Volunteering
There are new requirements for volunteering at Collegium, effective August 1, 2012. See information below, and the updated policy to the right.
Parents’ active participation at Collegium (CCS) communicates to children the value placed on education. CCS asks each CCS parent to perform the equivalent of two hours of service per month. These hours may be performed each month or can be “banked” when a single volunteer opportunity exceeds two hours. Service time can be fulfilled year round, not just during the school year.
CCS expects participation from all parents in maintaining facilities, providing services and raising funds. With the involvement of all parents, CCS is able to save thousands of dollars that allows CCS to spend money on your children’s education. There are many opportunities to volunteer at CCS. Families should check the weekly CCS newsletter for opportunities, or contact your child’s teachers or the class homeroom parent for more volunteer opportunities.
Volunteers must have a PA Child Abuse Clearance and a PA Criminal Record Check on file with the school. These background checks are processed by departments of the state of PA and can take up to 4-6 weeks to be returned to you. CCS suggests that parents who anticipate volunteering submit their in the very beginning of the school year or in the summer preceding the school year. Effective August 1, 2012, all volunteers must also have an FBI Fingerprint Clearance on file with CCS. The FBI background check must be completed via this link through the PA Department of Education. Volunteers do not have to request a paper copy of this background check. Instead, once fingerprinting has been completed, email your Registration ID number to Mrs. McGraw.
Volunteering Examples - Effective August 1, 2012
A volunteer in the following capacities must have all three background checks on file:
- Chaperoning field trips.
- Homeroom parents.
- Assisting or working in the school at any time during the school day.
- Assisting or working on behalf of the school during an event outside of the school day in which the volunteer would come in contact with students.
- Driving a team/group to an activity. Driving requires an additional check, a driving record check, to be completed by CCS.
- Chaperoning any school event.
Background checks are not needed for:
- Attending a classroom presentation or party.
- Attending a school-sponsored event.
- Attending a meeting at school.
- Presenting, as a guest speaker, to a group of students when accompanied and supervised by a CCS employee.
A volunteer's background checks are accepted and considered valid when the date of the check is within one calendar year of the date of receipt by Collegium. A volunteer's background checks are only valid in CCS’s files for 5 years from the date on the background check and must be updated upon request.
How to Log Volunteer Hours?
1. Sign the Volunteer Log Book in any of the CCS Main Offices.
2. Email hours to Mrs. Jones.
I have my clearances. What do I do now?
Send them in to Mrs. Janet McGraw, 150 Building.