Auburn School District No. 408
915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA  98002

5/31/07

NEWS RELEASE
Auburn School District Honors Citizen Jim Schwend with
Community Recognition Award

On May 18, Auburn citizen Jim Schwend was honored by Auburn School District at the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) community recognition awards luncheon for his volunteer support to the children of Auburn. He was accompanied by Superintendent Linda Cowan. The award is presented to a community member or group in recognition of contributions to education.

For 21 years Jim Schwend has selflessly served the children of the Auburn School District through the Valley Kiwanis Club of Auburn. 

Jim’s leadership in the Valley Kiwanis Club is evident in a variety of programs including the student-of-the-month program—where eight exceptional middle school students are honored each month during a Kiwanis meeting. Jim is the advisor to Rainier Middle School’s Builders Club, a community service club that volunteers at the local food bank, creates holiday cards for local senior centers, participates in local beautification projects and more.

Each year Jim reads storybooks to elementary school classrooms during Read Across America Day. He also helps organize an annual Christmas party for students with special needs. All the students are bused to a local church where they receive their own personal stockings and enjoy lunch with the Kiwanis members. Santa Claus even shows up!

Recently Jim and other Kiwanis members kicked off a district-wide “Bringing Up Grades” Program—nicknamed the “BUG” program for short. Nine schools are now participating in the program. After the conclusion of each trimester, students who bring up their grades from one period to the next are honored at a special school-wide assembly. At the end of the school year all students—or “BUGs”—who bring up their grades enjoy a Kiwanis-sponsored ice cream party.

Jim is also an integral part of the emergency clothing program in the schools, the back-to-school backpack program, the annual fall carnival, and a myriad of other activities that impact and better the lives of children in the community.

For more information contact Amy Spence, public information officer, at (253) 931-4713.