ANGELS WITHOUT WINGS

There are angels in the building, of that I’m sure.  Intervention from heaven’s helpful unseen angels is something for which we are humbled and thankful.  But here at Penn View we've got a vast collection of the wingless angel variety as well.

Our angels can be found laminating and making photocopies.  

They are sometimes standing on precarious chairs while stapling colorful construction paper to hallway bulletin boards. 

Library books are checked out for students by these wonderful helpers.  


















Others offer their services to make health screenings in the nurse’s office go quickly.

Some of these assistants manage the annual comb supply, straightening wayward strands of unruly student hair in the minutes before annual cheesy grins are flashed for the school photographer.  

I occasionally pass angels in the drafty elementary school hallway.  They are perched on painfully miniature student chairs but seem undaunted by the temperature and the chairs as they patiently turn pages and offer loving encouragement to our smallest readers. 

Tireless angels don aprons and hats, serve funnel cakes, cut strawberries, and organize games for children.  A team of angels works all year long to prepare for the annual Country Fair and Auction.

Ryan's mother, volunteering during kindergarten art class 

Those with the capacity to tune out earsplitting enthusiasm might be found in the cafeteria midday helping to corral feasting students during lunchtime.  Some might wish for earplugs as the lunchtime chatter volume can be a bit overstimulating! 


Fine motor skills are required of these angels as they spend a lot of time freeing apple wedges and saltine crackers from their zealously-sealed protective wrappers.  Our angels are splashed almost continually by juice boxes, long tubes of yogurt, and frustratingly difficult containers of mandarin oranges.  It’s amazing how far those sneaky packaged foods manage to spit at the person trying oh-so-carefully to open them.

Not all of our wingless angels are seen. Many are behind the scenes, giving precious hours of their time for planning, cutting, assembling, and praying. 

Penn View’s parent and grandparent volunteers are a most wonderful and appreciated category of angel.  We sure love having them as part of our school community.