The volunteer program at Plains Elementary continues to grow each year. We have the following programs available at this time:
Broadway High School Mentorship Program - working hand-in-hand with the high school volunteer coordinator, we match up students to classrooms where teachers have a need. The students (mentors) help classroom teachers with one-on-one tutoring, material preparation, classroom organization, or reading stories to students. Teachers value the "extra set of hands" that are available on a weekly basis.
Cargill Ambassadors - The Ambassador program is a program designed by Cargill to recognize and reward Cargill employees who donate their time and talents in the community. Any Cargill employee is eligible to become an ambassador. Cargill provides incentive gifts to employees based on their hours of service.
CSL Volunteers (Center for Service Learning) - these students come to Plains from JMU. They, too, are targeted for specific tutoring or mentoring activities with the students.
Parent Volunteers - parents sign up to come into school to help classroom teachers with material preparation, general tutoring of all subjects, field trips, class parties, school-wide events (Fiesta), etc.
SWAP or Success With Attitudes Partnership Program - (Big Brothers/Big Sisters.) Knowing that our school is made up of numerous at-risk students, we wanted to establish a new and innovative program that would match positive adult role models from local businesses with struggling students at Plains as identified by the school's guidance counselor.
After visiting business and describing this program in great detail, mentors sign up to come to Plains one day per week for one hour, first for lunch, then for 30 minutes of helping their young child in a particular area of academics.
The results have been eye-opening and positive. All persons involved are benefiting. The mentors will be honored and thanked at a mentor/mentee dinner in early Spring. At this recognition dinner, students and their parents will be able to sit down and eat together in a true partnership.
*Volunteer names and volunteer hours are tabulated monthly to document all activities here at Plains. A report is available for all to see.
*In late spring, we also sponsor a staff-wide "Volunteer Appreciation Supper". Classroom teachers submit a list of names of their volunteers for the school year, and each one is invited to a supper that the staff provides. Entertainment and gifts are also provided.