An expanding corps of parent and community volunteers are one special hallmark of our school.

These committed volunteers serve the school’s mission by assisting in the classroom and administration, driving students for field trips, leading and organizing special event committees, organizing book drives, and bringing innovative ideas to the fore. Volunteers serve as Room parents building cohesive classroom community and as Trustees, they serve as long-vision keepers of the mission. Whether you have an hour, a semester or five to twenty hours a week, there is a volunteer assignment to suit your talent, time, and skill.

Your expertise is a valued asset to the school. Please participate as an MSN volunteer.

Click here to download our 2009-2010 Volunteer Partner program form.

MSN Volunteer Position Descriptions

2009-2010

N.B.  These are general descriptions of available MSN opportunities; refer to the Volunteer Manual and speak to the Director of Development for more specific details.

Time commitment varies from an hour or two every few months to every week during event planning or year-long positions to every few weeks for classroom support.

¨   Volunteer Coordinator

Recruit and organize parent volunteers; create cohesion by staying in touch with the volunteers and answering questions as needed; work with the Director of Development to fill all positions as needed.

¨   Ambassador at Events

Assist Admissions Officer, Head of School, Business Manager and Director of Development in representing the MSN community; greet and welcome guests at events; connect with current and alumni parents.

¨   Writing/editing for school publications

Write articles of interest, edit essays and other publications including Cornerstone, the development newsletter; Montessori Matters, published twice a year; Parking Lot Press, published biweekly.

¨   Graphic design/flyer making

Create design for bulletin boards, event flyers, postcards, etc.

¨   Miscellaneous errands

Varied and miscellaneous shopping; pick up, delivery of items to and from MSN.

¨   Driving

Classroom field trips often require additional drivers to escort students.

¨   Culinary Artist

Baking and cooking and sharing treats both savory and sweet for use at MSN events, as thank you to neighbors, for classroom projects.

¨   Carpentry craftsman projects

Can range from building a bookshelf to staining tables to other projects involving carpentry skills.

¨   Scrip Coordinator

Organize the sale of store cards that raise a percentage of money for the school dependent on parent usage; write creative notices for parent information and attention; encourage participation as a “passive way” to give support.

¨   Montessori Services Coordinator

Organize presentation display, send letters encouraging purchases, work with Director of Development in sending order; distribute orders when delivered. This premier catalog has a holiday issue for parents entitled “Many Hands” which features Montessori-related items for child-friendly fun and use at home.  Teachers also provide a classroom “wish list” that you can refer to if you desire. 

¨   Original Works Coordinator

Organize display, send letters to encourage participation, work with Director of Development in sending order; distribute orders when delivered.  This company uses art by your child transformed into useful, aesthetically pleasing items for your home, for grandparent gifts, for lifetime treasures.

¨   Classroom Projects

These take myriad forms and are dependent upon teacher classroom needs.

¨   Gardening

Help classrooms weed and plant and harvest in school gardens.

¨   Event Planning

Two parent-led events:  Children’s Fall Fair on Saturday October 17, 2009  and Spring Auction on Thursday evening March 11, 2010.  These events raise money for MSN need-based scholarships to ensure our economic diversity. 

Volunteers are needed for the myriad of details that require many hands:  to organize the overall theme and look of the event, schedule entertainment, create menus, and work activities.  Event CoChairs work closely with the Director of Development to ensure adherence to the development plan and school mission.

¨   School Events

The school calendar and the events calendar contains detailed information about these school events. Parent volunteers are needed to assist with set up, clean up, and organizing with the teacher coordinators to ensure student safety and fun.

Peace Day in September, School Pictures in September, Winter Solstice in December, Upper Elementary performance in May, Fiesta Day in May, Field Day in June, Culmination end-of-school ceremony in June.

¨   Development Committee and Diversity Committee

These are just two examples of  board of trustee committees comprised of trustees, other parents and school administrators. Committees meet once per month during the school year; there may be tasks outside of these meeting times.

All parents are welcome to join the diversity committee with interest being the only criteria.  The committee maintains the lobby-based Family Bulletin Board that profiles  school families; and also hosts the Family Picnic in the spring, a day of games and fun.  The development committee creates policy, assumes responsibility for the development plan, and works to ensure that all fundraising and other development activities support the school’s mission.

¨      Board of Trustees

Community and parent volunteers are invited to join this group on a space-available basis.  There are also board committees for which non-board parents are eligible.  The board of trustees has the ultimate fiduciary responsibility for the long-term viability of the school, which is an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit.