Volunteering at Edgemont School
Our staff at Edgemont School recognizes that our volunteers are an essential part of our school community. Volunteering is about commitment and caring, helping others, and advocating for our children’s education. It's about working together with others who share a common goal to bring about positive change. Volunteering is an example of active citizenship and builds a sense of community and belonging, of being connected to others in support of our children. When parent volunteers offer their skills to assist our students and teachers, they are expressing their belief in public education and the common good of all. Our parent volunteers give many hours every year, and their dedication and enthusiasm is truly remarkable. Thank you.
Volunteer Program Goals
- assist in providing an effective learning environment for our students
- meaningfully involve the community in the education process
- utilize the unique talents and areas of interest of our school community
- provide children with the experience of working with adults other than school staff
- assist teachers with non-instructional tasks
Volunteer Descriptions
View our list of classroom related opportunities, and other opportunities within or for our school such as:
- Classroom Volunteer
- Field Trip Support
- Scholastic Book Coordinator
- Book Fair
- Casino
And many others, view our Volunteer Descriptions list.
Edgemont School Opportunities
| Committee / Opportunity | Volunteer Role |
|---|
Bike To School Day | Help the Grade 5 students during two shifts (before and after school) to assist students with putting their bikes/scooters/skateboards into the gym lockup by classroom at the start of the day and then matching them, using a two-sided ticket system, with the correct bike/scooter/skateboard at the end of the day.
1 hour before school and/or 1 hour after school.
12 volunteers per shift |
Creating Inventory Listings | Create a computerized listing of school resources in classroom math carts, book carts and in the Science and Math Storage rooms. This project will occur in half-day blocks, until it is complete. Time commitment varies |
| Fieldtrip Support | Responsible for a group of students outside of the school ground. They are required to guide students through teacher prepared material while enjoying the trip. Half and full days |
| Grade Five Farewell | Assist teachers with organizing a farewell event for our grade five students in June and would be responsible to: set up and clean up for the ceremony, make/purchase/pick up decorations, purchase/pick up food and beverages for the day. Time commitment varies
10 or more volunteers required |
| Learning Commons Support | Jobs could include re-shelving books, sorting, organizing, and processing resources (attaching spine labels & Mylar stickers, rubber stamping, and taping). The Library Assistant, will provide all necessary instruction and tools required.
Ideally, volunteers:
* need good fine motor skills
* are comfortable performing tasks requiring great attention to detail
* can complete repetitive jobs while following very specific guidelines
* require an understanding of numerical and alphabetical order
* could work on a flexible schedule (i.e.: when people are available) Time Commitment: As negotiated with the Library Assistant
Work in the Learning Commons between 9 AM - 3 PM (approx. 3 hours in the AM or PM) |
| Picture Day | Volunteers are required to ensure that there is a smooth flow of classrooms into and out of the Panorama Room for Picture Day and will help students do any final preparations for their photo. Morning (8:45-noon) and afternoon (1-3 pm). Volunteers are required on Picture Day, retake day and/or class photos day. Committee Chair required to organize volunteers. Time Commitment:8 hours per year
Picture Day: 6 volunteers
Retake Day: 2 volunteers
Class photos: 2 volunteers |
| Pool of Experts | This will be a listing of parents who have particular skills, talents or job expertise that we might utilize to be a guest presenter within the classroom as part of our inquiry/curriculum studies. Examples include: Parents with expertise in jobs that are linked to the curriculum studies i.e.: Forest Management (Trees & Forests), Waste Management (Waste in our World), parents with the ability to talk about and answer student questions around particular cultural celebrations i.e.: Diwali are appreciated.
Time Commitment: Varies |
| School Inventory Support | Will create a computerized listing of school resources in classroom math carts, book carts and in the Science and Math Storage rooms. This project will occur in half-day blocks, until it is complete. Time Commitment: Half day blocks |
| Set Design | Will be responsible to help create the sets for one of the concerts. Set design could be as simple as painting a backdrop and making a few props. The Music Specialist will provide support with ideas. Time Commitment: Time varies
Winter Concert: 3-4 volunteers
Spring Concert: 3-4 volunteers |
| Sports Day |
Volunteers are required to set up Sports Day centres by carrying equipment to the field, help run a centre for the duration of Sports Day, explain how the centre works, interact with students, and bring in all equipment from the field to the gym. Sports Day is held in June.
Time Commitment: 3 hours commitment
50 + volunteers required |
Swim Change Room
(KG-Gr.3) |
Parents meet at Sir Winston Churchill Pool to help students change quickly and quietly before and after lessons. Both male and female volunteers are needed with an emphasis on having enough male volunteers. Time Commitment: 2 hour commitment
2 volunteers required per class |
Wee Read
(KG and Gr.1) |
Wee read is an eight-week program that matches adults with children to help strengthen the foundations for reading and school success and help children develop their listening, oral language skills and a love of books. Volunteers are matched with two children for 30 minutes each week. They read a story to their small group, talk about the book, and play games that support literacy skills. The volunteer is asked to commit to 1 hour a week so that they can work with two groups of children each week. Books and materials are provided for the volunteer in the Learning Commons. Volunteers need to be able to speak and read English very fluently, as we are hoping to provide this support to some of our students whose families do not have a strong enough command of English to be able to read aloud confidently in English to their children.
Time Commitment:1 hour per week for 8 weeks
8-10 volunteers required |
Edgemont Parent School Association (ESPA) Committees
| Committee / Opportunity | Volunteer Role |
|---|
| Book Fair | Twice per school year, volunteers are required to set-up and take down book displays, to be a cashier (on-site training is provided), to help students find books they may be interested in purchasing, and to help the younger students write down the names of books on their wish list.
Time Commitment: Varies
10-15 volunteers required
|
| Casino | Every 18 months, our school is fortunate to participate in a fundraising casino by working the cash room and floor in a casino. This 2-day casino is held on any day of the week, as assigned in a random lottery by the AGLC. The large proceeds from this event are used towards library books, SMART boards and other technology upgrades, math manipulatives, gym equipment and programs, student agendas, and much more. No experience is necessary to help and on-site training is provided. This is the only volunteer opportunity that can be done without Security Clearance. The most recent casino, which raised approximately $70,000, was held in March 2017.
Time Commitment: 4 - 8 hours shift on two days
40 volunteers required
|
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|
| Family Dance |
This annual school family dance, held on a Friday evening in our school gym (February 8, 2019), requires volunteers to assist in organizing and planning all aspects of the dance including accepting tickets at the door, handing out drinks and snacks at the dance, and set-up/clean-up/take down tables, chairs and decorations.
Time Commitment: From 30- Few Hours
Shifts at the dance to Sorting ticket orders or making decorations.
10-15 volunteers required
|
| Fun Lunch |
Seven to eight times per school year, the Edgemont Parent School Association (EPSA) supplies a “fun lunch” to students who have pre-purchased them.
● Confirming Orders: Organized in the Panorama Room of the Edgemont Community Association (ECA), Volunteers are asked to assist in counting the money and tallying the orders for each classroom.
Time Commitment: Twice a year for 3 hours.
● Sorting Meals: Organized in the Panorama Room of the Edgemont Community Association (ECA), volunteers are asked to help sort lunches by classroom.
Time Commitment: 2 hours per month on Thursdays.
● Buyer: This volunteer is responsible for contacting and placing orders with vendors, as well as buying juice and snacks for each Fun Lunch.
2-3 hours/month.
Time Commitment: Varies depending on volunteer job
10 volunteers required
|
| Pumpkinella |
On the school day of or just before Halloween, volunteers are needed to help set up benches, tables, and decorative lights to display the pumpkins in the school gym by 8:30 am. By 8:45 am, volunteers will accept carved pumpkins from students and then arrange and insert tea lights. At the end of that day, assistance is needed to return pumpkins so they can be taken home.
Time Commitment: 2- 3 hours to set up and take down
6 volunteers required
|
| Scholastic Book Cooridnator |
Volunteers good with numbers are required to collect and accurately tally book order information and payments for the teacher.
Time Commitment: 1 -2 hours per month
|
| Staff Appreciation |
At least once per school year, 15-25 volunteers bring in a food dish for a sit-down style, served luncheon that we provide for our teachers and staff. 5-7 volunteers are also needed to help setup, serve, wash dishes, clean and take down. In addition, you can also host a soup and sandwich day, breakfast day or just do a snack of fruit and treats trays.
Time Commitment: Varies
30+ volunteers required
|
| Committee Chairs |
Each committee requires one or two Chairs who will help to organize the event and the volunteers.
Time Commitment: Varies
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