As a consistent volunteer, you will potentially build trusting relationships with students. These relationships may lead to students sharing thoughts, experiences, and feelings with you. Resist the urge to promise a student that you will not reveal confidential information to a parent or school officials.  

It may be necessary to reveal information to protect the welfare of the student and to protect you from violating the law. Although the student is free to share confidential information with you, there are certain things that you are required by law to tell the campus administrator. Any personal information learned from a student or student’s files should be held in the strictest confidence except:

• If a student confides that he or she is the victim of sexual, emotional, chemical, or physical abuse.

• If a student confides that he or she is involved in any illegal activity.

• If a student confides that he or she is considering homicide or suicide.

Should one of these exceptions arise, you are required to immediately notify the student’s principal or appropriate school personnel and/or appropriate agencies (within 24 to 48 hours in the case of suspected child abuse or neglect), in accordance with applicable law. The laws of when and how to report child abuse can be found on the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website. 

Note on your calendar when this information was reported and to whom it was given. Remember, this information is extremely personal and capable of damaging lives, so do not share it with anyone except the appropriate authorities. If you have questions, please ask a campus administrator.

As a volunteer, you will be interacting with NISD students in a variety of settings over varied periods of time. Appropriate interactions as per NISD policies are listed below. 

Physical Contact

• Volunteers should practice appropriate touch: side hugs and high fives are appropriate if students initiate them. 

• Restrict other physical contact.

• Use common sense.

• Remember that what you see as simple, friendly affection between you and the student may be viewed as something entirely different by someone else.

Pictures & Recordings

• Volunteers should not photograph or record any students who are not their own, without prior permission from the teacher and/or the campus principal. 

• Volunteers should never post photos of students on social media. Both state and federal law protect the privacy of student information, including pictures and recordings of students.  

• Volunteers should not photograph or record any students’ work without prior permission from the teacher and/or campus principal.  

• Volunteers should never post, distribute, or publish any photograph or recording of any student not their own, even if the teacher or campus principal consents, on any social media site.

Transportation

• Transporting a student in your personal car as part of your volunteer activities is prohibited. Do not put yourself in the position of being alone with any student in any vehicle.

• Students must be transported in a school district vehicle for field trips or in the vehicle of a parent or legal guardian.

• Sometimes a parent may provide written consent for you to transport the parent’s child. That may not protect you from liability because you would not be acting within the scope of your duties as a volunteer.

Positive & Respectful Role Modeling

• Do not criticize parents, teachers, school personnel, or guidelines publicly or with your student. If a problem arises, consult with the campus principal or district administration.

• Do not discuss your students and their problems publicly or with others. If you need help with a student, discuss the matter professionally and confidentially with the teacher, counselor, assistant principal, or principal.

• Address the student directly and with sensitivity, be honest, and model an appropriate manner.

• Volunteers should never give the student personal contact information (email, phone numbers, etc.) or take student information

• Volunteers and students should never meet outside of the program 

• Volunteers should never give students gifts, candy, or any other item. Opportunities may exist for student recognition but must be approved by the campus principal and designated staff.

In Case of Emergency

In case of an emergency on the campus, volunteers must follow the campus plans, policies, and procedures. Campus or district administrators should include these procedures in the on-campus training. If there are safety drills, volunteers are expected to participate if they are on campus during the drill. 

Safety Tips for Visiting Campuses

There are specific actions volunteers can take to be part of a safe and secure school environment. Please help keep our campuses safe by doing the following:

• Enter and exit the building through the main entrance when visiting a campus.

• Always sign in at the front office to ensure that parents and other visitors are properly identified.

• Leave entrances and exits locked at all times. Exterior doors should not be propped open.

How to React in an Emergency

If a campus enters into an emergency situation, expect communication from your school or the district as soon as facts have been confirmed. As you briefly wait for information, please keep the following in mind:

• If you are not on campus when schools are in lockdown, please do not come to the school. A lockdown is designed to keep students and staff inside the building away from harm. Entrances to the school are to be kept locked during this time.

• In the event of an emergency, students will be released to their families as soon as it is safe to do so. Local response personnel will determine when it is safe for the schools to begin releasing students. Only an authorized person as noted on the student forms on file in the school office will be able to pick a child. A driver's license or other form of photo I.D. must be shown before staff can safely release a child. Note that in the event of an emergency, phone calls authorizing a student's release to a person other than a parent or name on file will not be accepted.

• If the need arises to implement these safety protocols, cooperating with campus personnel in a calm manner will ensure safe and timely release for students.