Helping hand

oost schools are always very grateful for any assistance they can get from parents – indeed many schools couldn’t function without it. And getting involved with your community can be a great way to connect with other parents and form friendships that can last a lifetime. Here are some tips for getting involved in your school:

• A great way to find out if you can help out is at parent/teacher conferences, or open days which might be held throughout the year at your school. Take the opportunity to talk to your child’s teacher or principal about how you can help. Joining the parent-teacher association is also a great way to get involved and find out what the school needs.
• Have an idea before you offer of the kinds of things you would like to help with. Would your skills suit being a classroom helper or could you help with reading recovery? or could you take on a fundraising role? This will help the school work out where you are best placed.
• Be sure that you can make the time commitment needed to help out. It’s no use volunteering and then finding out that actually you don’t have the time. Sit down with your schedule and realistically work out what days and how much time you can give.
• If you think you can only offer blocks of time, then volunteer to help on specific projects, such as the drama production or a school camp.
• Sometimes schools can get a little enthusiastic and ask for more time from you, particularly if you are great at thework you are doing. Make sure you are clear about how much time you have. It’s okay to say no if it’s cutting into your time – just make sure you say it early on so that you aren’t letting anyone down.
• Don’t be afraid to try out several things before you decide which role you would like to take on. If you’re honest with the school, they won’t mind if you do several jobs before deciding which one suits you best. Perhaps you can assist other parents in their volunteer roles before making a decision.
• Check out your child. Some children love having their parents involved with the school, while others find it deeply embarrassing. Ask your child how they feel about it – take a behind-the-scenes approach if necessary.
• Do not play favourites with your child while you are volunteering. It’s not fair to the other children or your child, and not part of your role as a volunteer.
• Make sure you check in with teachers and the principal about the work you are doing and keep the lines of communication open. Schools need to be able to be flexible and might need to make changes as you go along. Make sure you are listening to their needs, so that you can contribute the best you can.
• If you work and don’t have time during the week to help, consider coaching a sports team or helping out with other school activities at the weekend. oost parents who get involved this way find it a welcome change to their everyday work life and get a lot of enjoyment out of helping children.
• It’s great that you enjoy helping out at school and you probably do a great job. But try to resist the urge to make other parents feel guilty that they’re not helping out. oany parents need to work full time and simply do not have any extra time. And those that may look like they could help out, might make other contributions you don’t know about, such as helping the school financially.
• Enjoy the work you do. It’s no use spending your time doing something at the school which you don’t enjoy. Talk to the school about changing your role or shifting into another area.
• Remember that volunteer work is one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself. Take the time to pat yourself on the back and enjoy the connection you have with your community.