School Volunteers - Its Not Just School Fundraising
Parents of all schoolchildren whether old hands at the school run or newbies anxiously (and wistfully) packing little Johnnie's satchel ready for his first day really can make such a difference to any school. It doesn't matter whether your kids attend a tough and gritty inner city school or a small village 2 class affair, it is the parents that help make any school what it is.
One might think that this is only evident at start and finish time as parents drop off and collect younger children and perhaps this is where parents and the school have much of their interaction. Other parents like to play an active role fundraising in parent teacher associations. It would be a great shame however to think that helping with fundraising is all there is to being an involved parent. Behind the scenes at all the best schools parents (and increasingly grandparents - a surprisingly untapped source of help for many schools) are up to all manner of things other than raising money for the PTA.
There are so many ways that parents can get involved. Firstly of course there are all the usual ways to help: class room assistant, sports coaches, listening to children read, help with handwriting, story telling etc. Many parents however have special skills that schools would love to tap into and could include either in their core curriculum or extra activities. Skills such as languages, cookery, music, art, gardening can provide all sorts of interesting additions for the school. There are also plenty of slightly outside the box activities which pupils are embracing with relish and innovative schools are turning into school extras and clubs. Aromatherapy, meditation, jewellery making, eco-clubs and making music using sampling and modern media are all now part of the mix.
Don't think either that just because you don't have some kind of special skill there is nothing you can offer. Many schools are crying out for simple helpers for activities and sometimes this is a legal requirement. If you can give a bit of time there are also plenty of simple sit and supervise activities such as breakfast and homework clubs where your time would really be much appreciated. Similarly some schools run simple games clubs, lego clubs, jigsaw clubs, film clubs that require little more than an adult to be present to make them happen.
Of course it is not just about adding a club to the school activity board. A not insignificant part of volunteering is offering up positive role models. In these times something many children lack is proper, engaged interaction with adults. Perhaps this is especially true for certain boys, some of whom lack, in particular, suitable male role models. Better engagement with our young people starts with giving them time. A bit of quiet, unassuming volunteering with your local school really can make a lot of difference.
So there really are plenty of ways and plenty of reasons to get involved. With your help schools are able to offer a raft of activities beyond their core subjects helping to stimulate young minds, encourage creativity or abilities, build better communities and, perhaps the most important of all in these stressed out modern times.......... simply have fun!
Neill Wilkins
One might think that this is only evident at start and finish time as parents drop off and collect younger children and perhaps this is where parents and the school have much of their interaction. Other parents like to play an active role fundraising in parent teacher associations. It would be a great shame however to think that helping with fundraising is all there is to being an involved parent. Behind the scenes at all the best schools parents (and increasingly grandparents - a surprisingly untapped source of help for many schools) are up to all manner of things other than raising money for the PTA.
There are so many ways that parents can get involved. Firstly of course there are all the usual ways to help: class room assistant, sports coaches, listening to children read, help with handwriting, story telling etc. Many parents however have special skills that schools would love to tap into and could include either in their core curriculum or extra activities. Skills such as languages, cookery, music, art, gardening can provide all sorts of interesting additions for the school. There are also plenty of slightly outside the box activities which pupils are embracing with relish and innovative schools are turning into school extras and clubs. Aromatherapy, meditation, jewellery making, eco-clubs and making music using sampling and modern media are all now part of the mix.
Don't think either that just because you don't have some kind of special skill there is nothing you can offer. Many schools are crying out for simple helpers for activities and sometimes this is a legal requirement. If you can give a bit of time there are also plenty of simple sit and supervise activities such as breakfast and homework clubs where your time would really be much appreciated. Similarly some schools run simple games clubs, lego clubs, jigsaw clubs, film clubs that require little more than an adult to be present to make them happen.
Of course it is not just about adding a club to the school activity board. A not insignificant part of volunteering is offering up positive role models. In these times something many children lack is proper, engaged interaction with adults. Perhaps this is especially true for certain boys, some of whom lack, in particular, suitable male role models. Better engagement with our young people starts with giving them time. A bit of quiet, unassuming volunteering with your local school really can make a lot of difference.
So there really are plenty of ways and plenty of reasons to get involved. With your help schools are able to offer a raft of activities beyond their core subjects helping to stimulate young minds, encourage creativity or abilities, build better communities and, perhaps the most important of all in these stressed out modern times.......... simply have fun!
Neill Wilkins
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