On behalf of the Home and School Association (H.S.A.), welcome to SJNRCS!
Recognizing the value of parental involvement, it is our policy to utilize the help of parent and family volunteers in as many areas of the school as possible. In order for our school to fully benefit from the time and talents of our families, a Mandatory Volunteer Policy is in effect to evenly share responsibilities among all registered families. This program allows for adequate staffing of H.S.A. sponsored events and other programs that help keep tuition costs down. As a result, mandatory service hours are required of all registered families.
If you are new to the school or are not an approved volunteer please go to Step 1.
If you are an approved volunteer please go to Step 2 for information on being approved as a driver or money counter.
Go to Step 3 to read the mandatory service hour requirements and learn how you will receive credit for your time.
If you have other questions or would like to get involved in a particular event please email the home and school, at volunteers@sjnrcs.org.
STEP 1. All Parents Who Volunteer Must be Approved Volunteers
Every individual who wishes to volunteer at SJNRCS at any time or for any event must complete a background screening and complete the Virtus training. Again, these are two separate requirements and an individual may not complete one and not the other to be approved. If you would like to volunteer at the school and have not yet met both of these requirements, you will need to e-mail Mrs. Sullivan directly at tsullivan@sjnrcs.org and provide your full name along with your e-mail address. An email will then be sent to the volunteer and will come from noreply@sterlingts.com. Please be sure to check your spam folder for it or add noreply@sterlingts.com to your contacts. Once this e-mail is received, you will open the e-mail and follow the steps within the e-mail to complete a background screening and set up your Virtus training. When your background screening is complete Mrs. Sullivan will receive a notification. Once Virtus training has been scheduled, please notify Mrs. Sullivan of your training date. Background screenings and Virtus trainings are valid for five years before having to be renewed from the date you are 100% approved for volunteering purposes.
You can learn more about The Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Virtus – Protecting God’s Children program here.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are already an approved volunteer at an Atlanta Archdiocese Catholic Parish or another Atlanta Archdiocese Catholic school – email our Administrative Assistant Teresa Sullivan at tsullivan@sjnrcs.org and tell her the name of the Catholic parish or Archdiocesan school your were approved through. She will verify this information and notify you via email if you are still approved and clear to volunteer.
STEP 2. Apply for Additional Approvals
VOLUNTEER DRIVER APPROVAL
If anyone wishes to serve as driver for SJNRCS for field trips etc., they must first complete the above-mentioned as outlined for ALL VOLUNTEERS.
MONEY COUNTERS
We are in need or parents to handle/count money for SJNRCS for the Fall Festival, Penny Wars, Fundraisers, etc., they must first complete approval for ALL VOLUNTEERS. An additional simple credit check will need to be completed on the prospective volunteer.
Sign Up for Virtus Here
Most volunteer opportunities are sent out via Sign Up Genius. Sign up for your account today and make sure to add volunteers@sjnrcs.org to your address book!
STEP 3. Know Our Mandatory Parent Volunteer Policy
The Mandatory Volunteer Policy is subject to modification as circumstances warrant. The current 2019-2020 provisions are as follows:
- Each family registered at St. John Neumann Regional Catholic School is required to volunteer a minimum of twenty (20) hours of service per school year per the mission of our school. Any parent, legal guardian, grandparent or immediate family member over 18 years of age may fulfill a family’s service obligation.
- Prior to volunteering at SJN during school hours, each parent or family member MUST:
- Attend the Archdiocese of Safe Environment training (VIRTUS)
- Complete a background check
- Service Hours will be tracked. This is a change from last year. It is still important for you to check-in with our Hall Pass system in order to track visitors to the school. Your volunteer hours will either be tracked by sign-in sheet or on the website (we have a form for you to log your hours on the website located on the parent page (https://www.sjnrcs.org/parent-information/)).
- The definition of a “service hour” is flexible. Room parents act as liaisons between families and teachers to coordinate teacher needs, some of which may be completed at home. All the traditional volunteer positions count as service hours.
- A Parent coordinator and co-coordinator will lead each event and volunteer effort. Parent Coordinators and co-coordinators will work closely with the president of the H.S.A. and with fellow parent volunteers to organize each event. If you are interested in leading or co-leading an event, which is a great opportunity to get your volunteer hours all done for the year, reach out to me and let me know.
- If a family is unable to fulfill their required twenty (20) hours during the school year, they are required to buy out their commitment for a fee of $20 per hour. Any outstanding hours or monetary fees must be reconciled by the end of the school year. Please e-mail Dr. Broom at jbroom@sjnrcs.org if service hours cause your family undue hardship and other arrangements will be made.
- Because of the unique nature of this policy, the school has reserved the right to change this policy at any time.