Volunteering at Amana

A Community of #10Strong

As a community-focused charter school, volunteering is crucial to the fabric of our culture. Research shows that when parents are involved at school, ALL students do better. Therefore, we ask that all Amana parents commit to volunteer 10 hours per school year to create a community of families involved in their children’s learning. Whether volunteering in your child’s classroom, at an event, through our PTO, or at home, the opportunities to commit your time are endless. Volunteer hours can be logged via the Amana website and also at the Front Desk info kiosk.

Our PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) is a great resource to utilize as you begin your search for a volunteering initiative that is the right fit for your time/skills. You can reach them at amanaparents@gmail.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why Does Amana Have a Volunteer Orientation/Certification Process?

Volunteer orientation is a mandatory process at Amana as a measure to ensure the utmost safety and security of all children and in order to provide our volunteers with insight into our unique Expeditionary Learning instructional format – hands on learning, field studies, overnight trips, etc. Even if you completed the Volunteer Orientation in the past, a review and acknowledgement of the 2020-2021 Volunteer Handbook is required this school year.

• How Does The Volunteer Orientation/Certification Process Work?

There are a few easy steps to becoming a volunteer at Amana:

1. From the comfort of your home, log onto the Amana Academy website homepage and click on the tab that reads “Parents” and then “Volunteering”.
2. Read through the information on the How to Become an Amana Volunteer page. Attend a Volunteer Orientation, or reach out to our Parent Liaison, Sameera Omar (somar@amanaacademy.org) to schedule an Orientation.
3. Print, complete and bring with you to the orientation the Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement and Fulton County Schools Parent Volunteer Registration Form (archived on the website).
4. Follow the additional steps listed on the website if you would like to become certified to chaperone on an overnight field study.

• How Long Will It Take to Complete The Volunteer Orientation/Certification?

The time commitment for the Volunteer Orientation is 60 minutes, but we advise you allow at least one week before your volunteer opportunity to ensure the completion of all necessary paperwork.

• What Skills Do I Need to Volunteer at Amana?

A desire to make a difference!

• Who Can I Contact for Support?

For more information, please contact Sameera Omar, our Parent Liaison, at somar@amanaacademy.org. Thank you for interest in serving as a volunteer at Amana Academy!

• How Do I Become a Crew Parent?

A Crew Parent is the primary liaison between the teachers and their students’ families to communicate and coordinate volunteer opportunities and announcing special events within the classroom. These opportunities include assisting the teacher in organizing special classroom events or celebrations, communicating classroom needs for the teacher to the parents, organizing teacher appreciation activities and also being a “go to” person if assistance is needed to help encourage people to volunteer for school-wide events.

Crew parents are an important part of initiating and promoting the “Crew” effort between school and home that Amana Academy strives to embrace with the whole child education philosophy. Crew parenting is a great way to stay involved and stay informed within your child’s school community and earn those required volunteer hours quickly! Email your child’s teacher or the Crew Parent Coordinators for more information.

• What Are Some Ways I Can Get Involved?

Remember that not everyone is suited for the same type of involvement — you may have to "try on" a number a few activities before you find something that feels right. If you're at a loss for how you can help, just ask your child's teacher, who will likely be glad to help you think of something!

Here are just some of the ways a parent volunteer can help:

• Become a Crew Parent
• Attend a monthly Board Meeting
• Become a committee chair
• Chaperone a field study
• Do “take-home” projects for teachers such as cutting out bulletin board pieces
• Read in your child’s class
• Organize or assist fundraising committees
• Organize school wide events such as International Festival, 8^th Grade Promotion, Kindergarten Graduation, Field Day or any grade-level sponsored event
• Organize or assist with a specific club or interest group (if you have an interest in an activity that isn't currently available to students, offer to help get a group started — for example, a dance club or art)
• Help the school administrators prepare grant proposals, letter-writing campaigns, or press releases or provide other administrative assistance
• Work as a library assistant or offer to help with story time or reading assistance in the school library

This list is not all inclusive! There are many things that come up throughout the year that will give you the opportunity to earn your required hours quickly.