Volunteers |
Welcome!
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!
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 are welcome partners in this important work!
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 (608) 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.
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.
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.
- The volunteer 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.
- Volunteers shall abide by all District policies and procedures while on duty.
- Volunteers are covered under the District's liability policy, but the District cannot provide any type of health insurance to cover illness or accident while serving as a volunteer, nor is the volunteer eligible for worker's compensation.
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.
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. If you are interested in serving on one or more of these teams, please contact the appropriate individual.
- Building Level Parent/Guardian Organizations [building principal] – each school is fortunate to work with families through parent/guardian-teacher organizations and clubs.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 3)
- Parent/Guardian-Teacher Organizations [building principal] – PTO’s support each of the elementary schools.
- Playground Supervision [building principal] – supervise students before school and during recesses.
- Library Volunteers [building principal] – assisting building libraries with the preparation of displays, assisting with book 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/Grandfriends [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.
Harvest Intermediate School (grades 4-6) and DeForest Area Middle School (grades 7-8)
- Study Help [Building Principal or Guidance Counselor]
- 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.
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.
- 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 3)
- 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.
Harvest Intermediate School (grades 4-6) and DeForest Area Middle School (grades 7-8)
- 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.
- Multilingual Tutoring Program [counselors] – Tutor intermediate and middle school students, grades 4-8. An excellent opportunity to assist students with homework or class projects in a variety of subject areas.
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