VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS FOR FAMILIES
A major difference between a good school and a great school are the parents. This is certainly true at St. Mark. Our school has great parents! St. Mark parents have been extremely generous in donating their time as volunteers in numerous ways. Volunteerism makes our school a better place and benefits our children. Time spent with the children and the school community is infinitely more valuable than money. THE SCHOOL REQUIRES EACH FAMILY TO DONATE 30 HOURS OF SERVICE TIME EACH SCHOOL YEAR. Donated items for parties and school activities such as paper goods, crafts, etc. may count towards volunteer hours. Please save your receipts for these items. Items that total $10 are counted as one service hour. If families do not donate the full 30 hours of service during a school year, parents will be billed for uncompleted service hours. The fee is $10 per service hour.
Volunteer Program for Parents 
The St. Mark Volunteer Program will run from June 3rd of the current year through June 3rd of the following year. Every family will be required to complete thirty (30) hours of volunteer service to benefit St. Mark School.
Each hour is worth $10. The total monetary obligation for volunteer time for each family is equivalent to $300. We encourage parents to volunteer 30 hours of time. In lieu of volunteering for service, families also have the option of paying $300 to the school office by June 10th . This Volunteer Assessment is not optional. It is a mandatory obligation that must be met by all St. Mark families. Our school office is responsible for billing parents if they have not met the required number of volunteer hours.
There will be a minimum of one hour credit for helping with hot lunch, at classroom parties or school events. For example, if 45 minutes is spent distributing hot lunch, you may take a one hour credit. However, if you set up for the talent show and it takes you an hour and a half, you should take credit for 1.5 hours not 2 hours.
All hours should be recorded on the Volunteer Hour Reporting Form (found on the school’s website) and should be submitted to the school office or emailed to stmarkhours@yahoo.com. It is your choice on what method (email or hard copy to the school office) you would like to use to submit your hours. Please report all hours including those in excess of the required 30 hours. We are asking you to track all hours so that we can get a true idea of how many hours it takes annually to run the events and day-to-day activities at the school.
Please remember that in order to volunteer your time with our school children, you must be VIRTUS trained. After completion of the training, your VIRTUS card must be registered with the school office. In addition, volunteers are expected to follow the same standards of behavior as any employee of the Diocese of Bridgeport. Volunteers may be removed from school positions by the Principal or Office of Superintendent if they breach professional decorum or compromise the best interests of the School or the Diocese.
Each family will receive volunteer forms that will go home with the oldest sibling. You will be responsible for completing the form and submitting them. Instructions and due dates are indicated on the form.
VOLUNTEER HOURS MUST EXCLUSIVELY BENEFIT ST. MARK SCHOOL AND/OR ITS STUDENTS
Breakdown of hours and events:
|
Event
|
Hours Earned
|
|
Room Parent (see description below)
|
20 hours
|
|
Chairperson of a major event/fundraiser
|
actual hours worked + 5 hour bonus
|
|
Serve on Home School Association
|
actual hours worked + 5 hour bonus
|
|
Hot Lunch Distribution
|
actual hours worked
|
|
Holiday/class party
|
actual hours worked
|
|
Chaperone field trip/help teacher in classroom with special project
|
actual hours worked
|
|
Bake for an event
|
one hour
|
|
Set up/clean up at event
|
actual hours worked
|
|
Library volunteer
|
actual hours worked
|
|
Event volunteer
|
actual hours worked
|
|
Scout volunteer for a troop/pack * Note: at least 50% of the troop/pack must be St. Mark School children
|
actual hours worked
|
Important Notes: Any volunteer hours accumulated in excess of 30 hours are greatly appreciated. They cannot be carried over to the following school year.
The following are examples of activities which would not be considered volunteer hours for St. Mark School:
Teaching Religious Education at St. Mark Parish or any other parish
Coaching sports teams not exclusively made up of St. Mark School students
Volunteering at St. Mark Parish (lectors and Eucharistic Ministry)
ROOM PARENTS Mothers and fathers are needed to serve as room parents. At least two parents are needed per grade to assist the teacher with large projects, host holiday classroom parties, celebrate the teacher's birthday and inform the class parents of family emergencies. The room parent will serve a term beginning July 1st and ending June 30th . Room parents will be expected to meet with the Room Parent Coordinator and Principal before the school year begins. The Room Parent Coordinator will provide a detailed list of expectations / responsibilities to each room parent.
