Community Resources for Parents & Volunteering in EBR schools

1. Community Resources for Parents& Volunteering in EBR schools presented by Marlon Cousin Title I Coordinator of Parental Involvement

2. Families Helping Families of Greater Baton Rouge Our Mission To provide the individualized services, information, and support needed to positively enhance the independence, productivity, and integration of persons with disabilities into the community. 778 Chevelle Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70806 Phone: (225)216.7474 Fax: (225)216.7977 Toll Free: 1.866.216.7474

3. It’s Who We Are, It’s What We Do! • Families Helping Families of Greater Baton Rougeis a non-profit, family directed resource center for individuals with disabilities and their families. • It is a place where families can go that is directed and staffed by parents or family members of children with disabilities or adults with disabilities. • It is this common experience that gives Families Helping Families a very unique approach to serving families.

4. Family Road of Greater Baton Rouge • Family Road of Greater Baton Rouge is a non-profit organization that provides a variety of services for families. • Family Road has over 108 non-profit, public, private, and government agencies that have committed to provide services at our location.

5. Services, Classes, Workshops, Support Groups and Counseling are provided in the following areas: • Prenatal Classes and Clinic • Car Seat and General Safety Classes • Fatherhood Classes • Counseling Programs • Teen Parenting Classes • Education and Training Classes • Parenting Classes • Banking and Technology (Computer) Classes • Children and Teens Classes • Wellness, Nutrition and Fitness Classes

6. Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) • HIPPY is a parent involvement, school readiness program that helps parents prepare their three, four and five year old children for success in school and beyond. • Help parents as primary educators of their children in the home and fosters parental involvement in school and community life to maximize the chances of successful early school experiences.

7. HIPPY Requirements • A commitment to complete a thirty week program with your child. • There are no fees associated with the HIPPY Program. • Families will be supplied with books, shapes and other necessary supplies to complete weekly activities.

8. Computers for Louisiana’s Families • CACRC’s Computers for LA Families Program offers low-cost refurbished computers with software for $100.00, including tax. • To buy a computer, please bring a copy of your child’s free or reduced lunch status, your ID, and a money order, check card or credit card (sorry, no cash or personal checks) to our warehouse, 800 St. Phillip Street, Monday thru Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Does your child need a computer?

9. This is quite a deal!

10. We provide free health care where your kids are--in school. • Health Centers in Schools makes sure kids are well so they can learn well. • As a nonprofit, we provide free health services in collaboration with East Baton Rouge public schools. • Our primary care doctors, nurses and counselors are on the spot with immunizations, screenings, mental health services and emergency care children need. • Under performing kids get special attention, as so kids with special needs.

11. Health Centers in Schools (continued) • In East Baton Rouge Parish public schools, Health Centers in Schools provides on-site medical and mental health services with health centers on 11 school campuses. • The HCS health center is like a pediatrician’s office, where medical doctors and nurse practitioners provide more extensive medical care. • Social workers at the centers also provide behavior counseling and other mental health services. • In fall 2009, 6092 children in EBR public schools had a chronic disease or required special health services, including: • 98 diabetics • 2841 asthmatics • 150 Sickle Cell patients • 272 with seizure disorders • 193/1860 with ADD/ADHD • 58 requiring EpiPens (treats severe whole-body allergic reactions) • 620 children required special medical support (ventilators, heart disease, tracheotomies, immunological disease, genetic disorders, etc.)

12. Health Centers in Schools (continued) • HCS brings specialists to schools—psychiatrists, as well as vision and dental providers. • Begun in 1987, HCS is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that provides health care to approximately 45,000 children in all East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools and the EBR Recovery School District schools. • Expansion efforts are currently underway, so by 2013 HCS will provide services at 16 health centers geographically dispersed across the city, with 11 providing year-round care. The school system is building the structures and HCS is raising the $3.8 million for start-up funding for staffing and equipment.

13. YWCA Early Head Start Program • The purpose of the YWCA Early Head Start program is to enhance the educational status and economic outcomes of primarily adolescent parents and their children. • This purpose is accomplished by providing early, continuous, and comprehensive child development services, parenting training, family support and assistance, and health services to effect positive long-term outcomes for children and families. • The program is a generational approach starting with adolescent parent families as a beginning point to systematically address the realities of children and families living in poverty. • In addition to children of adolescent parents the program also serves pregnant adolescents, children with disabilities and children in poverty (ages birth - 3 years.)

14. YWCA Early Head Start Program Services Provided: • Child Care (early care and education) • Transportation • Parent education and support • Physical and mental health services • Ongoing parent support and guidance • Male involvement activities • Family wellness activities Center Locations: ARC Early Head Start Center 3940 Prescott Road Baton Rouge, LA 70805 Glen Oaks Early Head Start Center 7055 Glen Oaks Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70812 Istrouma Early Head Start Center 4643 Winbourne Avenue Baton Rouge, LA 70805 *For more information, please contact: Charlotte Provenza at (225)355.3298 or cprovenza@aol.com

15. Plan for Parent Participation

16. Volunteering in EBR Schools

17. How Can I Help? • As a volunteer, you may already know what task(s) you will be assigned to at your school. • If you do not know yet, determining how you can help should be your first step in the volunteer process. • Your main initial contact at the school will be the Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) Volunteer Coordinator. • He or she will assist you in finding school needs that you can help fulfill.

18. School needs may include, but are not limited to, the following: Playground Angels/Parent Patrol & Security Dads: • Adult supervisors who patrol play areas during lunchtime and recess. • Their primary job is to ensure that students play safely and have fun. • Volunteers are thoroughly familiar with the playground rules and carry first aid packs for minor emergencies. Glen Oaks High School Security Dads

19. School needs may include, but are not limited to, the following: Bus Duty: • Volunteers who assist with bus unloading (in the morning) or loading (in the afternoon). • Volunteers will follow the lead of teachers and staff, helping as necessary.

20. School needs may include, but are not limited to, the following: Library Help: • Volunteers who help with the day-to-day maintenance of the library. Duties may include sorting books by grade level, subject matter, and alphabetical order; cataloging books; and general library upkeep. Field Trip Help: • Assist teachers with classroom field trips by driving, chaperoning or helping to organize. Every volunteer driving on a Field Trip needs an Expanded Field Trip Form filled out at the beginning of the year. A car insurance form for the driver is also necessary. Room Helpers: • Assist teacher in planning of parties, field trips and other social activities and act in other ways to support class activities. Room helpers are in charge of the Phone Tree and getting other class helpers to assist them. Picture Day: • Volunteers assists with picture day activities for students – help walk students and classes to the place where the picture is taken, collect student picture envelopes, and help the photographer and students as needed. The photographer needs help for individual pictures, retakes, and class pictures.

21. School needs may include, but are not limited to, the following: Specific Principal Requests: • At various times during the school year, there are tasks around the school that need to be completed. These tasks include, but are not limited to, lawn & flower bed maintenance, playground maintenance, cleaning & moving of materials in the school building, etc. Other • There’s always a new task to be completed. Be flexible! Volunteer assistance is welcomed here!

22. Help to establish a PTO/PTA or Parent Advisory Council • Exists to facilitate the fundraising arm of the school. • PTO/Parent Advisory Council serves a support mechanism for the Principal and the School in all areas as needed. • Board Positions: President, Vice President (this position rolls into the President position the following year), Treasurer, Secretary, and Faculty Member. Responsibilities: • Attend monthly executive board meetings from August to June. • Attend a monthly Parent Club General meeting from September to June. • Assist in various events throughout the year, dependent upon committee or board position.

23. Volunteer Guidelines 1. Commitment - Be sure you come at the time you specified to volunteer and get someone to take your place if an emergency arises. 2. Professional Behavior - Remember that our students, their learning, and their well-being are our priorities. Be sure your behavior models well to our students. Please do not: -Distract students through excessive talking or boisterous behavior -Distract teachers, staff or other volunteers by engaging in lengthy discussions -Use volunteer time for personal matters 3. Illness/Absence – Please get someone to replace you if an emergency arises where you cannot meet your volunteer task. 4. Supervision – The teachers and principal are the supervisors of the students. You are to follow their lead and any guidelines that you have been given. When in doubt please confer with the staff member in charge of the event for which you are volunteering. Never ask the school to change the rules.

24. Volunteer Guidelines continued… 5. Communications & Announcements – If you are the chairperson of any event or in charge of advertisements and announcements for the event write up the school newsletter articles or flyers for the event and have them approved by the principal for publication. You are in charge of getting out all communications and announcements with principal approval. 6. Activity Financial Accountability – All fund raisers and school activity events are to have their funds raised and expenses handled through the PTO/Parent Advisory Council treasurer. After handing in receipts and a financial report, expenses will be reimbursed. If the activity has its own checking account the PTO treasurer needs a copy of the monthly financial statement, a copy of the check register, and PTO Board approval for major expenses.

25. Volunteer Guidelines continued… 7.Confidentiality Statement - When working with students, confidentiality is imperative. The students’ performance and behavior information is kept confidential. When working on school events it is important to keep the conversation about the school on a positive note. 8. Accountability – If a volunteer has taken the responsibility for a task, it is important to the PTO, the Parent Advisory Council, the school, and the students to carry through with the tasks. Hopefully the chairperson will have received a notebook of how previous chair people did the event. Add to this notebook, make one if it isn’t available, and update so the notebook can be helpful to the next chairperson. When dealing with students accountability remember that the teachers and principal are ultimately responsible.

26. Volunteer Guidelines continued… 9. Discipline – As stated above teachers and the principal are responsible ultimately for students behavior. It is important to use positive techniques to help a student or group of students be respectful and kind. Seek out teacher and principal help if the volunteer is having difficulty with student behavior. 10. Smoking – As to Louisiana state law no one is to smoke on school grounds. In our case that definitely applies to our school hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and at events for students. 11. Dress – Our students wear uniforms and all staff are asked to dress professionally. Volunteers are asked to dress appropriately for the activity in which they are involved remembering that the volunteers are also models for our students. Appropriate Improper

27. School Procedures 1. Park in the visitor’s lot. Do not park in the faculty/staff parking areas, or in the bus lane. 2. Sign in and out in the main office. Use the red VIPS volunteer log bookso your volunteer hours are properly recorded. 3. Wear a name tag or visitor’s badge. 4. Check in with the Volunteer Coordinator and/or the staff person coordinating your volunteer activity before getting started. 5. Always follow instructions from the person assigning your task. Never conduct new activities unless given prior approval by the Volunteer Coordinator or the person coordinating your activity. Remember, if you don’t know the answer to a question, ask someone!

28. Always Remember: • Be reliable. Call if you cannot be at school at your scheduled time. • Provide confidentiality. Do not gossip. • Be prompt. • You are a role model to students. • You are here to support teachers and staff, not replace them.

29. Questions/Comments… Marlon K. Cousin, Title I Coordinator for Family Involvement & Community Engagement (225)922.5593 mcousin@ebrschools.org