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Volunteering at Your Child's School
You Do Have Time!
By Marie-Helen Goyetche
- Tutoring: Do numbers add up to lots of fun for you? Parlez-vous fran栩s? Offer to tutor students in your favorite subject after school ends in the afternoon. If you're patient, one-on-one tutoring is an excellent opportunity to develop a close relationship with a child, and to make a real difference in her academic career. Most schools will require a year-long commitment from volunteer tutors in order to protect students -- imagine how your own child would feel if her favorite teacher left midway through the year.
- Assisting: During school hours you can be an assistant to the school staff members. You might be assigned to an elementary teacher in a regular classroom or a special staff member such as the librarian. The general office can also benefit by having someone helping with the photocopies and other clerical work. Lunch programs also rely on volunteers to help supervise overloaded cafeterias.
Occasional Volunteering
Volunteering doesn't have to mean giving up all your free time. Even if you work forty hours a week and manage five kids full-time, you can still volunteer occasionally. There are plenty of opportunities for you to put your hands to work -- briefly.
- Bake Sales: Make two or three cakes in the beginning of the year and freeze them. (Tip: this Heath Bar Cake recipe will freeze nicely -- just save the Cool Whip until you're ready to serve!) When the PTA announces their next bake sale -- usually held during parent-teacher conferences or Open School Night -- just defrost and deliver!