VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
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Parent volunteers are critical to our success. All of our special events and fundraising efforts are organized and staffed by Peirce parent volunteers. Parent volunteers also manage parent communications, run school tours, support teachers in the classroom and on field trips, take photos at events, organize and manage the annual book fair, provide support in the library, care for the garden, and participate in Career Day.
All parents and caregivers are encouraged to volunteer throughout the year. Please consider taking an active role in supporting the Peirce community. Current volunteer needs are posted on the Peirce Service Organization Facebook page. Volunteer Opportunities and Upcoming Events Have questions about how to get involved at Peirce? Check out the new website friendsofpeirce.org for information about parent-organized events and fundraisers and to find out about volunteer opportunities! |
GET INVOLVED! If your interest is volunteering in your child's classroom, please contact your child's teacher directly. For questions about the volunteer approval process, please contact Erin Snow erin.m.kuehn@gmail.com |
CPS VOLUNTEER PROGRAM - THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEVEL 1 & LEVEL II
All individuals who are interested in volunteering (which includes chaperoning field trips) must be approved by CPS. Depending on the level of volunteering you plan to do, you will be asked to complete an application for either a “Level I” volunteer or a “Level II” volunteer.
LEVEL I & LEVEL II VOLUNTEER APPLICATION PROCESS
CPS has new requirements around volunteering and two levels. Level I is the most thorough and we recommend that anyone considering volunteering at Peirce complete this level. It requires a fingerprint, background check and TB test. We are working on how to streamline this and make it a simpler process. I will list the steps below. Please note: It is a CPS requirement that you are in one of these two levels to volunteer.
Step 1: Complete the volunteer form for CPS
This form is necessary for CPS to verify you have students in the system and that they are at the school.
Step 2: Bring an government issued ID to Sally Suarez in the Peirce staff office or send a picture of one.
If you do not do this step, the process will not move forward. Sally needs to verify in the system, otherwise CPS will not send the follow up email until she verifies.
FOR LEVEL II, THIS IS WHERE THE PROCESS ENDS. FOR LEVEL I, YOU MUST ALSO DO THE FOLLOWING.
Step 3: After to bring your ID to Sally, you will receive an email from CPS which will contain links and information for fingerprinting, background check and TB test.
For fingerprinting, the forms will be attached in your email from CPS. This form can be taken to any Accurate Biometrics location.
For the TB test, please use this form here. Please note that there may be a cost, depending on your insurance and provider. Here is a list of testing sites in the neighborhood, compiled in spring 2022.
As of 9/27/22, proof of COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required for CPS volunteer approval.
Step 4: Email copies of the fingerprint receipt and TB test to CPS.
The sooner they receive these forms, the faster you can be processed. We are hearing that the fingerprints can take 2-5 weeks to process. You can email these forms to volunteer@cps.edu.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to the volunteer coordinator Erin Snow.
LEVEL I & LEVEL II RENEWAL PROCESS:
CPS requires that volunteers reach out to the school every year, after July 1, to “reactivate” their volunteer status. Each school year you will need to log back in to the Civicore volunteering application, select "current volunteer", navigate to the "applications" tab and hit the green "add a new application" to fill out an application for the new school year. Then you will need to reach out to Sally Suarez in the main office to let her know that you plan to continue volunteering for that year so that she can verify you in the system.
For a Level II volunteer, this is all that is needed to keep your application active.
A Level I reactivation requires additional steps:
1. You need to email Sally Suarez to let her know that you plan to continue Level 1 volunteering. This will stimulate a reactivation of your account with the Volunteer Programs office.
2. If your TB test results are more than 2 years old, you will need to have an updated TB screening test, and the results will need to be sent to Volunteer@cps.edu. (TB tests will always need to be redone every two years.)
3. CPS will run a new background check, which MAY require that your fingerprints need to be redone in order to generate this check. This has varied in past years, but for 2022-2023 all returning Level 1 volunteers are being required to be re-fingerprinted. For future years, CPS Volunteer Programs will let you know if your reactivation will require new prints once you have notified Sally of your intention to continue volunteering.
You will be notified via email once your reapplication has been approved.
DOCUMENTS TO HELP YOU WITH VOLUNTEERING
All individuals who are interested in volunteering (which includes chaperoning field trips) must be approved by CPS. Depending on the level of volunteering you plan to do, you will be asked to complete an application for either a “Level I” volunteer or a “Level II” volunteer.
- Level II - Requires you complete the volunteer form for CPS and take your ID into the school to show the main office.
- Level I - The newest tier to volunteering is called Level I. In order to become a Level I volunteer, you must complete the application, provide fingerprints, get a background check and take a TB test
- Activity leader without a CPS or Peirce representative present at all times
- Field trips where kids are broken into groups and assigned a parent (going to the zoo, a museum, etc.)
- Any activity unsupervised by a CPS or Peirce official
LEVEL I & LEVEL II VOLUNTEER APPLICATION PROCESS
CPS has new requirements around volunteering and two levels. Level I is the most thorough and we recommend that anyone considering volunteering at Peirce complete this level. It requires a fingerprint, background check and TB test. We are working on how to streamline this and make it a simpler process. I will list the steps below. Please note: It is a CPS requirement that you are in one of these two levels to volunteer.
Step 1: Complete the volunteer form for CPS
This form is necessary for CPS to verify you have students in the system and that they are at the school.
Step 2: Bring an government issued ID to Sally Suarez in the Peirce staff office or send a picture of one.
If you do not do this step, the process will not move forward. Sally needs to verify in the system, otherwise CPS will not send the follow up email until she verifies.
FOR LEVEL II, THIS IS WHERE THE PROCESS ENDS. FOR LEVEL I, YOU MUST ALSO DO THE FOLLOWING.
Step 3: After to bring your ID to Sally, you will receive an email from CPS which will contain links and information for fingerprinting, background check and TB test.
For fingerprinting, the forms will be attached in your email from CPS. This form can be taken to any Accurate Biometrics location.
For the TB test, please use this form here. Please note that there may be a cost, depending on your insurance and provider. Here is a list of testing sites in the neighborhood, compiled in spring 2022.
As of 9/27/22, proof of COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required for CPS volunteer approval.
Step 4: Email copies of the fingerprint receipt and TB test to CPS.
The sooner they receive these forms, the faster you can be processed. We are hearing that the fingerprints can take 2-5 weeks to process. You can email these forms to volunteer@cps.edu.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to the volunteer coordinator Erin Snow.
LEVEL I & LEVEL II RENEWAL PROCESS:
CPS requires that volunteers reach out to the school every year, after July 1, to “reactivate” their volunteer status. Each school year you will need to log back in to the Civicore volunteering application, select "current volunteer", navigate to the "applications" tab and hit the green "add a new application" to fill out an application for the new school year. Then you will need to reach out to Sally Suarez in the main office to let her know that you plan to continue volunteering for that year so that she can verify you in the system.
For a Level II volunteer, this is all that is needed to keep your application active.
A Level I reactivation requires additional steps:
1. You need to email Sally Suarez to let her know that you plan to continue Level 1 volunteering. This will stimulate a reactivation of your account with the Volunteer Programs office.
2. If your TB test results are more than 2 years old, you will need to have an updated TB screening test, and the results will need to be sent to Volunteer@cps.edu. (TB tests will always need to be redone every two years.)
3. CPS will run a new background check, which MAY require that your fingerprints need to be redone in order to generate this check. This has varied in past years, but for 2022-2023 all returning Level 1 volunteers are being required to be re-fingerprinted. For future years, CPS Volunteer Programs will let you know if your reactivation will require new prints once you have notified Sally of your intention to continue volunteering.
You will be notified via email once your reapplication has been approved.
DOCUMENTS TO HELP YOU WITH VOLUNTEERING
- Peirce Volunteer Interest Form - This form will help get you started on your volunteering journey. It is run by the Friends of Peirce and Peirce Service Organization, both parent-run organizations.
- Overview of Volunteering Types - Start here to determine what volunteer application process (Level I or Level II) you need to work with. Peirce administration, Friends of Peirce and Peirce Service Organization recommend that all volunteers complete the Level I process.
- CPS Volunteer Application - CPS requires you fill out this application for Level I or Level II. Friends of Peirce, Peirce Service Organization and Peirce Administration encourage parents to complete the Level I volunteering tier. NOTE: Once you fill this out, this is not the final step. Please read below under the section titled ‘Level I & Level II Application Process’ to see the steps.
