Volunteering in EBR Schools

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Volunteering in EBR Schools
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How Can I Help?

• As a volunteer, you may already know what task(s)
  you will be assigned to at your school.
• If you do not know yet, determining how you can
  help should be your first step in the volunteer
  process.

• Your main initial contact at the school will be
  the Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) Volunteer
  Coordinator.
• He or she will assist you in finding school needs
  that you can help fulfill.

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School needs may include, but are not limited to,
the following

• Playground Angels/Parent Patrol
  Security Dads
• Adult supervisors who patrol play areas during
  lunchtime and recess.
• Their primary job is to ensure that students play
  safely and have fun.
• Volunteers are thoroughly familiar with the
  playground rules and carry first aid packs for
  minor emergencies.

Glen Oaks High School Security Dads
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School needs may include, but are not limited to,
the following

• Bus Duty
• Volunteers who assist with bus unloading (in the
  morning) or loading (in the afternoon).
• Volunteers will follow the lead of teachers and
  staff, helping as necessary.
•  

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School needs may include, but are not limited to,
the following

• Library Help
• Volunteers who help with the day-to-day
  maintenance of the library. Duties may include
  sorting books by grade level, subject matter, and
  alphabetical order cataloging books and general
  library upkeep.
•  
• Field Trip Help
•  
• Assist teachers with classroom field trips by
  driving, chaperoning or helping to organize.
  Every volunteer driving on a Field Trip needs an
  Expanded Field Trip Form filled out at the
  beginning of the year. A car insurance form for
  the driver is also necessary.
•  

• Room Helpers
•  
• Assist teacher in planning of parties, field
  trips and other social activities and act in
  other ways to support class activities. Room
  helpers are in charge of the Phone Tree and
  getting other class helpers to assist them.
•  
• Picture Day
•  
• Volunteers assists with picture day activities
  for students help walk students and classes to
  the place where the picture is taken, collect
  student picture envelopes, and help the
  photographer and students as needed. The
  photographer needs help for individual pictures,
  retakes, and class pictures.

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School needs may include, but are not limited to,
the following

• Specific Principal Requests
•  
• At various times during the school year, there
  are tasks around the school that need to be
  completed. These tasks include, but are not
  limited to, lawn flower bed maintenance,
  playground maintenance, cleaning moving of
  materials in the school building, etc.
• Other
•  
• Theres always a new task to be completed. Be
  flexible!
•  

Volunteer assistance is welcomed here!
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Help to establish a PTO/PTA or Parent Advisory
Council

• Responsibilities
• Attend monthly executive board meetings from
  August to June.
• Attend a monthly Parent Club General meeting from
  September to June.
• Assist in various events throughout the year,
  dependent upon committee or board position.

• Exists to facilitate the fundraising arm of the
  school.
• PTO/Parent Advisory Council serves a support
  mechanism for the Principal and the School in all
  areas as needed.
• Board Positions President, Vice President (this
  position rolls into the President position the
  following year), Treasurer, Secretary, and
  Faculty Member.

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Volunteer Guidelines

• 1. Commitment - Be sure you come at the time you
  specified to volunteer
• and get someone to take your place if an
  emergency arises.
•  
• 2. Professional Behavior - Remember that our
  students, their learning, and
• their well-being are our priorities. Be
  sure your behavior models well to
• our students.
• Please do not
• -Distract students through excessive talking or
  boisterous behavior
• -Distract teachers, staff or other
  volunteers by engaging in lengthy discussions
• -Use volunteer time for personal matters

• 3. Illness/Absence Please get someone to
  replace you if an emergency arises where you
  cannot meet your volunteer task.
•  
• 4. Supervision The teachers and principal are
  the supervisors of the
• students. You are to follow their lead and
  any guidelines that you have
• been given. When in doubt please confer
  with the staff member in
• charge of the event for which you are
  volunteering. Never ask the school to change the
  rules.

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Volunteer Guidelines continued

• 5. Communications Announcements If you are
  the chairperson of any event or in charge of
  advertisements and announcements for the event
• write up the school newsletter articles or
  flyers for the event and have them approved by
  the principal for publication. You are in charge
  of getting out all communications and
  announcements with principal approval.
•  

• 6. Activity Financial Accountability All fund
  raisers and school activity events are to have
  their funds raised and expenses handled through
  the PTO/Parent Advisory Council treasurer. After
  handing in receipts and a financial report,
  expenses will be reimbursed. If the activity has
  its own checking account the PTO treasurer needs
  a copy of the monthly financial statement, a copy
  of the check register, and PTO Board approval for
  major expenses.

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Volunteer Guidelines continued

• 7. Confidentiality Statement - When working with
  students, confidentiality is imperative. The
  students performance and behavior information is
  kept confidential. When working on school events
  it is important to keep the conversation about
  the school on a positive note.

• 8. Accountability If a volunteer has taken the
  responsibility for a task, it is important to the
  PTO, the Parent Advisory Council, the school, and
  the
• students to carry through with the tasks.
  Hopefully the chairperson will
• have received a notebook of how previous
  chair people did the event.
• Add to this notebook, make one if it isnt
  available, and update so the
• notebook can be helpful to the next
  chairperson. When dealing with
• students accountability remember that the
  teachers and principal are
• ultimately responsible.

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Volunteer Guidelines continued

• 9. Discipline As stated above teachers and the
  principal are responsible
• ultimately for students behavior. It is
  important to use positive techniques
• to help a student or group of students be
  respectful and kind. Seek out teacher and
  principal help if the volunteer is having
  difficulty with student behavior.
• 10. Smoking As to Louisiana state law no one is
  to smoke on school
• grounds. In our case that definitely
  applies to our school hours of 730
• a.m. to 400 p.m. and at events for
  students.
•  

• 11. Dress Our students wear uniforms and all
  staff are asked to dress
• professionally. Volunteers are asked to
  dress appropriately for the
• activity in which they are involved
  remembering that the volunteers are
• also models for our students.

Improper
Appropriate
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School Procedures

• 1. Park in the visitors lot. Do not park in the
  faculty/staff parking areas, or in the bus lane.
•  
• 2. Sign in and out in the main office. Use the
  red VIPS volunteer log book so your volunteer
  hours are properly recorded.
•  
• 3. Wear a name tag or visitors badge.
•  

• 4. Check in with the Volunteer Coordinator
  and/or the staff person coordinating your
  volunteer activity before getting started.
• 5. Always follow instructions from the person
  assigning your task. Never conduct new
  activities unless given prior approval by the
  Volunteer Coordinator or the person coordinating
  your activity. Remember, if you dont know the
  answer to a question, ask someone!

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Always Remember

• Be reliable. Call if you cannot be at school at
  your scheduled time.
• Provide confidentiality. Do not gossip.
• Be prompt.
• You are a role model to students.
• You are here to support teachers and staff, not
  replace them.

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Questions/Comments
Marlon K. Cousin, Title I Coordinator
for
Family Involvement Community Engagement (225)92
2.5593 mcousin_at_ebrschools.org