 | 
|
OLIVE PARENT INVOLVEMENT 101
(A general overview of volunteering and fundraising at Olive School)
Olive school thrives because of our incredible parent involvement (over 140 volunteered last year) and fundraising efforts (over $100,000 was raised last year). Without your help, our students would not have as wonderful a learning environment. We hope the following information will help explain how you can enhance your child's elementary school experience.
I. Volunteer Opportunities
A. How to get started
B. In The Classroom
C. Events/Programs
D. Donating Services/Goods
II. Fundraising
A. School wide Fundraisers
B. Classroom Fundraisers
III. Frequently Asked Questions
I. Volunteer Opportunities
A. How to get started
Fill out the "Olive Volunteer Opportunities for 2005-2006" form that will be in your first day school packet and available through the office. If classroom volunteering is one of your areas of interest, you'll need to provide proof of a recent TB test (not more than four years old). If your test is approaching expiration, you'll receive a call from the office in the hopes your volunteer time will be uninterrupted. Volunteers should always sign in and out at the school office (required by law to help track who's on campus).
Previous volunteers: If you're unsure your TB test is still valid, just call the office and they can look up your expiration date.
B. In the Classroom
Besides helping the teachers in the classroom, there are many other classroom volunteer opportunities. Help in the classroom may include: working with small groups, manning centers, serving as an art docent, Friday folders, room parenting and field trip chaperones. If you cannot make your scheduled volunteer time, please try to get someone to cover for you because the teacher and students are counting on your help!
Art docents bring art into the classroom once per month on a mutually agreed upon time with the teacher. Training and materials are provided by the school district and our school art docent coordinator is happy to assist you. You do not need to be an artist or expert on art to serve in this role. Kindergarten does not generally ask for art docents because it tends to include a lot of art at that grade level.
Friday Folders are an important communication vehicle for all Olive families. They contain materials such as corrected homework, class projects and timely communications from the staff and PTA Shark Bytes newsletters. Students are required to return their Friday folder to class by the following Monday. Kindergarten typically sends these folders home on Monday and asks they be returned with completed homework by Friday.
Room parents generally act as the main liaison between their teacher and other classroom parents regarding classroom social and fundraising events. As necessary, they help recruit volunteers for coordinating class parties, organize auction projects, and solicit funds for end of year teacher appreciation gifts. According to each teacher's guidelines, volunteers may organize class parties throughout the year (Halloween, Winter Holidays, Valentine's Day and end of year). It tends to work best when parents rotate in the party coordinator role.
Field trip chaperones are requested throughout the school year. Teachers usually leave a section on field trip permission forms asking for any adults interested in chaperoning on a class trip. The amount of adults needed for each trip varies. If there is no room on the bus which transports the students, adults may be asked to drive and meet the class at the field trip site.
C. Event/Program Volunteers
Olive holds a number of events and programs throughout the school year sponsored by PTA and ELAC that require volunteer coordinators and committees for their success. A comprehensive form entitled "Olive Volunteer Opportunities for 2005-2006" is always available through the office and lists many ways parents can get involved (e.g., book fairs, school festivals, art programs). We appreciate any time volunteers can give on or off campus. Any additional questions regarding volunteering, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Susan Bell-Warner, at belwarn@comcast.net. If you coordinate an event, the volunteer coordinator may be able to help you solicit manpower by forwarding contact names who've showed specific interest in helping with your event.
D. Donating Services/Goods
Many of our parents have been extremely generous by donating their local business services and/or goods (e.g. catering for family BBQ's, donating time shares for auction bidding, providing musical entertainment, providing sound equipment for talent shows) to help with our school's fundraising efforts. If you, or someone you know who owns a local business, might be interested in donating merchandise, printing, time, labor or money to our school please contact our PTA president, Troy Petersen at troy.peterson2@verizon.net
I. Fundraisers
A. School wide fundraisers
School wide fundraisers enable the PTA to fund various enrichment programs (e.g. Spanish, Art) and field trips for all grade levels. In general, there are 4-5 fundraisers per year that range from Gift Wrap sales, Book Fairs, Auctions and A-thons to our annual multicultural festival. Each event requires a coordinator and relies upon a committee to help smoothly execute events. Without volunteer manpower and donations, these events can't succeed!
B. Classroom fundraisers
Classrooms often hold their own fundraising efforts to cover the cost of parties and teacher appreciation gifts. Generally parents are asked to donate party related goods (food, decorations, craft materials) or small amounts of money ($5-$10/family for the year) to cover such costs. Some classes pool funds for teacher appreciation gifts (winter holidays, end of year), but participation is completely optional. Once per year, classes are asked to donate goods or funds to put together class baskets or a class art project that can be sold at school auctions to help benefit the entire school.
II. Frequently Asked Volunteer Questions
Q: Can I start volunteering in my child's class right away?
A: Generally teachers post a volunteer sign-up sheet at "Back to School Night" (will take place September 21st ) listing various in class volunteer opportunities. It usually takes a couple weeks for teachers to get acquainted with their students and determine their classroom volunteer needs before enlisting volunteer help. If you've checked the Classroom Volunteer position on the "Olive Volunteer Opportunities for 2005-2006" form (always available through the office) and have a recent TB test on file with the school, you will be ready to jump right into class.
Q: With my work and/or younger children and unpredictable schedule, how can I volunteer?
A: There are plenty of things that can be done during off hours (helping at evening book fairs, registering art entries, cleaning up after events, or working at a weekend festival). See the positions listed with an "*" to get an idea of things you might be able to handle at home or after hours on campus. We're happy to put you down as a "floater" volunteer who can be contacted as needed by various volunteer event coordinators through e-mail or phone calls.
Q: Do I have to be a PTA member to organize an event?
A: No. Anyone is welcome to organize or volunteer at school events.
Q: I'd like to coordinate an event, but what if I need additional manpower?
A: The sooner you know what help you'll need to make your event successful, the better. Once you know your needs, contact the volunteer coordinator who will forward any names of people who fill out the Volunteer Opportunity form and show interest in assisting with your specific event. The "floater" list of volunteers (those willing to help on an as needed basis) will receive an e-mail (or phone call if e-mails not an option) stating they should contact you directly if they're available.
Q: If I volunteer for an event, will I get reimbursed for expenses?
A: In order to keep a healthy, well monitored PTA budget, we ask that all volunteer coordinators give estimates of what they feel they need to spend directly related to the event to make it successful. That budget requires approval by the PTA in order to be set aside specifically for your event's needs. As related receipts are submitted, volunteers are reimbursed. Please note: Reimbursement does not apply to class parties or donated items for auction or specific classroom booth purposes.
Q: How would I get help publicizing an event?
A: Once you've determined the specifics regarding the event, PTA can help you produce a hard copy and/or e-mail flyer. Try having the flyer translated into Spanish before having them printed. The volunteer coordinator will have a list of translators. Olive's office manager can tell you how many Spanish copies will be needed for each class. Please give the publicity coordinator and translator at least a full week turnaround time to produce an event flyer. Allow four days turnaround time for printing through NUSD.
Q: Where and how much does it cost to get copies made for school wide distribution?
A: You can estimate how much copies will cost to distribute school wide by working with Stephanie Rugani (Olive's office manager). That cost should be considered as part of your event budget to be approved by PTA so there are no surprise publicity budget overages. Give the original flyer, with an NUSD print order form filled out (available through the office) to Stephanie, and she will forward it to NUSD's printing services which are the least expensive way for PTA to make copies. Plan for a four to five school day turnaround time. Color copying requires going outside of the school district and can be pricey. Staples charges up to .99/copy for 8 ½" x 11" size flyers.
Q: How do I get flyers distributed school wide?
A: Friday folders serve as the best distribution method to reach the entire school. In order to be placed in Friday folders, you must have all your pre-approved flyers counted out by appropriate classroom numbers (generally 20 for K-3 classes and 30 for 4-5th grades) in the teacher's boxes no later than that Thursday morning so their Friday folder volunteers can include them in the weekly distribution. Stephanie can provide actual classroom counts so each class gets the correct amount for distribution. If you miss Friday folder distribution, you can still place copies in the teacher's boxes with reminders for distribution the next school day.
Any additional questions regarding how you can get involved, please contact the Olive PTA at olivepta@novato.net .
With your help, we look forward to a great school year!
 | |
|
| |