What steps do I take to volunteer?

Our Office Manager and Volunteer Liaison manages the overall volunteer process, including verifying that all your volunteer documentation is complete and that you have been cleared to work with students. You must be cleared each year to volunteer.

✋🏽 If you want to contribute volunteer hours working directly with staff and students, we require:

• Fingerprinting/Background Checks

  • Each adult volunteer (18 years of age and older) must complete and receive clearance through criminal background and sex offender registry checks authorized by ISM.

  • Fingerprint records must be updated if they expire.

  • Records expire after 6 years.

  • ISM shall maintain registration with the California Department of Justice to allow criminal background checks based on Livescan fingerprinting and to receive reports regarding future criminal activity.

  • Individual volunteers shall incur the costs of lifecan fingerprinting and background checks; however, ISM shall maintain a fund to provide financial assistance to those who do not have the means to pay the fees.

• TB Risk Assessment administered by a healthcare provider
  • The Risk Assessment may be done by your doctor, or for free, you can take advantage of having our ISM Board member, Dr. Bakhda, do the assessment for free using our online form.
• Volunteer Application & Emergency Information Form
  • Please update as needed.
• Confidentiality Agreement Form
  • This is required to be completed once.
• ISM Boundaries Policy - Volunteer Agreement
  • This is required to be completed yearly.
• A Record Clear of Any Violations Requiring Sex Offender Registration
  • ISM may check public records for sex offender registration at any time.
• Reading and Signing a Volunteer Handbook Agreement
  • ​​​​​​​Volunteer Guidelines and Agreement
  • This form is required to be completed yearly.

🚙 Additionally, volunteers driving on a field trip are required to complete and submit the following:

• Providing a copy of a valid state-issued driver’s license/ID Card
  • ID must remain current to volunteer
  • This is needed to be updated upon expiration.
• Online Application and Pledge Form
  • This is required to be completed yearly.
• ​​​​​​​Defensive Driving Course
  • Please see ISM Front Office Manager & Volunteer Liaison for registration 
  • Then, once you have completed all sections of the course, it will record your completion for verification purposes. You can do this anytime, anywhere, using any computer and web browser. The entire process will take you 20-25 minutes to complete.
  • State law requires that you have your license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance with you whenever you drive.
  • The staff member in charge of each trip will check to ensure that you have these documents in your possession at the time of each field trip. Because your license, registration, and insurance status might change at any time, we do not keep these required documents on file for this purpose. 
  • This is required to be completed every three years. 

How do I find out about volunteer opportunities?

• You can find volunteer opportunities by speaking with her or your child's teachers and by responding to ParentSquare postings and emails.  
• Talk to the Community Connection PTO team, who always seek volunteers to help at school-wide events.
• Talk to the Community Connection PTO team about being a Room Parent.

How do I log my volunteer hours each month?

• Remember, ISM asks families to contribute 3 hours a month for their first student enrolled in the school and an additional hour for each additional student. 
• HelpCounter, a website app, allows volunteers to log their hours by signing in and out on a front office computer. The front office also provides volunteer/visitor badges that ensure student safety, as all authorized campus visitors are badged, and visitor safety, as we can use the “logged in” list to know who to account for during emergencies and drills.
• Parent Square, a phone app, allows parents to enter hours after completion manually. Follow the instructions below to log your hours via Parent Square on your mobile phone or click here to view the steps for adding volunteer hours via a web browser.
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