PTO Volunteer Handbook

Dear Lincoln Academy Parents,

We would like to extend a welcome to all Lincoln Academy families, students and staff.  We are looking forward to the 2009-2010 school year! 

This Volunteer Handbook will assist you with understanding your volunteer obligations to the school.  The PTO Volunteer Coordinator helps to encourage volunteerism at Lincoln Academy and inform parents of volunteer opportunities at the school. Each family is asked to contribute 20 hours of volunteer time throughout the year to.  Family involvement is crucial to any school’s success.

So many of you are so generous with your time and we applaud you and hope you keep up the good work. The goal of this Volunteer Program is to keep all families informed of volunteer opportunities at the school and to increase overall volunteerism at the school to reach the ultimate goal of all families volunteering 20 hours throughout the year! Of course, over achieving on hours is highly encouraged!

If you are already involved-stay involved!  If you are not involved – get involved. Be a part of making Lincoln Academy successful!   We look forward to your enthusiastic response!  Make a commitment to the wonderful education your child receives at Lincoln Academy!

Warm Wishes from the Lincoln Academy PTO
lapto@comcast.net

Michelle Richey
PTO Volunteer Coordinator, 2009-2010
303-432-2247

mickey72479@msn.com  

Throughout the school year, Lincoln Academy needs families to generously donate time, services, supplies, and expertise to the school.  As a charter school, Lincoln Academy depends on and greatly benefits from the volunteer hours you agree to complete.   It is extremely important that you fulfill your volunteer hours and record your hours on your Volunteer Log. Bin for logs is located just inside the main gym doors. 

Our school administrators closely track and use this information when Lincoln Academy applies for grant money to support our school. It is especially important when a Charter school applies for a renewal of its charter.  This will be the case next year when Lincoln Academy applies for its Charter renewal. A high number of volunteer hours logged is a positive factor in that decision making process. 

Due to how a charter school is funded, it is imperative for our families to take the volunteer commitment very seriously. Charter schools receive the same amount of per-pupil funding as other public schools, however we must maintain our own building & facilities from this money. This is not the case for other (non-charter) public schools. They have access to other funds for this purpose. This is why we have a Volunteer Program.  Volunteering is a commitment to the school, your child and the success of Lincoln Academy.

For more information on charter schools, contact www.coloradoleague.org 

It is essential that you record any and all volunteer time, whether it is 15 minutes or 15 hours.  You can keep your own log and record your time at your convenience in the main Volunteer Log Book. We review the log-in sheets monthly to keep up with tabulating the hours volunteered.   We also correspond with our families a few times during the year to update you on your hours.

You have a variety of options for fulfilling these hours, including, but not limited to:

• Working in the classroom and helping teachers with a variety of classroom projects and work.  
• Joining a committee
• Volunteering to help with a special event or fundraiser
• Helping with special volunteer projects throughout the year.
• Many families like to provide food, baked goods, snacks, etc., for many of our events when needed.  Remember:  Time spent driving, shopping, baking, preparing and delivering food counts towards Volunteer Hours. Money spent can not be exchanged for Volunteer Hours.
• Please Note: Cash Donations to the school of any type can not be exchanged for Volunteer Hours. Please know all your financial contributions are greatly appreciated.

We understand that many parents can not volunteer during the school day.  See “Volunteering 101” for ideas on how you can fulfill your volunteer hours. 

If your family has circumstances, which prevent you from fulfilling your volunteer hours, please contact the school’s principal to discuss.

Volunteer Guidelines/Parent Responsibilities

1. Stay informed by reading and responding to all correspondence in Lincoln Academy’s weekly Principal’s Memo (PM). The PM is our main vehicle of communication with you!  Especially look for notices under the heading “Opportunities Knocking” Section. This will help keep you updated on volunteer opportunities, PTO news and school happenings. ALSO: read and respond to all correspondence from your child’s teachers.  They will keep you informed of ways to volunteer to assist your child’s classroom.
2. Always record EACH and every hour you VOLUNTEER in the Volunteer Record Book (at the Front Office) in a timely fashion!  All of the time counts.  If you are not sure something you have done is volunteer time, just ask — usually it is!
3. When coming to the school to volunteer during the day, please check in with the Front Office.  All volunteers must sign in and pick up a Volunteer Badge before proceeding into the building.  Even as we get to know your face, we still need you to abide by this policy. 
4. When volunteering in the classroom during the day, please be respectful of the teacher’s time.  Teachers have many responsibilities during the day, namely your children. They may not have time for discussions with parent volunteers regarding items not pertaining to the volunteer work.  If you have school matters to discuss with your child’s teacher, please be sure to schedule an appropriate time when you will have his/her undivided attention.
5. When you have concerns pertaining specifically to the operation of the school, please discuss those with the school’s Principal Miss Maryanne Mahoney.  Please keep in mind that solutions come quicker when addressed in the appropriate manner, with respect and to the proper personnel.
6. We appreciate your consideration of the above guidelines and look forward to working with you during the school year!

How To Volunteer: Volunteering 101

1. Check out each week’s Principal’s Memo (PM) for Volunteer Opportunities under the Opportunities Knocking Section and respond accordingly. The PM is issued every Friday.
2. Talk to your child’s teacher for classroom opportunities. Classroom teachers send out weekly correspondence to families and will inform you of any Volunteer Opportunities for the classroom.
3. Review the “101 Ways To Volunteer” Information Sheet for ideas.
4. Be pro-active.    Need ideas?  Have a great idea?  Contact Suzanne Gdovic.
5. Use your talents, skills and interests, to come up with your own ideas for volunteering.  We are always open to suggestions!

Stay involved, Get involved and Be involved with
 the Volunteer Program at Lincoln Academy.

Volunteering 101 – Ideas for You

During the day:

• Help with your child's holiday party.
• Baby-sit for another parent so they can volunteer at school.
• Lead a BETYOU activity highlighting your talents or experiences.
• Help test students' hearing and vision.
• Share your career/travels regarding a Core Knowledge topic.
• Sell Lincoln Academy merchandise when available.
• Be available as a substitute for a classroom Educational Assistant.
• Answer phones, when needed, in the school office.
• Offer your marketing talents to promote Lincoln Academy.
• Chaperone a field trip.
• Be a Field Day volunteer.
• Help serve hot lunch to students.
• Be available for technology lab support.
• Supervise on the playground.
• Greet grandparents on Grandparents' Day.
• Read to a classroom.
• Help a Specials teacher (Art, Music, PE, and Technology).
• Chauffeur grandparents on Grandparents' Day.
• Help classrooms with rote learning (drill work) or assessments.
• Do classroom filing, grade papers and/or record grades.
• Sell Edukits for the PTO.
• Run the cash register during the Book Fair.

Before or after school:

• Help set up or take down the Book Fair.
• Shop thrift stores for musical costumes.
• Help set up or put away chairs for evening events.
• Sell ice cream for a class fundraiser.
• Sell project boards for Minds at Work Exhibition
• Use your technical skills to train staff in computer use.
• Help out with traffic control.
• Be a leader for a Lincoln Academy Girl Scout or Boy Scout troop.
• Prepare bulletin boards for classrooms or offices.
• Conduct custodial supplies inventory.
• Decorate the gym for a PTO event.
• Replace light bulbs.
• Organize the Lost and Found.
• Welcome parents of children who are new to Lincoln Academy
• Update the school billboards.
• Organize the PTO closet.

In the evening:

• Attend a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) meeting.
• Attend a School Accountability Committee (SAC) meeting.
• Serve on the School Accountability Committee (SAC).
• Attend a School Board meeting.
• Serve as a School Board member.
• Chair a sub-committee on any of the SAC or PTO committees
• Conduct weekly or monthly maintenance on school computers.
• Volunteer a few hours to help with custodial tasks.
• Provide piano accompaniment for musical programs.
• Serve as a PTO Board member.
• Shop for food for school events.
• Be available to your classroom teacher to assist in skills improvement.
• Attend the Information Meeting in February to promote our school.
• Be on call to repair school computers.
• Help plan Kindergarten or 8th grade Continuation.
• Videotape a school program.
• Be a photographer for a school function for our yearbook.
• Conduct monthly security checks around the outside of the buildings.
• Organize carnival games for the Sock Hop.
• Learn to operate the sound system in the gym.
• Play games with students during Drop & Shop.
• Be a DJ for the Sock Hop.
• Water plants on school grounds.

• Install computer software on school computers.
• Repair a broken toilet.
• Pick up trash around the school property.
• Plant flower bulbs around the property.
• Use your truck to move items to or from the school.
• Locate materials to supplement classroom units or projects.
• Pick up litter on 72nd Ave.
• Call new families to answer their questions.
• Make props for musical programs.

If I have younger children at home:

• Make phone calls to find volunteers.
• Cover books for the library or classrooms.
• Make food for school events or Staff Appreciation Week
• Make signs for PTO events.
• Bake cookies for a classroom party
• Wash custodial towels.
• Research foundations that award grants to schools.
• Write a grant proposal.
• Repair damaged books in the library.
• Create a scrapbook to document the school’s history.
• Repair jerseys and PE equipment.
• Check with teachers for work that can be taken home.
• Be a classroom volunteer coordinator for your teacher.
• Record programs for classroom support of Core Knowledge topics.
• Make costumes to support the musical programs.
• Tally volunteer hours.
• Assist with Campbell's& Box Tops labels to earn money for the school.
• Call students during the evening of Reading Emphasis Week

During the summer:

• Paint walls. Pull weeds. Wash windows.
• Install a drinking fountain.
• Shampoo carpeting in classrooms or offices.
• Move furniture and supplies.
• Replace an electrical outlet or light fixture.
• Replace old classroom windows.
• Move mulch under the swings to keep our kids safe. 
• Sand/refinish teacher’s/aide’s desks. 
• Decorate the Lincoln Academy float for the Arvada Harvest Festival Parade