By Jolene Farley
The Hills-Beaver Creek Education Association named Jane Baker Bosch, Steen, the 2002 Friend of Education Monday.
"For the past 11 years, Mrs. Bosch has worked with children in many different ways and has touched them immensely," said Elementary Administrator Jil Vaughn.
Baker Bosch volunteers in kindergarten through third grades at Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary at least one day a week. She also chaperones field trips and takes extra work home to help the teachers.
"She creates games for the kids to play, cuts things out and just does all those extra things we may not have time to do if we tried to fit it all in," said elementary teacher Michele Baker, who also is the Friend of EducationÕs daughter-in-law.
Always a homemaker, Baker Bosch raised six children with her first husband, Albert. She has several grandchildren and stepgrandchildren in the district.
Baker Bosch said she had no idea what it would be like to volunteer when she started helping at H-BC.
"She (Michele) asked if I would like to help out," Baker Bosch said. "After just once or twice in school, I knew this was the thing for me to do."
She enjoys seeing kids progress academically from year to year.
"I think it's important to have volunteers help at school," she said. "It's so important to do one-on-one work with the children."
She was surprised she received the award. "I just had no idea there was going to be an award," she said. "It was an honor."
She encourages everyone to try volunteering at the school. The smiles, hugs and appreciation from kids are a great reward, according to Baker Bosch.