Lange School relies on our volunteers. There are several ways you can help to enhance our programming, assist with teacher needs and be involved with your students.

In order to be an in-school volunteer we need three things:
1.  For you to indicate how you’d like to volunteer by reading and signing off on the Lange Volunteer Guidelines below.
2.  Attend a Volunteer Workshop. Training for all new elementary volunteers for Lange, Harman and Smith will be held at Harman and Smith. Cassie Schoch, Smith principal, and Sarah Patterson, Harman principal, will be reviewing volunteer expectations and procedures and Oakwood Safety Department Chief Alan Hill will be presenting on school safety and the ALICE response model. The training will last approximately an hour.  Please feel free to attend whichever training is best for your schedule, regardless of the school your child attends.

*If you have already attended the training in the last five years, please review the Volunteer Guidelines on our website and complete the acknowledgement.  Thank you very much for your support of our students and staff.

3.  Depending on your volunteer role, we might ask you to be fingerprinted. We will inform you if this is needed.

If you have any further questions about volunteering, please feel free to ask Mrs. Baker at baker.christie@oakwoodschools.org.  She will be coordinating with our event chairs to help organize events, signups and more. Thank you so much for supporting Lange School!

IN-SCHOOL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES           

Scholastic Book Fair
Want to help us spread the love for reading? Please volunteer to work at our Scholastic Book Fair!  Lange School hosts the Scholastic Book Fair twice a year. This event has a chairperson and volunteers willing to work during school hours and on our Family Fun Night. It is our largest school fundraiser and the proceeds go towards books in the classroom and our library. We ask volunteers to help setup/breakdown, run cash registers, and assist students with looking at books during the event.

Lange Family Fun Night
Our Family Fun Night is our social event for the entire family. The event includes a food truck onsite providing dinner for those that want it. Inside we have our Scholastic Book Fair, a silent auction with items donated from local businesses and experiences offered by our staff. And to end the evening we have a donations only bake sale. All proceeds go towards a school goal. This event has a chairperson and a volunteer committee. We ask committee to help setup/breakdown the event, secure a food truck, solicit items and run the silent auction, and organize a bake sale.

Picture Day
Who doesn’t love their kindergarten photo? We ask that two volunteers help with making sure students have their hair combed, shirt buttoned, and just keep everything moving smoothly. 

Thanksgiving Service Project
During the month of November, we like to encourage families to participate in a school-wide service project. This committee with the support of Mrs. Baker helps to organize and implement a school-wide service project. Previous years have collected food, school supplies, and clothes.

Substitute Recess Helper
We have five volunteers committed to a one-day-a-week recess duty. But we need a substitute for each day of the week. If you are available for a specific day and we can call you as needed, please contact Mrs. Baker directly at baker.christie@oakwoodschools.org. If you are able to be a consistent volunteer at recess, please also let Mrs. Baker know.

Outside of School Volunteers
Do you like to organize a party? We have a volunteer opportunity for you! We need someone to be our Sign Up Genius Guru. Without a PTO, we ask parents to volunteer in several ways: monthly snack donations, a snack bar during teacher/student conferences days, dinner and a time capsule. We are looking for a volunteer to help organize the SignUp Genius and setup the events. If you are interested in being our Sign Up Genius Guru, please reach out to Mrs. Baker at baker.christie@oakwoodschools.org. 

Check with your classroom teachers
Our teachers also need classroom-specific volunteers from time to time. Please check with them.

OAKWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
VOLUNTEER GUIDELINES

Role of the Volunteer

The volunteer is an important member of the school team.  Working under the supervision of a school staff member, the volunteer can make significant contributions to the school.  Volunteers are held to the same high standards as school personnel to contribute to the positive, safe and student-centered school culture. 

• Classroom Instructional Support: Individual or small group learning activities
• Clerical support: Copies, laminating, etc. for a classroom teacher, grade level or building level
• Shared space volunteer: Library, cafeteria or special events
• Club Advisor: Chess club, Military Kids Club, etc.

Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Build Relationships

Expectations of the Volunteer

• Prior to volunteering in the building, the volunteer must participate in the volunteer training program and sign that he/she has received a copy of the Volunteer Guidelines.
• Volunteers who work regularly with students, and those who work with students in an unsupervised area, will be required to provide fingerprints.  You will be notified by the teacher or principal if your volunteer capacity requires fingerprinting. This can be done every five years at the Board office and at no cost to volunteers.  
• All volunteers will sign in and sign out at the office and wear volunteer badges while in school.
• Due to the safety and liability issues, younger children may not accompany volunteers to activities.
• The volunteer will perform activities under the teacher’s direction.  Remember that teachers have different needs and expectations for their volunteers.  Discuss this with the teacher.
• The classroom/school schedule requires that the volunteer be on time.
• If you cannot come when scheduled, please let the teacher know as soon as possible.
• All information regarding students and staff must remain confidential.
• The authority to confer with parents regarding a child’s academic progress or behavior lies with the teacher, not the volunteer.
• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Regulations protect students in the Oakwood Schools.  Generally, information which may be shared is name, address, phone number, date of birth, attendance, degrees, and participation in extracurricular activities.  As a volunteer, you must not violate the rights of students by discussing additional information about the student with any one other than the school personnel working with the student.
• Oakwood Schools respect the right of parents as to how their children are included in Social Media posts.  Volunteers are not to take photos and/or post on their personal Social Media accounts.
• Discipline and Crisis Intervention are the responsibilities of the school personnel.  If need arises for involvement, follow staff instruction.
• Respect instructional time.  Concerns regarding a child, teaching method, or an assigned activity, should be discussed with the teacher at another time.
• If you wish to discuss a concern with the teacher about your child, please schedule a time in advance.  Do not use the teacher’s instructional or planning or lunch time for conferencing without prior scheduling.

We view our volunteer program as a valuable and integral part of your child’s education.  A strong partnership between home and school can greatly benefit your child as he or she grows and matures.  Your volunteer hours allow us to spend more time planning quality instruction for your child.  We hope you will find great personal satisfaction and pride as you participate as a volunteer.