you are interested in learning more about volunteering or registering as a G-Friend please click HERE.