Volunteer at SJCS
Background
San Jose Chinese School (SJCS) is a co-op school administrated and operated by parents. The school relies on parents’ participation to provide our students with a safe and rewarding environment for Chinese learning.
Who are the volunteers?
All enrolled families and students can sign up for volunteering.
What are the volunteer’s responsibilities?
Families should ensure they complete all required service points by the end of the school year by:
Signing up for volunteer spots via the Service Point Portal on the school website.
Signing in to the office before starting their duties.
Completing duties promptly and reliably, accepting the guidance and decisions of the volunteer coordinator.
Signing out in the office when completing duties.
How many volunteer hours are required?
Each family must fulfill five (5) service points per semester for a total of ten (10) service points per school year, regardless of the number of enrolled students.
Families with busy schedules can buy out the service points at $15 per point. Payment can be made when registering the student or filling out the Buyout Form and submitting it with payment to the office.
What are volunteer activities?
There are various types of help the school needs. The service points are given based on the level of effort for the assigned tasks. Below are the positions throughout the school year.
Year-round positions
Class representative (10 points)
Facilitate communication and relay important information between the classroom teacher and parents.
Organize class-related events or activities.
Address parental concerns and promote a positive class community.
School Staff (10 points)
There are various staff positions under the following seven departments.
Principal’s Office
Academic
Operation
IT
Discipline
Extracurricular
Accounting
Board and Vice Board members are not compensated with service points. The duty of board members is to oversee the school policies, budgets, and leadership serving as a bridge between families and the school. The school provides priority for board members to take on a staff position.
Operational positions
Safety Patrol (1 point)
This position helps the school enhance student safety and fosters a secure learning environment.
Timeline: School days
Volunteer hour: One session (8:20-10:30am or 10:20-12:35pm)
Assist in managing traffic during drop-off and pick-up times
Monitor areas prone to accidents.
Snack stand (1 point)
This position manages a snack stand including booth manning, inventory maintenance, customer services, and payment.
Timeline: School days
Volunteer hour: One session (8:20-10:30am or 10:20-12:35pm)
Academic Contest Coordinator
Timeline: October to December (planning & preparation) & January (event day)
Category Lead (10 points)
Judge (4 points) - Follow contest rules to evaluate participants’ performance and assign scores or rankings.
Proctor (4 points) - Monitor test-takers to ensure compliance with testing rules. Assist with any technical or logistical issues during the examination.
Chinese New Year Carnival Coordinator
Plan and assist in holding a cultural carnival to promote Chinese culture and school reputation for school families and community.
Timeline: October to January (planning & preparation) & early February (event day)
Team lead (6 points) - Plan and coordinate execution of the event. The position varies in logistics, stage & ceremony, sales, booth fair, technical support, and sponsorships.
Assistant (4 points) - Support event planning and coordinate administrative tasks.
Event helpers (2 points) - Assist in ensuring the smooth running of the carnival on the event day.
Where to sign up for volunteer spots?
Visit the Service Point page on the school website. When signing up, be ready to provide the following information:
Volunteer’s full name
Phone number
Email address
Your student’s class ID
Family ID (first four letters of the last name + last four digits of the registered phone number, e.g., chen-1294)
Where do I check my service point status?
Families are responsible for keeping track of their service point status to fulfill the required ten (10) points by the end of the school year.
Monthly Statement
The school sends monthly service point statements to families. Please make sure the email address provided on the registration form is valid.
Compensation for unfulfilled points
Families will be invoiced $15 per unfulfilled service point by the end of the school year, with a maximum amount of $150. Note that this is not a donation and is not tax deductible.