Volunteer Guidelines | Support Our Tree Frogs

Virtually everyone is invited to volunteer in Wake County schools. Once thought to be the province of parents, our schools are eager to involve the entire community including individuals, senior citizens, college students businesses, churches and synagogues, community groups and others in support of education.

REGISTRATION

Over the past few years, WCPSS administrators have responded to concerns voiced by schools and parents, and have inquired about other school systems' volunteer screening procedures. They sought to better organize volunteer services in the schools and to improve student safety.

Persons who volunteer in Wake County schools will be asked to provide information and to select the types of volunteer activities in which they are interested. Volunteers are requested to use a school's designated computer to submit their registration on the WCPSS Intranet site. At Turner Creek, our designated registration computers are located in the media center. Volunteers may update their registration at any time during the school year and will need to renew their registration information every year. Website registration is not possible for security reasons.

QUESTIONS YOU WILL BE ASKED

Persons volunteering for Level 1 and 2 activities will be asked their name, address, phone number and email address. The computer screen provides a checklist of Level 1 and 2 volunteer activities.

Persons volunteering for Level 3 and 4 activities will be asked to provide their name, address, phone number, email address, as well as birth date, driver's license number, social security number and addresses for residences during the last seven years. This will enable Wake County Public Schools to conduct a background check on persons interested in volunteering and thus will improve student safety. The computer screen provides a checklist of Level 3 and 4 volunteer activities.

LEVELS OF VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

Level 1

Activity takes place with supervision, in a public setting, and it involves little or no student contact. The volunteer is always within unbroken view of school staff or multiple adults. Examples may include clerical work for teachers, telephone calls to other volunteers, work in the media center, help with beautification efforts and serve as a resource speaker.

Level 2

Activity takes place in the classroom or other group setting. Staff or other adults can enter and observe at any time, and there is no solitary time with a student. The volunteer is always within unbroken view of school staff or multiple adults, but the ability of school staff to monitor a volunteer's interactions with students is limited by their own responsibilities or other factors. Examples may include classroom tutor, supervised field trip chaperone, field day volunteer, test proctor, front office helper, and room parent.

Level 3

Activity involves direct contact with students under limited supervision by school staff, and takes place in the classroom or other group setting. The volunteer could have solitary time with students of short duration, and may be outside the view of school staff or multiple adults for brief periods. The volunteer activity may involve access to confidential student information. Examples may include unsupervised field trip chaperone, oneon- one tutoring outside the classroom, dance chaperone, and health room assistant.

Level 4

Activity allows unsupervised contact with a student on or off campus and may be in a private setting such as the home or community setting. There may also be extended solitary time with a student, involvement with transporting students, and participating in overnight field trips. Examples may include tutoring, extended out-of-school activities, and Job Shadowing.