We are providing the following guidelines to help you to make the most of your contribution as a volunteer in the Greendale Schools. Being proactive about learning the expectations associated with your volunteer assignment can be a tremendous help to both you and the school staff.

Dependability
Teachers and other staff members depend on you to do work that is critical to the smooth management of classroom activities and student learning. If you make a commitment to assist at school, please try to the best of your ability to honor the commitment and arrive on time.

Service
While you are volunteering in school or on a field trip, you are there to assist the staff and ultimately benefit the students. In your volunteer role, you are making a commitment to serve all of our students. You may be tempted to focus on your own child, but please remember that the other students in your care also need and benefit from your help and guidance. Positive connections between a child and an adult have a great impact on the child's development.

Professionalism
When you work with students, everything from how you speak to the clothing you wear can make an impression. Coming to school with a friendly but professional attitude will help to influence students to be more focused on learning.

Being surrounded by like-minded adults adds to the enjoyment of volunteering but we encourage you to stay focused on the students in your care. Talking with other adults during a classroom lesson can be disruptive and doing so at lunch duty can divert your attention away from the students and the supervision they need. In order to minimize disruptions, please have your cell phone ringers silenced and save phone calls for when your volunteer commitment is finished. Also, because of the responsibilities that you are accepting at school, we ask that you do not bring younger siblings or other children with you during your volunteer assignment.

Confidentiality
Confidentiality is the right of all of our students. During your volunteer assignment, you may see or hear things about a student's academic progress or personal situation. Please note that this information must remain confidential, unless you have reason to believe that a student might be harmed, in which case you should talk with a staff member.

Safety
Our highest priority is the safety of everyone in our schools. If students don't feel safe - physically and emotionally - they will have a difficult time learning. As a school volunteer, you play an important role in maintaining a safe school and a positive school climate.

In order to ensure a safe, learning environment you will be asked to sign a Volunteer Letter of Understanding prior to beginning your service. When you arrive for your volunteer duties, you must first sign in at your school's front office where you will be issued a volunteer badge. Please wear this badge throughout your time in the school as it clearly signifies to staff that you have a purpose in the school and what that purpose is. When you complete your assignment, be sure to sign out at the front office and return the badge.

Being alert to student safety is the responsibility of all volunteers. This is especially true if you are assigned to supervise students on the playground, at lunch, or on a field trip. When you are talking to a child or group of children, be aware of your positioning and keep your eyes open for other situations for which you may be needed. While you are volunteering, you may be present during an emergency drill or a real emergency. In either situation, follow the lead of school staff in helping to direct and manage the students.

Field trips not only require the watchful eyes of adult volunteers but the careful coordination of student transportation. When chaperoning a field trip, please keep a careful eye on the students who have been assigned to you.

Positive Attitude
Working with children is challenging and may also be frustrating at times. Students come to us with different backgrounds and attitudes, talents and needs. But the more you respect them as individuals, the more they will respect you. Mutual respect goes a long way in creating a positive school climate. You may be faced from time to time with students under your supervision who are off-task or misbehaving. In an effort to keep things positive and establish mutual respect, politely, but firmly, ask the student to take the positive action you would like them to take. A good rule of thumb is to try this twice and if the student still does not listen, tell the teacher or staff member in charge.

As we all know, a positive attitude is contagious. Share your enthusiasm with the staff members and volunteers around you and especially with other parents and community members. We need to support one another and we need your help to encourage others to volunteer in our schools.

We hope this information has been helpful to you. Please know that if you have any questions or concerns, you may contact the principal of your school. Your commitment to volunteer within our schools is key to our continued success. Greendale has a rich history of community support and we commend all those who have played a part in helping our students receive the best education possible.