
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, November 28, 1995                   TAG: 9511280027
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: TINA VAUGHN
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

VOLUNTEERS HELP TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

Students and teachers aren't the only ones busy with school. In the New River Valley, hundreds of parents voluntarily invest their time and energy in the classroom.

Why do parents persevere as volunteers?

There are as many answers as volunteers, but the results all boil down to improving a child's education.

As a teacher, one of the first volunteers I met was Martha Conner of Shawsville. She was the mother of one of my students, Michael Conner, who today serves in the Air Force.

When I discovered that Martha Conner painted portraits and led local craft workshops, we teamed up. Throughout the school year, she helped plan our art projects and instruction, helping both me and my students immeasurably.

Last spring, I spent a day at one of my former schools surveying volunteers, staff and pupils to learn what volunteerism means to education. Here's what I learned.

by CNB