Shelby County

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Shelby County Public Schools Volunteer
Orientation
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Thank you !

• By signing on as a volunteer, you become a
  member of our team of professionals that proudly
  provides educational services
• to more than 5,400 students in
• Shelby County Public Schools.  
•  

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Approved Volunteers

• We ask that all volunteers complete the volunteer
  application in full each year.
• The volunteer application forms are sent home
  with your child the first week of school.
• A periodic criminal background check shall be
  conducted on each person submitting a volunteer
  application.
• If you have not completed and returned the SCPS
  Volunteer Application form, you have not been
  approved and will not be allowed to volunteer at
  any SCPS.
• All Volunteers are required to complete a
  Volunteer Confidentiality and Orientation
  Training, after which they may begin their
  volunteer service.

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Please remember..

• Sign in at the front office of the school when
  you
• volunteer during the school day.
• Check the volunteer box on the sign in sheet.
• Wear a visible volunteer or visitor
  sticker/badge
• when in the school building.
• Keep track of the hours you volunteer during
  non-school time and report those hours to the
  sponsoring organization (i.e. booster club,
  coach)

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Background Checks

• In the fall of 2012, the Administrative Office
  of Courts in Frankfort announced it would no
  longer be able to conduct the complimentary
  background checks on potential volunteers. They
  AOC now charges each school district a 10.00 fee
  for every background check.
• The Shelby County Public Schools will NOT
  charge volunteers to conduct their background
  checks. However, we offer volunteers the
  opportunity to donate 10.00 to help offset the
  cost to the district.
• If you chose to make a donation, please make
  your check payable to the Shelby County Public
  Schools.
•  

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You MUST be an Approved Volunteer in order to

• Volunteer with a group of students in the
  classroom
• Volunteer during special events (dances, parties,
  etc)
• Chaperone Field Trips
• Volunteer at a school office, copy room,
  cafeteria, library, etc
• Volunteer at evening functions in which the
  individual parents of students are not involved.

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If you are not an Approved Volunteer

• You may visit your student during the school day.
  
• You may eat lunch and participate in any school
  activity in which you are with your student ONLY.
• You may attend field trips, but can not interact
  or supervise other students.
• You may not ride a SCPS bus to an event or field
  trip.

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Supervision and Rights of Refusal

• Volunteers always work under the direct
  supervision of the professional staff at each
  school.
• Volunteers serve only for teachers and staff who
  have requested the services of the volunteer.
• Shelby County Public Schools is responsible for
  the education, safety and well-being of each
  student. For this reason, please understand that
  a staff member may request the reassignment of a
  volunteer whose actions are not in the best
  interest of the school or students.

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Registration and Name Badges

• Upon entering the school for volunteer work, each
  volunteer must sign in at the main office or a
  designated volunteer sign-in area.
• For security reasons, ALL volunteers must wear
  the appropriate volunteer name badge for proper
  identification.
• Name badges will available at the sign-in area or
  main office.  

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What Is Confidentiality?

• Protection of All Personally Identifiable Data,
  Information, and Records Collected, Used or
  Maintained by an Agency
• Confidentiality Requirements also Apply to
  Discussions about a Student and the Students
  Records

Confidential Information !
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What is Personally Identifiable Data ?

• Name of Child, Parent, or Other Family Member
• Address of Child
• A Personal Identification Number (SSN or Student
  Number)
• Personal Characteristics or Other Information to
  Identify Child (bus number, hair color, etc.)

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Students and Student Records

• Teachers and volunteers are bound by a code of
  ethics to keep confidential matters within the
  school. Please do not discuss a childs school
  progress or difficulties with his/her parents.
  This is the teachers responsibility.  
• A childs academic performance or behavior is to
  be discussed among the school personnel, the
  student, the students parents, and no one else.

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Confidentiality in a nutshell..

• During your volunteer time at any school or
  school function, you may see or hear information
  about a teacher, student, or student family.
• When you signed your volunteer application form,
  you agreed to keep any student, family, and
  teacher information completely confidential.
•  

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Harassment and Discrimination Policy

• Harassment and discrimination is prohibited at
  all times on school property and off school
  grounds during school-sponsored activities.
• This prohibition also applies to visitors to the
  school who may come into contact with employees
  and students.

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Volunteering Tips.

• Dress appropriately for the school setting .
• Understand that each school setting is unique.
• Become familiar with each schools procedures.
• Review the schools crisis procedure guide, know
  what to do in an emergency event such as a fire,
  tornado, earthquake, lock down, etc
• Be dependable and on time. Call the school if
  you have to cancel.
• Follow directions to the best of your ability.
  Ask questions if you are unsure about anything.

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You are responsible for the students

• Students should be supervised at all times
• Never ask a student to do volunteer errands for
  you.
• If a student is injured while doing a
  task you were
• assigned, you almost always be found
  liable for
• those injuries.
• If a student discloses an issue to you in the
  course of your volunteering that might imply any
  type of abuse or neglect, it is your duty and
  responsibility to report this to the teacher,
  school counselor or principal. DO NOT give advice
  or ask questions of the student. Listen and then
  immediately find a school staff member.

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More advice on volunteering.

• Hold high expectations for students.
• Respect all students regardless of their
  differences.
• Maintain eye contact and listen when students
  talk.
• Kneel or stoop to their eye level as you talk
• with students (esp. primary students).

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Never Assume!

• Never assume that problems have been reported by
  someone else! e.g. If you see water on the
  floor, report it to a custodian or the office
  staff.
• As a volunteer you are expected to act as a
  reasonably prudent person would in the same
  circumstances.

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Please Note

• Assisting with physical education or athletic
  teams requires special training. Please contact
  your principal or athletic director for more
  information in this area.

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• Points
• to
• Ponder

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Scenario1

• While shopping at Wal-Mart, an adult in the
  community says, My child will be in third grade
  next year and Ive heard Mrs. Smith is a bad
  teacher. You volunteer in her room, give me the
  dirt."

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Answer

• No information may be released to the
  community member concerning this teacher. As a
  volunteer, an appropriate response would be, I
  am not able to disclose information about faculty
  and staff in our school. However, if you have a
  concern you may want to discuss it with the
  school principal.

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Scenario2

• You are a regular volunteer in the office and a
  parent says to you, I came to pick up my child
  at school today and there was a police car
  outside. What happened?

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Answer

• No information may be released to the parent
  concerning this situation. As a volunteer, an
  appropriate response would be, I am not able to
  disclose information about any student related
  issues.

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Scenario3

• A parent confides in you that a 5th grade boy
  in Mr. Atkins class is picking on her son. She
  asks, Do you know this kid? The volunteer says,
  Yes, I know this boy and you do too. He has red
  hair and glasses.
• Has the volunteer broken confidentiality?

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Answer

• Yes! The volunteer gave personally identifiable
  information concerning this student. This is a
  breach of confidentiality. An appropriate
  response could be, "Due to confidentiality laws,
  parent volunteers are not permitted to discuss
  individual students."

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General Information

• Never Open the door for anyone, safety systems
  are in place for persons entering and exiting the
  building.
• Always sign in and out.
• There are emergency procedure forms located in
  each office and classroom.
• If you are working a piece of office equipment
  and have questions, please feel to ask a staff
  member.
• Added by JR August 2013

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Congratulations!

• You have just completed the volunteer training
  required for the SCPS
• Remember you are held accountable for maintaining
  the confidentiality of student information both
  at work, at home, and in your community.