If you visit the campus of Topeka West High School in the evenings or on weekends, you’ll probably find Doug Shima hard at work. Doug is not a Topeka Public Schools employee, but rather a parent who knows the importance of volunteering for the good of the school and his kids.
Doug spends countless
hours planting and watering flowers and shrubs that help make the Topeka West
campus so beautiful. He helped lead the
recent ShareFest effort at Topeka West, overseeing the 250 volunteers and the
Charger football team who helped put 200 plants in the soil and mulch all the
gardens around campus.
Doug praises the Topeka West maintenance crew. He says they share the same philosophy thathe
does that the outside of the campus
should be just a beautiful as what is going on inside the school. “When teachers, students and parents are
proud of their school and the way it looks, it builds a community that is
really strong,” said Shima.
Doug has a student at Topeka West and one at Jardine Middle
School. He says it has been proven that
students whose parents are involved in schools, do better than students whose
parents are not involved. That’s one
reason he gives so much to the schools. “If I can be an example for other
parents to show how to be involved, I know it will increase the chances for
their students’ success,” said Shima.
What’s next for Doug Shima and Topeka West? His dream is to create a focal point on the
west side of the campus whether it be a large garden or possible a memorial to
former Topeka West students.
Topeka West Principal Dustin Dick nominated Doug Shima for
the Above & Beyond Award. If you
would like to nominate someone, you can find the nomination form on the
district website by going to www.topekapublicschools.net. Click on staff/forms for staff/district
programs/above & beyond.