Volunteer
Handbook
Harold Martin School
Harold Martin School seeks to enhance the learning experience of its
students by involving parents and other community members within the life
of our school as volunteers.
The goal of our volunteer program is to match the needs of the teachers,
staff, and students with the talents and energies of our volunteers and
to improve communications between volunteers and the teachers and staff
they serve.
What can volunteers do at Harold Martin School?
Volunteers are an essential part of our school community. Volunteers
provide extra hands to teachers and they use their unique talents for
classroom enrichment. Without the efforts of volunteers many special
events and programs at Harold Martin School would not be possible.
Opportunities for volunteers within Harold Martin School include, but
are not limited to, tutoring and enrichment work within classrooms, planning
for special events, assisting with theatrical productions, baking for class
parties, working with student writers in our publishing center, chaperoning
field trips, helping out on the playground, providing extra help in the
library and assisting in art, music, and gym classes. Volunteers can
work in the school weekly, monthly, or give a few hours for a special event.
Each volunteer offers a unique set of interests and experience as well as
his or her own level of commitment; all contributions of time and effort
make a difference to the school and are greatly appreciated.
Who can volunteer?
Harold Martin School welcomes parents, grandparents, caregivers, and
other community members to share their time, commitment, and special skills
with our students within the framework of our volunteer program.
There are volunteer opportunities to fit into almost every schedule.
Those unable to work within the school will find opportunities to complete
tasks at home or after school hours; those unable to commit to any regularly
scheduled time will find ample opportunity to help out with special events
or programs. No special education or professional experience is necessary
to volunteer. The volunteer program thrives because of the great variety
of talents and interests within the Hopkinton community. The most
important quality of a volunteer is a genuine desire to make a positive
difference in the life of our students.
Expectations of volunteers
1. Confidentiality –This is essential to the success of a school volunteer
program. Volunteers may hear, read or observe much about the students’
school and home lives during the course of their volunteer duties.
It is required of all volunteers that they keep such information strictly
confidential.
2. Rules and regulations – Volunteers should be willing to work under
the direction of the teachers and staff members as assigned, remembering
at all times that they are in the school to assist staff and teachers in
their mission to educate and care for the children. They are expected
to treat each student with kindness and respect. Volunteers must remember
that they serve as role models for the students and should at all times
act accordingly. Student discipline issues, emergency procedures
and use of the phones will be reviewed in depth at the volunteer orientation.
3. Commitment – Volunteers are expected to take their commitment to
the school seriously; if for any reason a volunteer cannot fulfill a commitment
he or she must call the school (746-3473) in a timely manner so that appropriate
staff members can be notified and substitutes can be arranged.
Training of volunteers
All volunteers are encouraged to attend a volunteer orientation program,
which will be presented at the beginning of each school year. This
program will allow volunteers to become familiar with the school building,
school rules, parking areas, emergency procedures, and other general information.
Volunteers may also be trained to use appropriate pieces of equipment within
the school.
If you are unable to attend the orientation and you are interested
in a regular commitment to the school, you are encouraged to contact a
member of the volunteer committee to discuss the above issues and arrange
a training session if needed.
Individual teachers will provide necessary training and instruction
for their own classroom volunteers. Volunteers for the publishing
center, the library and other special events or programs will receive specific
training for these jobs.
Procedures for volunteers
All volunteers must fill out a volunteer information sheet. This
form includes questions about interest and availability as well as emergency
information. Before beginning an assignment, each volunteer must
have on file a signed Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement. It is
essential that volunteers read and understand this form before working
at Harold Martin School.
Each volunteer must sign in when arriving for an assignment.
The form includes date, time in/out and tasks performed. Each volunteer
must wear a name tag while in the school. All volunteer hours, both
inside and outside the building (work at home) should be recorded as directed
by the volunteer committee. Accurate records of volunteer hours
allow the volunteer committee to recognize the contributions of individual
volunteers and to evaluate the progress of the program as a whole.
What to do if a volunteer runs into problems
Volunteering within the schools can be a rewarding and truly enjoyable
experience. On occasion, problems do arise. Questions and concerns
that arise about individual assignments or students during the course
of volunteer work should be taken up with the supervising teachers or
staff. Volunteers are not responsible for disciplining students.
Any discipline issue should be referred to the student’s teacher.
I f a problem should arise, the volunteer coordinator will handle these
issues on a case by case basis with assistance from the principal as needed.
If a volunteer decides that he or she cannot fulfill an accepted assignment,
the appropriate staff member or a member of the volunteer committee should
be notified immediately. Questions about general volunteer procedures
or any aspect of the volunteer experience can also be taken up with the
volunteer committee members at any time.
How to get involved
The Volunteer Committee distributes a volunteer participation form
to all parents of children at this school at the beginning of the school
year. This form is an invaluable resource for our volunteer program.
Those interested in volunteering should indicate their availability and
areas of interest on this form and return it to the school. Lists
generated from this form are kept by the Volunteer Committee and distributed
to the teachers and the PTA. These lists are used throughout the year
to recruit and assign volunteers as needs arise.
Individual teachers most often seek their own volunteers for classroom-related
work and field trips through class newsletters. Each teacher has
his or her own specific needs and procedures for recruiting and utilizing
volunteers. Individuals interested in classroom volunteer work should
contact the child’s teacher. School wide programs, such as the publishing
center or library often seek volunteers through the school newsletter.
Interested volunteers may also contact the school (746-3473) or the
volunteer committee members at any time to express interest, offer suggestions
or propose ideas. The email address is hmsvolunteer@hopkintonschools.org
Further information on Hopkinton School District may be obtained by
visiting http://www.hopkintonschools.org
Kelli Cyr, Volunteer
Coordinator
Julie Morris, PTA President
Colleen Symonds, PTA Vice-President
Michelle Benson, PTA Secretary
Kathy Donahoe, PTA Treasurer
Bill Carozza, HMS Principal