Procedure 2.1.4 VOLUNTEERS IN SCHOOLS

Approved: September 19, 2000

Revised: November 5, 2019

1.0 Recruitment of Volunteers

1.1 The Principal shall consider volunteers from the parent and school community to support school based activities.

1.2 Volunteers shall express their interest to the Principal by:

- 1.2.1 Presenting their Vulnerable Sector Check;
- 1.2.2 Indicating their activity of interest and level of expertise with the activity;
- 1.2.3 If applicable, completing the School Volunteer Agreement (Appendix A);

1.3 The Principal determines the suitability of the volunteer through the screening process.

2.0 Screening and Management of Volunteers

2.1 All volunteers must be assessed as to their suitability for placement within a school or program setting.

- 2.1.1 The process of screening volunteers and management begins at the very moment a person applies and is recruited. Volunteers are managed throughout their extra-curricular commitment until they terminate this commitment.
- 2.1.2 The degree of screening is dependent upon the volunteer activity, the extent of interaction with, and responsibility for, students, and the degree of direct supervision of the volunteer. Levels of risk are based on:
- - The activity itself,
  - The extent of the interaction with and responsibility for students, and
  - The proximity of Board staff while the activity is occurring.

2.2 Volunteers assisting with supervision on Field Trips require:

- Vulnerable Sector Check (Appendix B is a form letter that may be given to those applying for a VSC with police services)

2.3 Volunteers for ongoing programs or extra-curricular activities require:

- School Volunteer Agreement (Appendix A)
- application form (Appendix C or D);
- volunteer intake interview;
- reference checks (Appendix E);
- Vulnerable Sector Check (Appendix B is a form letter that may be given to those applying for a VSC with police services);

3.0 Volunteer Training

3.1 All volunteers must be provided training, and must sign confidentiality agreements before undertaking any volunteer responsibilities that puts the volunteer in direct contact with students (Appendix F);

3.2 The mandatory training for all volunteers shall include but not be limited to safety and well-being of students, such as lockdown procedures, concussion protocols, fire safety evacuation, code of conduct, anaphylaxis and other prevalent medical conditions;

3.3 The Principal shall provide the volunteer with information regarding access to the school, equipment, and any other operational procedures; and

3.4 Volunteer supervisors must always provide direct, constant visual supervision of the activity for which they are responsible.

4.0 Responsibilities

4.1 Responsibilities of Principals and Staff

- 4.1.1 The Principal or designate is responsible for the following:
  - Determining the volunteer needs of a school
  - Recruitment, selection and screening of volunteers
  - Approving and clarifying the tasks and assignments of volunteers
  - Providing for the training, orientation and supervision of volunteers
  - Ensuring volunteers are cognizant of the requirements for supervision of any governing body, e.g. OFSAA, Skills Competition or any other festival/performance activities on a regional, provincial or national level, if required
  - Ensuring volunteer contributions are recognized

- 4.1.2 The Principal and staff of the school (where applicable) will ensure that volunteers are not responsible for the support of curricular programs without teacher direction.

- 4.1.3 Subject to the policies of the Board and barring direction or intervention by the Director of Education or designate to the contrary, the Principal of the school in which a volunteer is serving will be responsible for determining that an activity to which the volunteer is assigned is a school-sponsored activity.

- 4.1.4 The Principal and staff will ensure that student volunteers have regular direct supervision at all times.

- 4.1.5 The Principal and staff (where applicable) will ensure that volunteers will:
  - Not be involved in any evaluation of students, school personnel or program;
  - Not be given access to personal information regarding students, their families or staff unless it is essential to the performance of their duties as a volunteer.
  - Ensure they sign a Confidentiality Agreement (Appendix F), with the understanding that they will treat as confidential all personal information which they may acquire in the course of their involvement in the school

- 4.1.6 The Principal and staff will ensure that families are informed that volunteers will be participating in classroom or school-wide activities.

- 4.1.7 The Principal will ensure that regular and continuous volunteers will provide, for review, a new Vulnerable Sector Check every year. (Appendix B may be used)

- 4.1.8 The Principal will address any concerns regarding a volunteer’s behaviour in accordance to Board policies and procedures.
- 4.1.9 The Principal retains the authority to accept or decline any volunteer’s offer of service.

4.2 Responsibilities of Volunteers

- 4.2.1 Volunteers will perform their assigned duties as directed by the Principal or designate.

- 4.2.2 Volunteers will neither be responsible for the discipline or evaluation of students, nor for the identification or diagnosis of their learning strengths or difficulties.

- 4.2.3 The volunteers will maintain, in confidence, any personal information which is shared with them in the performance of their duties, in compliance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.(Appendix F)

- 4.2.4 Volunteers will:
  - Follow all Board policies and procedures as reviewed by the Principal or designate
  - Follow codes of behaviour as established by the school and/or Board
  - If applicable, report to the school office upon arrival

- 4.2.5 Volunteers will notify their Principal or designate of any expected absence, as far in advance as possible.

- 4.2.6 Volunteers will be encouraged to provide reasonable advance notice, to the Principal, when terminating their volunteer activities.

5.0 Supervision of Students by a Volunteer in Extra-Curricular Activities

5.1 Volunteers may, at the discretion of the Principal, and under the direction of Board staff, oversee extra-curricular activities;

5.2 Volunteers (parent or community) will be subject to a screening process commensurate with the level of risk of the activity as described in the procedure;

5.3 Parents/Guardians of those students involved must sign a consent form acknowledging that they understand that this activity is led by a volunteer (Appendix G);

5.4 All aspects of volunteer management are being carried out once the volunteer is in place; and

5.5 The Principal will guarantee that all extra-curricular activities have a staff advisor. When the event is overnight or outside of the district of DSB Ontario North East, the staff advisor must be a teacher (Ontario College of Teachers). The staff advisor will:

- 5.5.1 Be on school property for all practices
- 5.5.2 Provide direct supervision at all games/events and for all activities off school property.

6.0 Liability

Appendices

References