News Releases
 December Volunteer of the Month: Jan Dykstra
Central Road PTA
Jan Dykstra began volunteering at Central Road when her son Jeff was in first grade. She started as a classroom volunteer, but soon got involved with the school’s PTA. “Jan is a person with a cheerful and caring heart,” said the person who nominated Jan for Volunteer of the Month recognition. “She has helped to create and maintain the school’s cheerful, caring community and environment.”
“Instead of naming all the committees she has served on, it seems more appropriate to ask the question, ‘What hasn’t she done?’ Jan steps up wherever and however she sees a need.”
In her nine years of involvement with the Central Road PTA, Jan has stepped up to many things. She served as co-president of the PTA for two years and is currently first vice president of programs, a position she also held for a previous year. She’s done membership and was classroom coordinator for five years, and also has been involved with the fun fair, the book fair, teacher appreciation, and much more. This year she’s focusing on sixth grade activities and has organized two fundraisers—a car wash and a taffy apple sale—to support special activities for the students who will be moving on to junior high, including an end-of-year-party complete with a DJ and lunch at Park Central. “I think there are only two committees I haven’t participated in,” she chuckles.
Originally from Chicago, Jan attended Good Counsel High School and graduated from Amundsen-Mayfair in Chicago with an associate’s degree in art. Later she attended Harper College, earning an associate’s degree in applied science and another associate’s degree in science with a major in dental hygiene. She also has a certificate in travel planning. Jan has contemplated going back to college to earn a teaching degree, but says, “I’m content being in the school and volunteering. I really enjoy it!”
Jan and her husband Dave have lived in Rolling Meadows for 29 years. They are the parents of Jeff, now a junior at Rolling Meadows High School, and Jessica, a sixth-grader at Central Road. Jan expects her PTA activities to continue when Jessica starts school at Carl Sandburg Junior High next year.
It’s hard to imagine how Jan finds time to do so much at the school. She works as a dental hygienist at Northwestern Dental Group in Arlington Heights and as a travel counselor for Experts in Travel, specializing in coordinating spring break cruises for families. She also sells Longaberger baskets and coordinates an annual Longaberger charity fund drive, Horizon of Hope, a breast cancer fundraiser.
She’s a “swim mom” since both of her children swim, summers on the Rolling Meadows Racing Rays swim team and for the Mt. Prospect Sharks in the winter. She also volunteers at her church, Willow Creek, where she helps with the infant program. In her rare leisure time, Jan enjoys travel with her family. “It’s my favorite thing!” she says. She loves taking photos and cooking—especially in large quantity, something she attributes to her Greek father who owned restaurants. She cooks for all the swim team banquets, for teacher appreciation lunches, and banquets and parties for friends.
Jan will be recognized at the December 13, 2006, Board of Education meeting, to be held at Walter R. Sundling Junior High School, at 7 p.m.
|
