Embedded Files
Why do I need to register online in the PTO volunteer database?
Registering in the online PTO volunteer database serves many purposes. First, it places you on the contact list that your child’s room parent uses for updating you on the happenings in your child’s classroom, like donating items for class celebrations. If you are not registered in the database, the room parent will not have your email address. Second, it enables you to be considered for weekly classroom volunteer positions as well as event based volunteer opportunities. You simply indicate your interests and the volunteer coordinators will match that with the needs of the teachers and event coordinators. Another reason to register is to get updates from the PTO on what’s happening around the school like family fun nights, fundraisers and other news.
I registered in the PTO volunteer database last year. Do I need to register again this year?
Yes, you must register every year. The PTO volunteer database is purged every year since the school population changes and the teacher’s needs change yearly.
The school already has my email address. How come I am not on the contact list?
The contact list maintained by the school is separate from any contact lists maintained by the PTO.
Why do I need to fill out a Volunteer Assurances form? Do I need to fill out a new one every year?
A Volunteer Assurances form is required by the Nashua School District for ALL volunteers who interact with students directly or indirectly in any way. It is required not only for volunteers who work in regularly scheduled weekly jobs in the school but for any volunteer who donates food/supplies for a class celebration, chaperones a field trip, comes in to read a book to a class, volunteers at any PTO sponsored event or works as a coach for cross country, LEGO League, Destination Imagination, Continental Math/Math Olympiad, and any other school affiliated club or organization. We recommend that you fill out this form immediately and return it to the school as soon as possible to ensure that you are properly covered for the entire school year. The information is CONFIDENTIAL and is kept on file in the principal’s office. You must fill out a new form every year.
I already filled out a Volunteer Assurances form for my other child who attends another school in the Nashua School District. Do I need to fill out another form for my child at Bicentennial?
Yes, you must fill out a Volunteer Assurances form for each school that your children attend. The forms are kept on file in the principal’s office where your children attend school. So, each family at Bicentennial needs to have a completed form on file at Bicentennial.
Do I need to fill out a separate Volunteer Assurances form for each of my children at Bicentennial?
No, one Volunteer Assurances form per parent/guardian is sufficient.
Does my spouse need to fill out a separate Volunteer Assurance form?
Yes, both spouses must fill out their own Volunteer Assurances form. We recommend that all parents/guardians in a household print out a form, complete it and return it to the school as soon as possible. We have many families where both parents/guardians volunteer as coaches or at family events.
What type of volunteer positions are there?
Our school has an amazing number of volunteer opportunities. We have many positions that occur during school hours and are in the classrooms working directly with students like Reading, Writing and Math coaches. We also have coaching positions that work with students outside of school hours either before or after school like LEGO League, Battle of the Books, Destination Imagination, and Cross Country. Other positions are more administrative in nature like office aide, photocopiers, laminating and book binding. We also need event based volunteers for Pizza Night and Field Day. The PTO is looking for people willing to serve on the PTO Board in positions such as President, Treasurer, Secretary, Communications, Volunteer Coordinators, Programs.
For a full list of volunteer opportunities, click here. Not all of these occur yearly.
I want to volunteer. What do I need to do?
At the beginning of the school year, there is a two week period where all volunteers register in our online PTO volunteer database. In the first few days of school, your child will bring home a packet of information regarding how to register online. The online PTO volunteer database closes in mid-September. To register in our PTO volunteer database at any other time of the year, please contact one of our volunteer coordinators. You also need to complete the Volunteer Assurances form and send it back to the school as soon as possible.
I’m really interested in volunteering at the some of the events but I’m just not sure what my schedule will be when those events comes around. Should I still check it off?
When you register online, you are selecting the events that are of interest to you. Selecting any of these items does not commit you to anything. Your name and email will be added to the list of people to contact when the time comes to start planning the event. If you are no longer interested or your availability changes, you are free to decline at that time.
How are regular weekly volunteer positions filled?
The volunteer registration and placement process begins immediately with the start of school and lasts for approximately one month. The process is:
During the first two weeks of school, teachers fill out a request form listing the volunteer positions they would like to have filled in their classrooms and return it to the volunteer coordinators.
At the same time, the online PTO volunteer database opens for parents to register.
Approximately 7-10 days after the database opens, the volunteer coordinators begin running reports from the database to match volunteer interests and availability with the teacher requests.
The volunteer coordinators begin contacting potential volunteers via email to offer positions.
Registration via the online volunteer database closes after approximately 14 days. Any registrations or updates after this date must be made by contacting one of the volunteer coordinators.
The volunteer coordinators continue to make matches and contact volunteers by email. All placements are generally made by early October with assignments beginning in mid-October.
When you receive an email from the volunteer coordinators confirming your weekly assignment, the email will also contain pertinent information about volunteering in the school.
I really wanted a weekly position. How come I didn’t get one?
Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering! There may be a few reasons why a match was not made.
We can only place volunteers in classrooms where the teacher specifically requests one. It is possible that your child's teacher does not utilize classroom parent volunteers.
Matching volunteers with teachers is a long process so we start making matches about a week after the online member registration period opens. It is possible that if you register in the latter parts of the registration period, we may have already made placements for the weekly positions for your child's teacher. If you are very interested in a weekly position, please register online right away to ensure that your name is on the list when we start processing the requests for your child's teacher.
We may have attempted to contact you but didn't hear back and had to offer it to someone else. Please contact a volunteer coordinator to ensure that we have the correct contact information for you.
Weekly positions are offered via email to multiple interested members at one time. The first member who responds via email is generally offered the position (pending final approval by the teacher). Be sure that you check your emails frequently during the open registration period - including your Junk mail. Emails can come from any of the volunteer coordinators.
When do weekly volunteer positions start?
These positions generally start in mid-October unless otherwise notified by the volunteer coordinators.
How do you fill event based volunteers like those needed for Pizza Night, etc? How do you solicit coaches for the before and after school clubs like LEGO League, Battle of the Books and Destination Imagination?
Volunteer opportunities do arise throughout the year. Our primary method of recruitment is to generate email contact lists from those people who selected that event or position during the online volunteer registration. The volunteer coordinators may also use the school and PTO websites, social media and paper notices to recruit volunteers. To ensure that you are on the email lists, please make sure you sign up in the volunteer database during the open registration and also sign up for the PTO newsletter emails.
I never get any emails from my child’s class room parent or the PTO newsletter. What’s going on?
Your email address may be incorrect in our system. Please contact one of the volunteer coordinators
to ensure that we have your correct contact information.
What happened to the Volunteer Orientation Tea?
When the Volunteer Orientation Tea was first implemented, the purpose of the event was to actually hand out assignments, explain sign in and security procedures, discuss confidentiality issues, and distribute badges. This was in the days before emails when volunteer coordinators had to phone members! Now we can email members who have assigned weekly positions all the information they need and volunteer badges can be picked up in the office. The Volunteer Orientation Tea was also held during school hours which limited our audience. Many of our non-weekly volunteer opportunities actually occur outside of school hours. In place of the Volunteer Orientation Tea, the volunteer coordinators now hold a Volunteer Information Night at the first PTO meeting of the year. At this event, we explain the complete volunteer process and answer questions members may have. We can now reach a wider audience by discussing the same information at an evening PTO meeting, and still provide the weekly volunteers the information they need via their assignment confirmation emails.
Google Sites
Report abuse