Volunteer Process

 

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Cañon City School District. Cañon City Schools encourages parents, guardians, and other individuals from the community to volunteer their time, knowledge, and abilities to benefit students in our schools. Authorized Volunteers enrich the District’s educational programs and extracurricular activities and strengthen our schools’ relationships with families, businesses, and public agencies. Volunteers help at all grade levels in many different ways. Some common volunteer activities include reading with a child, helping to coach a sports team, tutoring, being a teacher’s aide, and chaperoning a field trip. The presence of authorized volunteers in the classroom, on school grounds, and at activities away from school also enhances the supervision of students and contributes to school safety.

 

Under the direction of school personnel, Volunteers are those that work:

• Without pay on an occasional or regular basis
• At school sites or other district facilities
• In activities that are part of the school program during the school day or as an extension of the school day

For parents, guardians, or other interested individuals, our schools now have secure entrances and use School Check-In to allow visitors into the building. Unless an individual is going to be a fully approved volunteer within the building, this is the system the District uses for visitors/volunteers. You will be required to present a state-issued ID to check in. The following volunteer activities include but are not limited to:

•       Classroom Parties
•       Occasional classroom assistance
•       Occasional, approved school functions on or off-site
•       Field trip attendee (except for overnight field trips and chaperones utilized for student supervision)
•      When a parent/guardian attends a field trip where they are NOT required to supervise students, that parent/guardian will arrive at the school in time to use the School Check-In system. For purposes of a field trip, the school staff will issue a temporary dated stick-on badge but will not keep the Driver’s License.

For the safety of our students, an application process and a more thorough background check is required before a volunteer can work with students in the following capacity:

•       Individuals who will be volunteering on a consistent weekly/monthly basis. For example, daily/weekly reading with students, working on spelling words, office/clerical help, etc.
•      Individuals who asked or allowed to ride on a bus during a school field trip as a chaperone. (This is determined by the classroom teacher and building principal)
•       Agency Service Providers who meet with students at school (must have agency employee ID badge)
•       Volunteer Coaching (fingerprints required at a $40 fee)
•       Overnight Field Trips (fingerprints required at a $40 fee)
•       College Field Experience Students 
•       Student Teachers (fingerprints or a CDE Student Teacher License required)
•       Boys and Girls Club Mentors (documentation from Boys and Girls Club stating background was complete)

The Process to become a fully approved Volunteer:

• Submit the online application via the Cañon City Schools website.
• Human Resources will review the request to volunteer and contact you for the next steps, including a background check
• Accepted applicants will have identification badges to wear while volunteering. They will be worn to assist with security. Badges will be sent to the building(s) you are volunteering at. They are to be turned in to the front office at the end of each volunteer shift.

Volunteer service is a privilege that may be granted, denied, or revoked at any time in the District’s sole discretion.

Volunteers shall comply with all applicable District policies and regulations, as well as all applicable school rules.

The principal or his/her designee shall identify appropriate services for fully approved volunteers serving each school and shall train volunteers as necessary to perform such services. To the extent necessary to perform services assigned by the principal or his/her designee, volunteers may be authorized to use District computers and Internet access. A volunteer’s use of District computers and internet access shall be subject to the terms and conditions of Board Policy GBEE governing Staff Use of Internet and Electronic Communications. The use of volunteers at any school or school activity shall not conflict with or replace any regularly authorized personnel staffing allotment