Volunteer Information
Volunteering in the Schools
Kermit Independent School District
Volunteer Procedures
Thank you for your interest in volunteering in the Kermit Independent School District. Volunteering in a school is a privilege for both the school and the volunteer. It is designed to promote and maintain a supportive relationship for the students, teachers and school staff.
Please help keep our program running smoothly by following these guidelines:
- Sign in at the office when you arrive at school.
- Wear your volunteer button or name tag.
- Sign out at the office when you leave.
- Return your volunteer button or name tag.
As a Volunteer Please...
- respect confidences of student and school personnel.
- follow the guidelines established by the school such as dress code, hours of work, adult behavior, values and all regulations, rules and policies stated for school employees and volunteers.
- use reasonable judgment in making decisions, then as soon as possible, consult with school staff for future guidance.
- be considerate, respect competencies and work as a member of the team with the staff and students. Realize that you do not have instructional, evaluation, decision-making or teaching responsibilities for students, but are expected to enrich and extend learning opportunities for students and promote educational excellence for the school system.
The Effective Volunteer:
- is cooperative with the administration and teaching personnel.
- is sincerely concerned about students.
- is willing to be discreet, sincere, dedicated and punctual.
- recognizes the individuality of each student.
- respects the teacher or staff member's ultimate responsibility for the health, welfare and education of each student.
- cooperates, coordinates and communicates continually with school administrators, faculty members and staff.
- provides the teacher or staff member with the satisfaction of knowing that the student's needs are being met and that quality education is being promoted, extended and enriched.
- receives the sincere gratitude of the total school community.
Guidelines for Working with Children
- Encourage children to do their own thinking.
- Give students plenty of time to answer.
- Accept children as they are. You must not feel responsible for judging children's abilities, progress or behaviors.
- Respect children's privacy. If a child or teacher reveals personal information, regard it as a confidence.
- Help build students' self confidence and keep a positive attitude. Remember, effort and attentiveness can be as important as performance.
What a Volunteer Can Expect from Teachers and School Staff
The school staff will:
- provide specific instructions to the volunteer.
- provide space for the volunteer to do their work.
- provide necessary materials and equipment.
- communicate with the volunteer as needed.
- provide advance notice when special events interfere with the volunteer time.
What a Teacher Can Expect from Volunteers
Confidentiality: When volunteering, please remember that the behaviors and abilities of students, teachers and staff are never appropriate topics for discussions outside of school. Respect confidences of students and school personnel. Be alert to the need for confidentiality.
Dependability: The staff you work with will depend upon you to be present at your scheduled time. Their tasks are planned with your help in mind. The students will expect you and look forward to you coming to their class. Therefore, if you will not be able to volunteer on a particular day, please notify the school office immediately and leave a message for the staff member. Also, please be prompt. Being punctual lets the students know they are important to you. If you must be late, notify the school office.
