Please join us in honoring our 2022-2023 Volunteer of the Year! Patricia Harris was recently recognized at the Okaloosa County School Board meeting. We are so thankful for Ms. Harris and for our many wonderful volunteers! 
Patricia Harris is an active-duty USAF service member and can be seen at Wright Elementary School anytime there is an event to plan, coordinate, and run at the school. She's Vice President of the PTO and occasionally fills in as Secretary to take minutes, always willing to help! Mrs. Harris greets the parents and helps them get signed into the meetings. If the parents are non-English speakers, she will quickly pull up Google Translate and communicate the meeting information to them. Mrs. Harris also helps the school and students in other creative ways. She has washed and sorted large bags full of student coats from the lost and found, and assembled and fixed items for events such as the Fall Festival. For any special event, she arrives early for set up and stays late for clean-up. She visits businesses to gain sponsorship and donates items on her own for prizes.
Not only does she serve in the Air Force, Mrs. Harris is currently taking coursework toward earning her Master's Degree. She has helped Wright Elementary School plan many events such as the Fall Festival, Parents' Night Out, Math and Science Night, and Literacy Night. She has also been instrumental in assisting with the planning and coordination of fundraisers for the PTO.
As one of Wright's staff members put it, "Patricia will help anywhere she can when she's not working or sleeping! She is one of the parents who keeps our PTO alive!"
Mrs. Harris has been volunteering at Wright Elementary School since her family moved to Okaloosa County early in the 2021-2022 school year. Much of the volunteering she does occurs during PTO meetings and events and off campus as she works behind the scenes to coordinate events. She volunteers approximately ten hours per week but sometimes more depending on what is going on at the school that week. Principal Suzanne Boyd said, "Because she is so willing to help in many capacities, her impact reaches all students. Our climate is made better through the many family events she supports. We are very grateful for the dedication, time, and talents of Patricia Harris!"