Volunteer Training

Volunteer Training

We Engage Educate and Empower @YSES Thank you for helping us guide our students toward excellence every day!

Our Objectives: • To welcome and thank all of our volunteers. • To acquaint you with our policies, procedures, and practices. • To prepare for volunteer services during the 2019-2020 school year.

Volunteers? • An integral part of our school program. • Working with individual students or small groups of students under the discretion of the teacher. • Assisting the teacher with a variety of organizational tasks • Chaperoning a field trip • Completing volunteer work at home • Babysitting for a parent while they are volunteering.

Why Volunteers are Important • When families are involved in school, children do better in school. • Builds bridges between home, school, and community • Helps parents better understand the schooling process • Greatly assists teachers! • Kids learn by example: when families are involved, kids are more likely to grow up and be volunteers themselves.

Scheduling • Teachers and/teams will be creating a volunteer schedule based on their specific needs and classroom activities. Please consider volunteering for our specials teachers as well. • Due to limited bus space, only a few parents, per class, will be chosen to chaperone each trip. • Schedules will be sent out within the next few weeks or contact the classroom teacher if interested • Please follow the schedule. If you have extra time for volunteering, always contact the teacher first for approval.

We need you! • Teachers rely on you to be a key player in the instructional program. • Please call the school if you are unable to volunteer on your scheduled day. 240-236-1700

Discipline • Please allow staff members to discipline students – we have a school-wide policy. • If you are working with a child or a small group and difficulty arises, let the teacher know immediately. • Remember that when challenging situations arise, it is the behavior of the student we disapprove of, not the student. • Please do not distribute personal notes, tokens or prizes without teacher approval.

Sign In SECURITY • In compliance with the law, all visitors coming into the school must sign in and wear an identification badge. • Volunteer names will be cross-referenced with the sheriff’s department data base of sex offenders as well as with the YSES database of custody agreements. • The visitor login computer is located in the front office and logs your service hours • Your hours of service make a difference!

Confidentiality • A priority! • Information about a student or teacher should never be discussed outside of the school or with another person unless it is with a necessary staff member. • Contact the teacher or an administrator with any concerns that you may have. • Your ability to volunteer at YSES depends on your discretion. • Thank you for your help in keeping YSES information or data secure.

Why everyone? Why every year? Why chaperones? • Student safety and confidentiality are paramount at YSES. • Chaperoning is the most intense and responsibility driven volunteer assignment which one can have. Teachers do not have direct access to chaperones during the trip.

Food Allergies/Sensitivities • Awareness is a necessity. Simply restricting consumption is not enough, because any contact with an unsafe food, cross contamination, and hidden trace ingredients can also cause an allergic reaction.

FoodAllergyPrecautions • Food items of any kind should never be distributed to any child for any reason. • Please refrain from snacking and eating in the classroom or at work stations due to allergy concerns. • If a child complains to you that they aren’t feeling well, please inform the teacher immediately. • If helping in the cafeteria – please be sure wash your hands thoroughly before working with any child.

RespectingInstructionalTime • Please do not use your volunteer time to meet with the teacher to discuss your child’s progress. • If you need to meet with a teacher, please set up a different time and place that is convenient to both. • Please respect the teacher’s planning time and other special duties.

Liability Coverage • You are a part of the “Duty of Care” chain that transfers from parent – bus driver – principal – teacher – volunteer • As a volunteer if you exercise good common sense you will generally be acting within an acceptable level of duty of care and therefore, be covered by the BOE’s liability insurance.

Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect • Address your concerns with a staff member and/or an administrator. We will assist you with the process for reporting abuse or neglect. • As a volunteer in a Maryland State school, you are a required reporter. COMAR states that you must report abuse within 24 hours.

Fire Drills • Everyone must exit the building. • Exit with the nearest class. • Remain with the class that you have exited with, please do not travel the grounds looking for your child.

Lockdown Drills • Full Lockdown • Partial Lockdown • Please follow the direction of staff members

Emergency Situations In the event of a student injury: • Contact the teacher immediately or report to the office • In an emergency - call the office on any school phone by dialing 61663 or 61665 • Request a pair of rubber gloves from the classroom teacher in the event of possible bodily fluid contact • Again, confidentiality is essential

Bloodborne Pathogens • Risk is extremely low in school setting • Allow teacher to care for the situation if possible • Protect yourself with gloves before rushing to the aid of a child who is bleeding, vomiting, etc. • If you are exposed: notify health room and administration and wash the area thoroughly

Restrooms • Located in the front hallway across from the cafeteria.

Dress Code • Dress appropriately for your task. For example, your dress would be different for a field trip to a farm than a regular volunteer day. • Please adhere to the FCPS dress code that can be found in your calendar handbook.

Tobacco Use/Firearms • Tobacco of any form is strictly forbidden on FCPS property or for use during a school activity. Ecigs are included in this directive. • Firearms may not be present on school grounds at anytime – including parked cars. If you have a concealment permit, please contact administration for collaboration with the FCSD.

Social Networking • We ask that you refrain from initiating or accepting a social relationship request with a YSES student. • We understand that family relationships may supersede this request. • Pictures of YSES students may not be posted on social media without the consent of the students’ parents.

Personal Health Concerns • See school nurse if necessary • All information is kept confidential • We will no longer keep health profiles of our volunteers. • Please consider carrying a medications list with you at all times.

Mailboxes • If you have a note or other materials for a staff member, please report to the front office for assistance. • Mailboxes are for staff members only.

Phone Calls • School phones are to be used by volunteers only in emergency situations. • Please check with the office staff, they can assist you with getting an outside line. • Cell phone use is strictly prohibited inside the building. Please silence or turn-off all cell phones while you are in the building. Use of a cell phone is grounds for reversal of your volunteering rights. • Please excuse yourself to the outside portion of the building to call or text.

Staff Lounge • Please do not use the lounge as a place to do volunteer work or the media center. • please use classrooms or other designated work areas instead. • A soda machine is available for your use in the lounge.

Thank You!

Please be sure to sign the Volunteer Agreement and Interest form. Return them to your child’s teacher and you will be contacted when the teacher is ready for volunteers to begin in their classroom. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the YSES Volunteer Coordinator: Sandra Johansen, School Counselor 240-236-1607

Volunteer Training