Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers are needed in many areas.
Below is a list of multiple committees and their descriptions to help you decide where you would like to help.
Please email Mrs. Lisa Stewart if you would like to help: office@vernamontessorischool.org
Parents and other individuals who would like to volunteer are required to complete their clearances.
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ANNUAL ITALIAN DINNER 🇮🇹
Students and parents are needed to help with the food preparation, serving and clean-up. Adults are needed to market, pre-sell tickets, cook, serve and clean-up.
ATHLETIC COMMITTEE 🏀
The VMS Panthers basketball team is comprised of children in grades 1 and up with the season running from November through February. They are supported by the VMS Cheerleading squad. Additional parent participation in this activity is welcomed.
BOOK FAIR COMMITTEE 📚
To foster love for reading in the VMS students, there will be a book fair each year at the school. In addition to the large selection of hard and paperback books, the book fair includes a wonderful selection of gift sets, educational games and audio/visuals. A portion of the proceeds from the book fair is used to enhance the VMS library. Volunteer opportunities include: set-up, clean-up, sales (tally and calculate purchases) and assisting students in book selection.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMITTEE 👏
This committee develops and implements community engagement strategies to promote the story and value of Verna Montessori School and support and promote all VMS activities. The committee’s focus will include increasing engagement between the school and VMS parents, teachers, and students, and increasing participation and communication among community members. Committee members will work closely with the school administration to ensure a consistent message.
END-OF-YEAR SCHOOL PICNIC COMMITTEE 🧺
This committee organizes the end-of-year picnic for the VMS families and sets up the date for all families to meet. The event has been on a Saturday in late May or mid-June for the last few years.
GOODWILL COMMITTEE 🙂
This committee involves the children in activities that encourage acts of service and kindness for others. One activity of this type that has been undertaken every year since 1993 is the Secret Santa program. This project has been bringing our school family together at Christmas time for a genuine outpouring of love and support to the less fortunate of our society. This committee will be responsible for the coordination, set-up and distribution of charitable gifts for needy families in the area. Each participating VMS family will take a name from the “ANGEL TREE” in early November and purchase a gift for a needy child to help make his or her holiday season a little brighter. This committee has also traditionally put up and taken down Christmas decorations.
GRADUATION COMMITTEE 🎓
The 7th grade students and their families are usually asked to host a reception for the graduating 8th grade class. The graduation ceremony and social is scheduled for June. Both events are open to all VMS families. Volunteer opportunities include preparing and decorating, coordinating and serving of food/refreshments and clean-up.
GRANT WRITING COMMITTEE 🖊️
This committee will coordinate and write the application for school grants. The committee will obtain all necessary information and follow up on all proposals. All work of this committee will be supervised directly by the school administration.
HANDYMAN COMMITTEE 🔨
This is a committee of willing and able volunteers who will perform minor maintenance and repairs at the school and/or convent, as requested by the principal. Jobs may include painting, carpentry work, hanging pictures, changing light bulbs, etc. This committee is also available to oversee contractor work at the school.
LABEL AND BOXTOPS DRIVE COMMITTEE 🏷️
This committee will coordinate the collection of Box Tops and Campbell’s labels that can be used to obtain educational programs and supplies for the school. The committee will notify parents as to which items are being collected. Committee members will sort, count & submit labels and make arrangements for programs.
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE 🙌
This committee will solicit businesses in order to establish scholarships for VMS. In addition, the members will work together to promote the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program for funding for the Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception of Ivrea’s Shared Vision Scholarship Program.
SCHOOL SUPPORT COMMITTEE 🖨️
This committee engages in a wide range of activities. Members of this committee may volunteer time and expertise in assignments like copying, laminating and assisting with special projects and materials. Support is also needed for the website, for publicity, for collecting and disseminating emergency contact information and for organizing the annual Open House.
SCHOOL WELCOME PICNIC COMMITTEE 🍴
This committee, which traditionally has been led by the VMPA officers, organizes a “back-to-school” picnic. This event provides an opportunity to see old friends and welcome new families. Activities will include games, crafts and food. Volunteer opportunities include planning, supervising events of the day, set-up and clean-up.
SOCIAL COMMITTEE/FAMILY FUN NIGHT COMMITTEE 🙂
This committee has organized after-school get-togethers for VMS students and their families to help establish social connections beyond those developed in the classroom. Specific events have varied from year to year. Family Fun nights are scheduled for the months that do not have a VMPA meeting.
WALK-A-THON COMMITTEE 👟
The Walk-A-Thon is a very simple fundraiser held each May that gives the children an opportunity to raise money for their school while enjoying the fresh air. Student walkers solicit sponsors to pledge a dollar amount – either per lap or a flat amount. Over 95% of the money collected for this event is profit. For these reasons, the Walk-A-Thon has been a very fun and successful fundraiser for the school.
YEARBOOK COMMITTEE 📘
This committee plans to produce a yearbook for the current school year. Volunteers are needed to take pictures at school events and to use an online software program to layout the pages of the book, write captions, headlines and copy. At least one parent volunteer from each class would be ideal. An e-mail address yearbook@vernamontessorischool.org has been created for parents, teachers, and students, to send photos which may appear in the yearbook.