An individual interested in a volunteer position that has frequent and indirect student contact under the supervision of BPS staff must complete a volunteer application form (Volunteer Level II & III). Once approved, volunteers are eligible for the remaining years they are affiliated with the school system. It is the responsibility of the volunteer to immediately provide updated correct information to the building principal if application information changes at any time. The volunteer relationship is terminable at-will.

Complete an application form to be submitted to the building principal. 

• Must sign and agree to the Bennington Volunteer Guidelines and Safety Expectations.
• Volunteers that have extended contact with students on or off campus, without a BPS employee, will be required to have a criminal background check on file within the district before being allowed to participate in volunteer activities (Volunteer Level III). 
• Denial of the volunteer request based on the application information and/or the volunteer’s good standing with the district requires the applicant to wait three years prior to resubmission of an application for consideration.

VOLUNTEER GUIDELINES  

The ultimate objective of the volunteer program is to bring more adults into the schools to participate in the everyday educational experiences of students. Effective and responsible people are essential to the success of this program. It is, therefore, expedient that we establish procedures to follow.  

Volunteers:

• Have good health and assurance that they are free of communicable diseases. 
• Sign in and out upon arrival and departure of school. 
• Wear a visitor's badge as identification upon entering school. 
• Respect the school policies and abide by established procedures and guidelines.
• Always work under the direction of a teacher or other members of the school staff. 
• Assist the teacher in the classroom; a volunteer should not be the sole supervisory person in the classroom. 
• Never interrupt the teacher while he/she is instructing the class unless it is an emergency. 
• Never contradict or try to correct the teacher in front of students. 
• Understand that discipline is the teacher’s responsibility, maintain order when assisting children, but refer disciplinary problems to the teacher.
• Follow education’s Code of Ethics by understanding that discussion of confidential matters and criticism of professional staff, pupils, and/or programs is inappropriate.
• Know that evaluation of a child’s learning must be done by the professional; it is not a volunteer’s responsibility to judge student competence.
• Be dependable and punctual. Teachers and students count on their volunteers being on time and ready to go.
• Are a role model. They are expected to dress, act and talk in an appropriate manner.
• Do not enter another classroom unless they have permission to be there, even if their child is assigned to that class.
• Find ways to establish a high quality rapport with students by: 
  • Being warm, friendly, and courteous at all times.   
  • Maintaining a sense of humor. 
  • Staying calm in emergencies. 
  • Displaying a positive attitude. Offer praise to students frequently. 
  • Keeping your commitment to the program.
• Agree to notify the school principal if arrested for a misdemeanor or felony sex, abuse, endangerment, assault or battery, drug or weapon related offense.
• Understand that the volunteer relationship is terminable at-will.

SAFETY INFORMATION 

Schools are to be safe, nurturing places for adults and students to learn and grow. To safeguard that environment, school staff and volunteers are asked to be aware and report activities that threaten the safety and well-being of others to appropriate personnel, such as teachers and principals. 

No Tolerance - Harassment

Prohibited harassment includes written or verbal abuse, slurs, jokes, threats, pranks or comments that stereotype individuals because of their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability or other legally protected status. 

Confidentiality is a Legal Requirement

Any information you learn at school about students or adults is confidential. A good rule of thumb is to treat information about others at school in the same way you would want them to handle that information if it was about you or your family, and report to a staff member if you see or hear actions or disclosures that concern you. Volunteers shall not discuss the performance, actions, or any other information about any student except with the student’s teacher, school counselor or principal. Confidentiality pertains to both written records and verbal statements. 

Student Photos – FERPA Violations 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) allows every public school parent the right to refuse photographs at school taken of students in that family. School staff and volunteers are obligated to abide by the federal law. 

Transportation 

Transportation of students will be provided by district authorized transportation personnel. Student transportation in personal vehicles is strictly prohibited.

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION PROCESS

The steps below outline what needs to happen before an individual can volunteer at any of our schools. Contact the school to discuss a volunteer opportunity.

Level I

1. Level I volunteers are not required to complete a volunteer application form.

Level II

1. Complete a volunteer application form and return it to the building Principal
2. The building Principal will review the volunteer application and communicate with the volunteer applicant of the approval or denial of the request based on the application information and the volunteer's good standing with the district. 

Level III

1. Complete a volunteer application form and return it to the building Principal
2. The building Principal will review the volunteer application and submit the form to the District Human Resources office for a background check.
    **The cost of the background check will be covered by the district.
3. Complete the background check sent via email to the volunteer applicant by Human Resources at [email protected]. 
4. The building Principal will communicate with the volunteer applicant of the approval or denial of the request based on the application information, the volunteer's good standing with the district, and the results of the background check.

Volunteer activity can only begin AFTER the applicant receives an approval email from the building Principal and a Volunteer Level III background check is cleared. All volunteers must follow Bennington Public Schools guidelines regarding safe and responsible volunteerism. 

We appreciate your interest and willingness to support our Bennington Public Schools students and families. 

Sincerely, 

Bennington Public Schools Administration Team