Volunteering

Faculty and staff are grateful for the time volunteers spend at our school! All school parents/guardians are required to volunteer every school year. Volunteering brings many benefits to the school and parents. It builds and fosters a strong sense of community, reduces costs, and distributes the workload. Parents gain a sense of the learning environment, get to know the students and teachers, and observe the values instilled in the students.

As part of the Volunteer Agreement which each family signs as part of their annual Tuition Contract:

• Each family is responsible for finding, fulfilling, recording, and tracking their volunteer hours between May 16 to May 15 each year.
• Each K-8 family commits to volunteer a minimum of 30 hours per year to the school and parish, 8 of which must be dedicated to fundraising at the Fall Festival and/or the Auction, and 3 of which must be dedicated specifically to the parish.
• Preschool/Pre-K families without older children in the school commit to volunteer a minimum of 15 volunteer hours to the school and parish, 4 of which must be dedicated to the Fall Festival and/or Auction fundraising events, and 1.5 of which must be dedicated specifically to the parish.
• Under special circumstances, alternate fundraising activities may be approved by contacting the principal.
• Required volunteer hours for families joining after the beginning of the school year will be prorated.
• Hours not completed will be billed at a rate of $50.00 for each unfilled hour ($100.00 for each unfulfilled fundraising hour). 
• Families are required to document their hours on the Volunteer Hours Commitment Summary Form (hard copy and electronic versions available) which is due to the school office by May 15 each year. Third trimester report cards will be held until volunteer hours are reconciled.

All volunteers are required to complete a background check every three years, attend the Archdiocese of Seattle Safe Environment Program class, “Protecting God’s Children,” and complete online Safe Environment refresher training every three years. Please refer to the Parent Links/School Policies section on our school website for information on submitting background checks and registering for a Safe Environment class through the Virtus website.

GENERAL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

There are a wide variety of volunteer opportunities throughout the year including helping in the classroom, driving on field trips, preparing for and working at school events (see next page for grade-assigned events), helping with school clubs (robotics, speech, ski bus), leading class auction art projects, serving as an after school program parent coordinator or supervisor, and working on various committees through the Parent-Teacher Club and the School Commission.

Classroom Help: Decorating bulletin boards, preparing craft templates, organizing Scholastic magazine or book orders, washing out paint brushes, sharpening pencils, etc. (contact your homeroom teacher to inquire).

CYO: Coaching, refereeing, scorekeeping, line judging, sorting uniforms, communications (contact CYO Athletic Director, Brendan Durie, to inquire).

Parish: Choir, Eucharistic Ministry, Hospitality Committee, lectors, service projects, serving at class coffee hours following Stewardship Masses, Youth Group (parish volunteering requirement begins with the May 16, 2023, through May 15, 2024, volunteering year). Visit the Parish Ministry Opportunities page for more information.

Information about volunteer opportunities can be found in The Falcon Flyer newsletter, or by reaching out to your teachers and room parents to ask if they need help.

GRADE-ASSIGNED EVENTS

Most of our annual school events are assigned to the parents in specific grades as noted below. This system allows for parents to plan year-to-year at which events they will need to volunteer. Parents of the assigned grades are responsible for all activities related to their events, examples of duties to be covered are provided below. Hours spent volunteering at the Fall Festival and the Auction count toward fundraising hours.

Falcon Family Tailgate (Welcome Back event for OLF families) – Early September
Volunteer Classes: 7th Grade & 8th Grade Parents

• Set Up
• Potluck Coordination
• Bartending
• Clean up

Flight of the Fatima Falcons Fun Run Fundraiser – September
Chairs Appointed by PTC

• Day-of-Event Volunteers

Fall Festival (Our largest community event) – Late September/Early October

• Numerous Volunteer positions for the day of the event

Gingerbread House Decorating (OLF family event) – First Friday in December
Volunteer Classes: 3rd Grade & 4th Grade Parents

• Set Up
• Check in Coordination
• Dinner Coordination and Cooking
• Clean up

Beach Bash – Adult Event – End of January
Volunteer Classes: 1st Grade & 2nd Grade Parents

• Set up
• Food Coordination with Event Sponsor
• Bar Coordination and Bartending
• Clean up

Auction – Date is determined by Easter

• Numerous Volunteer positions before, during, and after event

First Communion Reception for Second Grade
Volunteer Class: 1st Grade Parents

• Set up
• Food/Drink Coordination
• Clean up

Movie Drive-in Event – Spring
Volunteer Classes: 5th Grade & 6th Grade Parents

• Set up
• Movie/Snacks Coordination
• Clean up

Eighth Grade Graduation Events – Early June
Breakfast Volunteer Class: 7th Grade Parents
Reception Volunteer Class: 6th Grade Parents

• Set up
• Food/Drink Coordination
• Clean up

End of the Year BBQ – Saturday before last day of school
Volunteer Classes: Preschool, Pre-K & Kindergarten Parents

• Set Up
• Potluck Coordination
• Bartending
• Clean up

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR SCHOOL!