Parent Participation

All parents are expected to contribute to the Noah’s Ark Community by volunteering a minimum of 25 hours (or pay a $250 fee) over the course of the school year. For security, the Ark Ark requires that each volunteer that works directly with the children complete a Criminal Record Check. Parents participation is invaluable in building community spirit, school support, deeper family and child engagement and growing new ideas. These extended relationships form the fabric of a strong family-centric environment where deep, social connections and life-long friendships form. . Some of the areas where parents participate are:

• Lunch Hour Monitor

• Library Materials Management

• Photography

• Documentation

• Hallway, Cubby and Classroom Maintenance

• Lawn Mowing

• Weeding

• Community Gardening

• Field Trip Driving

Also, if you have a particular skill, interest, profession or cultural holiday, which you would like to share with the class, we would be very happy to hear from you. We encourage special classroom visitors to enrich our program and expand the learning experience and keep parents posted throughout the year when the teachers may need some extra assistance with a special activity, or cultural celebrations.

Preschool Volunteer Job Descriptions

Lunch Monitor

Once a week/ 11:30 – 12:30

• Put green mats on tables

• Set out lunches (ensure no nut products, sweets, or juices are put out)

• Set out and fill water cups

• Heat up lunches

• Help children wash hands and find lunches

• Sit and eat with children

• Help children pack up lunches and sit on carpet with book

• Wipe mats and put away

• Cups in dishwasher

• Wipe down tables

• Sweep under tables

Laundry

Once a week/ End of class pick-up

• Pick up laundry from teachers

• Wash, dry and trim loose threads

• Bring back the next day!

Class Maintenance

Once a week/ Last half hour of class

• Collect cleaning materials in pink basket on fridge

• Check where last cleaner left off on record sheet

• Move on to next area of class

• Wipe down materials on shelf

• Dust shelf and replace materials

• Date and record what shelves have been cleaned on record provided

Library Maintenance

Once a week/ Last half hour of class

• Gather book repair basket and book shelving basket in library

• Repair books that have rips with clear tape

• Shelve books according to subject/topic

• Stamp and shelve any new books

• Ensure books are on shelf tidy and easy to access

Floor Maintenance

Once a week/ Last half hour of class

• Gather broom and dustpan from Kitchen

• Sweep under tables

Garbage

Once a week/ End of class

• Gather garbages from classroom and collect in one bag.

• Replace garbage bags in garbage cans

• Take garbage out to bin in back of school by parking lot.

Library Book Collector

Flexible schedule based on needs of class curriculum

• Go to library and check out books on related topics (see teacher for details and specific titles)

• Keep record of due dates and titles checked out

• Return books on time and replace with new books

Class Parent

Ongoing, based on needs of class

• Keep record of class emails and phone numbers

• Assist in calling/emailing to families as need arises

• Support teachers in fieldtrip planning and organization

• Assist in organization and maintenance of parent volunteer schedules

• Communicate needs of parents with teachers

Elementary School Volunteer Job Descriptions

Lunch Monitor

Once a week/ 12:00 – 1:00

• Come into to the class and pick up the tray with the children’s cups, and the red emergency bag.

• The children will line up in the classroom, and follow you to the lunch table. 

• Remind the children to wash their hands.

• The children will unpack their lunch bags and place their lunch bags behind them on the floor.

• Heat up the lunches when needed; you can ask “does anyone need their lunches to be heated?”

• Remind children to get their water cups, and the water monitor (child) will come around and pour it.

• Raise your arm in the air and wait for children to be quiet and the children will sing their lunch time song.
  “Thank you for this food, this food, this glorious, glorious food, and the animals, and the vegetables and the minerals that make it possible, bon appetite you make eat.”

• Sit with children. You can talk with them (how is your lunch, what is your plan after school, what’s your favorite part of the day etc…)

• You can bring yourself a small, quick healthy snack (ex. apple).

• Reminders may need to be given to eat their lunch, or slow down to eat their lunch; a teacher may ask you to check on a specific child’s lunch)

• When a child is finished eating, remind them to wash their hands, and check the area that were eating at to ensure that their cups have been put on the cup tray and lunch bags in the lunch cart.

Outside Routine (No Rain)

• If it is not raining the children will go outside after eating lunch; the first couple of children will line up at the door.  Take the red emergency bag, the walkie talkie, and a cell phone if you have one. A teacher will sit with the remaining children and send them down as they finish up.

• When it is 12:55 let the children know lunch time is over and ask the children to line up, and empty out their shoes.

• Ask the children to wipe their feet on the mat at the bottom of the stairs.

• Walk up the stairs with no voices, and quiet feet in a single file holding onto the right side of the banister.

• Have them wash their hands quietly and use the washroom.  As they leave the washroom, they will line up and pick up their lunch bags.

• The children must be quiet as the other classroom is in session, remind them to use no voices when they are lined up.

• Check the lunch bag cart to ensure all lunches have been picked up—if there are any bags left, let them “some children forgot to pick up their lunch bags please see if it is yours” and they will pick it up.

• When all the children are lined up, walk them to the classroom.  Bring the tray of cups and the emergency bag with you.

• Wipe down tables and chairs and sweep under tables.

Inside Routine (Raining)

• If it is raining they will stay inside. Have the children choose one bucket of materials from the activity centre.

• They will need reminders to use quiet voices as the preschool class will be in session.

• During this time their will be children still finishing up their lunch…you can sit with them and watch the other children on the carpet.

• If you see child using materials inappropriately (ex. turning them into guns or smashing them against other toys) let them know that it is not okay and to change their play or choose another bucket of materials to work with.

• Remind the children that they can use the washroom during lunch time.

• 12:55 have the children clean up, gather their lunch bags and line up quietly.

•  Check the lunch bag cart to ensure all lunches have been picked up—if there are any bags left, let them “some children forgot to pick up their lunch bags please see if it is yours” and they will pick it up.

• When all the children are lined up, walk them to the classroom.  Bring the tray of cups and the emergency bag with you.

• Wipe down tables and chairs and sweep under tables

Laundry

Once a week/ End of class pick-up

• Pick up laundry from teachers

• Wash, dry and trim loose threads

• Bring back the next day!

Class Maintenance

Once a week/ Last half hour of class

• Collect cleaning materials located in the basket, on the shelf.

• Check where last cleaner left off on the checklist record sheet.

• Continue on to next area of class.

• Wipe down/disinfect all materials on the shelf.

• Dust shelf and replace materials.

• Date and record what shelves have been cleaned on record sheet provided.

Library Outreach

Once a week.

• Pick up the parent handbook, and gather the books to return on Friday after class.

• Go to the Public Library and check out three books from each grade, and tick them off with a pencil.

• Keep record of the number of books, due dates and titles checked out.

• Bring back the new books, and the parent booklet on Monday morning.

Class Parent

Ongoing, based on needs of class

• Keep record of class emails and phone numbers.

• Email out frequently requested information.

• Playdates and Carpool list

• Calendar

• Assist in calling/emailing to families as need arises.

• Support teachers in fieldtrip planning and organization.

• Distribute and collect Driver Forms before field trip day

• Answer parent questions/support trip coordination

• Liaise parent/teacher communication regarding volunteer responsibilities and feedback at school.

• Remind parents of School Policies outlined in the Parent Handbook Guide available on our website.