Shelledy Elementary

Parents

VOLUNTEER PROCESS

*REMINDER: BACKGROUND CHECKS ARE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY*

Volunteer coordinator April Hart

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 970.254.5114

Location: 2115 Grand Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501 *Volunteer Modular

WHAT PAPERWORK DO VOLUNTEERS NEED TO COMPLETE? All volunteers must annually complete a volunteer agreement form and be processed through our volunteer office which includes being checked against national registries. Volunteers who work one-on-one with students or attend overnight field trips are required to complete a fingerprint-based background check, which checks both FBI (Federal) and CBI (State) arrest records. Volunteer backgrounds are good for 5 years.
1. ALL volunteers are required to complete a volunteer agreement form each school year. Each volunteer needs to complete his or her own separate form. Please do not have two volunteers on one form.
2. If a volunteer is coaching, they will need to fill out the volunteer agreement form as well as the volunteer coaching form.
3. Volunteer agreement form layers are as follows:
o White copy – Send to April Hart, Admin. Building on Grand Avenue - Volunteers
o Yellow copy – The School keeps this copy on file
o Pink copy – Volunteer keeps the pink copy
 Please DO NOT send the yellow and pink copies to April. In addition, please do not send a copy of the volunteer driver’s license.
4. If a volunteer requires a background check, they will need to email or call to schedule an appointment with April.
*REMINDER: BACKGROUND CHECKS ARE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY*
*DO NOT USE THE ONLINE FORM – This will not be accepted*

WHO IS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A BACKGROUND CHECK AND WHY?
A background check is required any time a volunteer will be working one on one with students and a staff member is not present.
This includes, but is not limited to:
Classroom volunteer working one on one with students
Overnight field trips
Driving students (example on a field trip)
Marching band trips
Volunteer coaching
Some extracurricular activities
Reading aide (when a volunteer works with a student in the hallway)
RSVP Volunteers
Watch D.O.G.S.
Lunch Lizard
Online tutoring
Current D51 employees and students are not required to complete a background check.

 

BACKGROUND PROCESS
Effective June 18, 2019
All volunteers who require a background check will now be required to make two appointments and be fingerprinted digitally.
Please share the following steps with your staff and volunteers.
 Step One – The volunteer will need to call or email April Hart in the Volunteer Office to set up an appointment to complete the background paperwork and receive necessary information to schedule their fingerprint appointment. This appointment will take approx. 15-20 minutes.

Email: [email protected] Phone: 970.254.5114
Location: 2115 Grand Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501 *Volunteer Modular

 
 Step Two – During the appointment with April, the volunteer will register and schedule their fingerprinting appointment through Colorado Fingerprinting. April will walk them through this step.
o PLEASE NOTE – There are a limited number of appointments available per week. The School District is not able to add or request additional times. Those volunteers attending a field trip that requires a background check will need to allow at least 3-4 weeks (if possible, please allow longer) for the background process. Those that do not complete their background check on time will not be eligible to attend the trip. NO EXCEPTIONS.
 Step Three – Once the volunteer’s background has cleared, April will notify the Volunteer Coordinator at the assigned school. The Volunteer Coordinator is then expected to notify the volunteer and/or staff member working with the volunteer.

 REMINDERS: o All volunteer backgrounds are good for 5 years. After 5 years, the volunteer is required to complete a new background check.
o Please remind your staff and volunteers of the background process throughout the school year.
o All volunteers who require a background check need to go through April Hart first to complete paperwork and receive the payment authorization code.
o Please allow at least 3-4 weeks for the background process.
o If your school has a field trip scheduled, please let April know in advance. If there is a large number of volunteers, we need enough notice to block out appointment times.
o PLEASE DO NOT SEND VOLUNTEERS TO THE D51 WEBSITE. THEY NEED TO CONTACT APRIL IN THE VOLUNTEER OFFICE.
 April’s Office Hours: Monday through Thursday 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
DOES A VOLUNTEER NEED TO BE FINGERPRINTED EVERY YEAR?
1. The volunteer background check is good for 5 YEARS. Once the background expires, the volunteer is required to complete a new background check through the School District Volunteer Office.
2. If you are not sure if a volunteer needs to have a background check completed, please contact April to confirm.
3. Please note: The school district cannot accept a volunteer’s background from any other agencies. We are required to run our own. NO EXCEPTIONS.
4. If a volunteer is a former D51 employee or student, they will still be required to complete a background check.
WHEN IS A VOLUNTEER REQUIRED TO HAVE A BACKGROUND CHECK?
Anytime a volunteer will be working one on one with students, they will be required to complete a volunteer background check first. Even if the volunteer is only one on one for 5 minutes with students, a background is required.
IS IT REQUIRED FOR EVERY SCHOOL TO SUBMIT MONTHLY VOLUNTEER HOURS? YES! Even if your school had 0 hours for the month, please submit this number through the staff volunteer page.
The overall monthly number does not need to be exact. You only need to submit your monthly total. I do not need any other documentation.
VOLUNTEER AGREEMENT FORMS - REQUESTS AND SUBMITTALS
Send completed volunteer forms to April in the volunteer office.
*Reminder please do not send a photocopy of the volunteer’s license*
DO GUEST SPEAKERS AND SIMILAR VISITORS NEED TO COMPLETE A VOLUNTEER AGREEMENT FORM?
YES! These types of visitors are still guests in the schools and therefore we need to keep track of them. We need to know who they are, when they are in the schools and the purpose of their visit.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS – Please contact April in the Volunteer Office

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
In Classroom Help – Volunteers are assigned to a classroom or classrooms to provide any additional support that the teachers need from reading to helping with class activities.
Reading Aide – Volunteers through the instruction from the teacher read in the hallway with students who need additional support with reading.
Assist in the Library or Front Office – Volunteers can help in the library or front office with anything that the staff needs.
Volunteer Coaching – Volunteers can sign up to volunteer coach with the middle or high school sports teams. All volunteer coaches are required to complete the volunteer coaching form and provide three references as well as complete the background check.
Chaperones – Volunteers assist with chaperoning students on day or overnight field trips based on background approval.
Extra-Curricular Activities – Field Days, field trips, marching band, sporting events, and any other school activities.
Crossing Guard – Volunteer assists staff in the parking lot before and after school.
Watch D.O.G.S - Traditionally Watch D.O.G.S. are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father figures who volunteer for at least one day each year at an official WATCH D.O.G.S. school. The district will be opening this up to all volunteers who would like to be extra eyes and ears at the schools. All volunteers are required to complete and pass the district background process through the volunteer/security offices. Art Heritage Program – The Art Heritage Program provides a unique experience students remember and retain. Classroom teachers appreciate the unusual and creative experiences provided by dedicated program volunteers. Our volunteers are strong advocates for art education. They are actively involved in fundraising and grant writing to develop support for elementary art education. Parents, who volunteer, become eager participants in the school's activities.
RSVP – Volunteers working with the RSVP volunteer program can sign up to volunteer with the school district through this program. These volunteers help in the classroom, as reading aides, office support and with field trips.
Spellbinders – Spellbinders is a group of volunteers who are trained in the art of storytelling. These volunteers go to the classrooms and share stories from memory with the students. This program is a great opportunity not only for volunteering, but also for meeting other members of the community and creating new friendships. Spellbinder’s storytelling increases listening comprehension, vocabulary, develops a sense of story structure, and creates a love of story, which translates into an interest in reading for students.
Lunch Lizard Program – The lunch lizard runs through the summer months while students are out of school. This program provides lunches to students as well as activities at the park through the support of staff and volunteers.