Community

Volunteers

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!

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.

Volunteer Background Check

All adults who volunteer in the schools for educational purposes and school-sponsored activities are subject to a Wisconsin criminal background check. Individuals will not be allowed to volunteer in the schools until a criminal background check has been conducted. Parents/individuals who only visit a classroom as a guest speaker do not need to complete a volunteer application form. Criminal background checks will be repeated every four years that the volunteer remains in active status with the District. Please contact the school district’s Human Resources Department if you have any questions about the volunteer background check at 842-6520.

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:

location of supplies, copy room, mailboxes, restrooms, break room etc.
introduction to other teachers in the team, department, or building.
introduction to other students in the classroom (so they know who is in their classroom and why)
policies regarding attendance, food, hall passes, etc.
daily and weekly schedules
work available for volunteers to complete

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.

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.
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.
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.
Teachers are accountable for the education of students, including:
- Diagnosing the educational needs of groups and individuals.
- Prescribing the learning experiences which best meet student needs.
- Evaluating student progress.
- Practicing certain teaching and supervisory responsibilities consistent with good educational practice and established school policy.
  
  Volunteers provide valuable support in this process.
Any decision to continue or terminate relationships with individual volunteers will be made in the best interest of the educational program.

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 Parent Organizations [building principal] – each school is fortunate to work with parents through parent-teacher organizations and clubs. At the high school, the principal meets with parents quarterly through the school's Parent Advisory Committee.
District Learning Information Systems Advisory Team [Learning Information Systems Coordinator] – advisory committee which assists in the implementation of the district’s Technology Plan.
Business & Education Partnership Committee [School/Community Relations Coordinator] – 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 [School/Community Relations Coordinator] – 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 [Director of Instructional Services] – 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 – meet with students who exhibit special talents and skills to provide support, knowledge and encouragement.
Tutoring [classroom teacher, principal or School/Community Relations Coordinator] – provide regular one-on-one assistance to students in a particular subject area; available for adults and students.
Classroom Speakers [building principal or School/Community Relations Coordinator] – present information about your business, expertise, or personal hobbies.
Job Shadowing [College & Career Readiness Coordinator or School/Community Relations Coordinator] – 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 [School/Community Relations Coordinator] – 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 School/Community Relations Coordinator] – group or class of students tour your business; could include interaction with employees.
Student/Classroom Projects [classroom teachers, building principals or School/Community Relations Coordinator] – 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 [Director of Instructional Services] – work on site management (clearing trails, burning prairie, etc.)
Food Service Volunteers [Food & Nutrition Services Supervisor] – 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

Other community-based volunteer activities associated with the school district’s programs:

DeForest Area Community Center – various projects and activities which benefit the community center and our senior citizens.
Entertainment at Community Center – entertainment for senior citizens.
DeForest Area Public Library [library staff] – reading with children, assembling family literacy, kids performances for pre-school, story-hour with children, plus performing other operational tasks.

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.
Adopt-a-Class [School/Community Relations Coordinator – 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.
Computer Buddies – older adults are matched with individual students in a classroom to write to each other electronically on a regular basis; partners meet each other at a social event at the end of the school year.

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.
Biography [7th Grade English/Language Arts Teachers] – pairs 7th grade students with older adults; students interview their partners and publish video documentaries.
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 Resource Person – complete a survey to identify where you would like to help.
Reality Day [School/Community Relations Coordinator] – 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.

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 – contact the DeForest Area Community Center for additional information.
Entertainment for Senior Citizens – contact the DeForest Area Community Center for additional information.
Greeting Cards for Senior Citizens [High School Student Council and National Honor Society Advisors] – Students write cards to senior citizens during holidays.
LINK-ages Committee [School/Community Relations Coordinator] – 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 [Director of Instructional Services] – 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, School/Community Relations Coordinator] – 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 counselors] – 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.
ELL (English Language Learners) Tutoring Program [counselors] – Tutor middle school students, grade 5-8. An excellent opportunity to assist students with homework or class projects in a variety of subject areas.