Whether you are just thinking about volunteering in the DeForest Area School District, or are already getting started, we thank you for offering your time and talents to our students. Your contributions will benefit teachers and students, and you will feel personal satisfaction!

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Getting Started

Opportunities and Contacts
Not sure where to start? Check out the list of opportunities below. If you are interested in participating in a specific program, call the contact person directly. If you are interested in volunteering in a particular grade level, building, or classroom, contact the building principal. If you are unsure or have additional questions, contact the Office of School/Community Relations at 842-6581.

Orientation

Staff who will be working most closely with the volunteer are asked to provide a brief orientation to the building, classroom, and basic procedures. Examples include:

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Guidelines for Volunteers

All volunteers and/or tutors are asked to familiarize themselves with the following guidelines in order to ensure a successful partnership with students, teachers, and administration.

1. Work schedules and volunteer assignments are to be arranged between individual volunteers and the staff contact he/she will be working with and communicated to the building principal or designated administrator.

2. Volunteers who are unable to make a scheduled commitment should notify appropriate persons in advance when possible. Emergencies may be directed to the teacher, principal, or building secretary.

3. The volunteer worker occupies a position of trust. We ask that school situations and problems be discussed only with school personnel.

As a close companion of the school you will be in a position to learn about and observe students as well as other adults. Please refrain from allowing confidential information about students to become conversation topics outside the school. All adults working with children have ethical and moral obligations to them.

4. Teachers are accountable for the education of students, including:

a. Diagnosing the educational needs of groups and individuals.

b. Prescribing the learning experiences which best meet student needs.

c. Evaluating student progress.

d. Practicing certain teaching and supervisory responsibilities consistent with good educational practice and established school policy.

Volunteers provide valuable support in this process.

5. Any decision to continue or terminate relationships with individual volunteers will be made in the best interest of the educational program.

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Volunteer Opportunities for Adults

There are many opportunities to share your time and talents with students and staff of the school district. Below is a list of opportunities and the person to contact for more information. Please refer to the staff directory for phone numbers of these individuals. Corrections, additions and deletions to this list should be communicated to the district office as soon as possible so that yearly revisions to this document can be made.

Planning and Advisory Committees

In order to continually improve services to students, the District and buildings utilize staff and community members on several planning and advisory committees. Some committees appoint members for a three-year term. If you are interested in serving on one or more of these teams, please contact the appropriate individual. You will be notified when an opening is available.

· Building Level Continuous Growth Planning Teams [building principal] – each building’s team is represented by at least one community member. CGP teams assist the school in creating a working document that changes as data and needs dictate, and is focused annually on specific areas targeted for improvement; key elements are identified which lead to student achievement, collection of data, and recommendations for continuous improvement.

· District Learning Improvement Team [Peter O’Neil] – advisory committee to the Superintendent and Board of Education that addresses educational issues impacting students district-wide.

· District Learning Information Systems Advisory Team [Howard Draheim] – advisory committee which assists in the implementation of the district’s Technology Plan.

· District Staff Development Committee [Peter O’Neil] – studies and recommends staff development strategies and programs for all district staff.

· Chamber of Commerce Education Committee [Debbie Brewster] – a committee of the DeForest Area Chamber of Commerce consisting of educators and business people who coordinate partnership activities between DeForest area businesses and the school district.

· LINK-ages Committee [Debi Shepherd-Wundrow, Susan Hoffman] – consists of school and community people committed to expanding intergenerational activities in the DeForest area; its mission is to develop and support programs and activities in the schools and community that mutually benefit students, families and older adults.

· Big Hill Committee [Peter O'Neil] – manages the habitat development and use of the Big Hill property by the school and community.

District Activities

The following activities occur at multiple levels, K-12.

· Classroom Volunteers [building principal or classroom teacher] – spending time in individual classrooms helping students and assisting teachers. Please consider this at all levels, elementary through high school.

· Field Trip Chaperone [building principal or classroom teacher] – accompany students and teachers on their adventures to places outside of the classroom.

· Mentoring [Peter O’Neil] – meet with students who exhibit special talents and skills to provide support, knowledge and encouragement.

· Tutoring [classroom teacher, principal or Debbie Brewster] – provide regular one-on-one assistance to students in a particular subject area; available for adults and students.

· Classroom Speakers [building principal or Debbie Brewster] – present information about your business, expertise, or personal hobbies.

· Job Shadowing [Debbie Brewster] – allow students to spend a ½ or full day with you in your business observing an occupation or career interest of theirs. Also available to teachers to learn more about workplace expectations and curriculum application techniques.

· Teacher Externship [Debbie Brewster] – teacher “works” in a business for 1-6 weeks to learn about current issues and skills needed in business/industry. Teachers develop activities for classroom use.

· Tours/Field Trips [building principal or Debbie Brewster] – group or class of students tour your business; could include interaction with employees.

· Student/Classroom Projects [classroom teachers, building principals or Debbie Brewster] – work on special projects with students, such as creating a display, preparing for a performance, writing resumes or a business plan, studying a subject, etc.

· Big Hill [Peter O’Neil] – work on site management (clearing trails, burning prairie, etc.)

· Food Service Volunteers [Becky Terry] – opportunity to be a part of the lunch and breakfast programs, helping to create and prepare special promotions, and/or assisting in special occasion meal service (no food service experience is necessary).

Elementary Schools (Grades Pre -K through 4)

· Parent-Teacher Organizations [building principal] – PTO’s (PTA’s) support each of the elementary schools.

· Playground Supervision [building principal] – supervise students before school and during recesses.

· Library Volunteers [building LMC directors] – assisting building libraries with the preparation of displays, alphabetizing and filing catalog cards, assisting with book and audiovisual processing, etc.

· After-School Enrichment Classes [building principal] – teaching a special class (art, music, science, math, etc.) to a small group of students after school.

· Rockin’ Readers [reading supervisor or building principals] – senior citizens read with individual students or small groups in kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd grade; done on a regular basis during school hours.

· Adopt-a-Class [Debbie Brewster] – local businesses “adopt” an elementary classroom, working with students to provide insight into future careers, learn appropriate work ethics, and apply school work to the world outside of the classroom.

· Classroom Grandparents [classroom teachers or building principal] – senior citizens work with individual or small groups of students, sharing their special talents, providing historical information, reading to students, etc.

· Craft Fairs [building principals or PTO] – special events held at some of the elementary schools to raise funds for classroom and school materials.

· Junior Great Books [Reading Specialist] – concentrated shared inquiry program for fourth and fifth grade students in which specific reading assignments are followed by discussion led by Learning Partners.

· Pen Pals [Reading Specialist or RSVP] – older adults are matched with individual students in a classroom to write to each other on a regular basis; partners meet each other at several social events throughout the school year.

· Reading Rascals at EPES [Reading Specialist] – volunteers meet once a week with first grade buddies to help them learn to read.

Middle School (5/6 Intermediate Level and 7/8 Upper Middle Level)

· Study Help [Building Principal or Guidance Counselor] – work with 1-2 students during their 8th hour study hall to assist in organizing assignment notebooks and preparing for nightly homework.

· BIO-LINK [Debi Shepherd-Wundrow] – pairs 6th grade students with older adults; students interview their partners and publish biographies which are placed into circulation at the DeForest Area Public Library.

· Career Speakers [Building Principal] – individuals who speak to groups of students about their occupations.

High School (Grades 9-12 )

· Special Projects [principal] – high school students organize and participate in many classroom and extra-curricular activities; volunteers are needed to assist and/or chaperone events (i.e., homecoming, prom, general assemblies, play productions, musical performances, etc.)

· Career Day [Judi Walsh, Kari Schraufnagel or Debbie Brewster] – meet with high school students to discuss your occupation and business.

· Reality Day [Debbie Brewster] – Local business and community volunteers help students learn the “realities” of life after high school or college in a fun, interactive way. Students navigate through Reality Day stations and manage their personal financial resources to pay for life’s necessities while making choices about what additional products and services to purchase.

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Volunteer Opportunities for Students

Students also have opportunities to volunteer their time and talents to other students. Below is a list of those opportunities and the person to contact for more information. Corrections, additions and deletions should be communicated to the district office as soon as possible so that yearly revisions to this document can be made.

Community Involvement

· BINGO at Senior/Community Center [High School National Honor Society Advisor] – assist with organizing and running bingo games.

· DeForest Community Center Service Projects [Linda Green] – contact the DeForest Area Community Center for additional information.

· Entertainment for Senior Citizens [Linda Green] – contact the DeForest Area Community Center for additional information.

· Friendly Visitor Program [Debbie Brewster or Linda Green] – matches volunteer high school students with older adults for weekly visits and activities.

· Greeting Cards for Senior Citizens [High School Student Council and National Honor Society Advisors] – Students write cards to senior citizens during holidays.

· Intergenerational Puppet Shows [Jan Williams] – contact the DeForest Area Community Center or high school drama advisor (Jan Williams) for additional information.

· LINK-ages Committee [Debi Shepherd-Wundrow or Susan Hoffman] – student input is a vital component to this committee, which promotes intergenerational activities in the schools and area communities.

· Grandparents Day [building principals] – an annual event in April/May, brings hundreds of grandparents and older adults into the schools, district-wide, to enjoy lunch and special programs.

· Big Hill [Peter O’Neil] – work on site management (clearing trails, burning prairie, etc.)
· Yahara River Project [Village of DeForest] – an annual event in May where community residents gather to walk along the Yahara River corridor and pick up trash and clear the stream from any blockage.

· Habitat for Humanity [http://www.habitat.org] -Whether you can swing a mean hammer, cut a straight line, cook great food, paint or landscape, whatever your skill, there are ways you can help.

Elementary Schools (Grades Pre-K through 4)

· Back to School Lunch [building principal, Susan Hoffman, or Debi Shepherd-Wundrow] – the highlight of Grandparents’ Day.

· After-School Enrichment Classes - [building principal] - teaching a special class (art, music, science, math, etc.) to a small group of students after school.

· Mentors, Motivators, Tutors [Reading Specialist, building principals or classroom teachers] – working with younger students on a one-to-one basis to assist in their academic progress.

· Pen Pals [Classroom teachers] – older students are matched with individual younger students in a classroom to write to each other on a regular basis; partners meet each other at several social events throughout the school year.

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

· Mentors, Motivators, Tutors [Reading Specialist, building principals or classroom teachers] – working with younger students on a one-to-one basis to assist in their academic progress. 

High School (Grades 9-12)

· Inter-Grade Tutoring Program [principal or Judi Walsh] – students spend two to four hours per week assisting students, pre-K through grade 8, in the DeForest Area Schools. Additional information can be found in the “Information for Tutors” booklet.

· Student Service Learning [principal or Jan Williams] – groups of students or individuals assist others in need or complete projects which benefit the community and school.

· ESL (English as Second Language) Tutoring Program [Judi Walsh] – Tutor middle school students, grade 5-8. An excellent opportunity to assist students with homework or class projects in a variety of subject areas.

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School/Community Relations Home Page
842-6581