A Guide to Volunteering at Arcadia High School
Arcadia High School and the PTSA are often in need of volunteers. Volunteer work allows AUSD’s limited financial resources to be used toward actual program and teaching expenses, allowing our children to have a better education. Volunteers help the school run more smoothly and also raise the funds that keep the PTA programs running at AHS.
If your student is involved in Athletics, Drama, Music, Choral or any other groups it is essential that parents help out. These groups all depend on parents providing financial support and attending games, performances, etc. Often the groups need help with making props or coordinating food and many other items. Find out how you can help!
The following is a list of known volunteer opportunities and details about the tasks.
- Football Concession Stand at home games (Sept / Oct / Nov - FUN food service) The PTSA 5th Vice President – Ways and Means coordinates the volunteers to work at the windows in the concession stand at the football games. Workers take food orders, gather the items, add up the cost of the items, collect the money and provide the change. Some workers have sometimes worked inside just serving the nachos all evening long. There are two shifts at each game. One starts before the game and goes to about halftime. The second shift starts about halftime and continues till the game is over. This is a fun job – sometimes it is very busy and then there are lulls when you get to talk with the other parents. Contact Karen Tom at 821-0038 or 4toms@earthlink.net.
- Apache Wear and Blanket Sales (Throughout the year) Staff special on campus events where parents might purchase the blankets and Apache Wear. These special events could include home football games, Apache Preview Day, Freshman Orientation, etc.
- Vision Screening (Oct / Nov-student check in) Parent volunteers check students in for their Vision screening exam. This is done in the through the Health Office. Contact Shirley Coulter at 821-1752 or scoulter@ausd.net.
- Apache Fall Preview Day (November) Helpers are needed to set up, decorate and staff tables and walk along with the tour groups while students lead the tour.
- Chaperone a school dance (Fall & Spring) Every school dance needs chaperones. A variety of responsibilities are available from checking in the students to watching the action and visiting. If a problem is observed, the administrators get to deal with it – we just let them know of the problem. Contact John Tung at 821-1749 or jtung@ausd.net.
- Help in Counseling Office (year-round): Our busy counselors are always in need of a little extra help. There are bulk mailings, collating and stuffing projects, assistance in the spring during the class selection process, and many other occasions for you to help out. Contact Carla Heer at 355-3554 or nofearheer@aol.com who maintains a list of volunteers for these opportunities. There is always something that needs to be done.
- Traffic Safety (October & March – encourage traffic safety) During two weeks of the year, one in October and one in March, we work Keith Kerney, Dean, and students from Future Business Leaders organization promoting traffic safety around the school. Typically parents work as a team, directing traffic, encouraging the safe drop off of students, and occasionally talking to parents to instruct them of the proper drop off procedures. (This is done only if your comfortable doing it!) Contact Sandhya Ravi to sign up to help at 446-6700 or sandhya_ravi@yahoo.com .
- White Christmas (December - sorting canned goods) Each school’s PTSA is assigned a day or two to work. Depending on when we work, the job is either sorting the incoming foods into categories or packaging the food into boxes for giving. Very detailed instructions are provided when packaging the food so that volunteers know exactly what and how much to put in the boxes. This work is physical with walking and standing. It’s fun to talk with the other volunteers while sorting the food! Contact Theresa Liem at 445-6700 or tsliem@sbcglobal.net or Jenny Tsouvalas at 447-3057 or jtfive@roadrunner.com to sign up.
- Chinese New Year Dinner & Party – Working together is how we get to know each other and together we can achieve more! This year for the first time we will be working together with the Chinese Parents Booster Club to put together the best New Year’s celebration of the season. Contact Ophelia Ha at 254-8396 or opheliaha@hotmail.com.
- Hearing Screening for 10th graders (Jan/Feb - student check in) Parent volunteers check in students for their hearing screening exam. This is done in the through the Health Office. Contact Shirley Coulter at 821-1752 or scoulter@ausd.net.
- Teacher Appreciation Luncheon (March - food and decorations) This year’s Teacher (and Staff) Appreciation Luncheon will be held on Wednesday March 12, 2008 in the Little Theater and the lobby of the theater. There are many ways to participate in this. The lunch is provided by parent’s donations – by monetary donation or food donation. Parents decorate the Little Theater and then staff the luncheon, refreshing the food, picking up plates and then cleaning up afterwards. Contact Ellie Bitaraf at bitaraf@sbcglobal.net.
- Programming (March through May – simple data entry) Every Spring, the counselors hold assemblies explaining programming options for our students. After that, the counselors meet individually with each and every student to plan their schedule for the following year. Parent volunteers work in the Career Center inputting each student’s schedule after they meet with a counselor. With this data input complete, the administration can work on creating the master schedule for the following year. You will be able to interact with the students and see what other students are taking! Contact the Counseling Department Liaison, Carla Heer at 355-3554 or nofearheer@aol.com
- AP test proctor/monitor (May - student check in & proctoring) With approximately 1000 tests being administered, volunteer help is very necessary. Help by checking in students and proctoring the tests. Proctoring simply requires sitting and watching the students as they take the test(s). Detailed instruction sill be providing by the person responsible for the testing.
- Senior Grad Night Party (April - June) It’s the party of the year, and every party needs planning, decorations, collecting donations and prizes and getting workers at the party. You can help in any or all of these areas. Contact Ruth Lagace at 821-0745 or r2lagace@adelphia.net.
- Disaster Preparedness (Spring - restocking supplies) Disaster supplies require an annual inventory and replenishing. Contact Sonal Shah 422-8199 at kshahmd@pacbell.net to help out.
- Textbook collection for AHS Library (June during finals week - checking in books) This is the big event at the library. The help is needed during the last week of school to scan the textbook barcodes as student return the books. This is great because there is student interaction. Contact Janet Hasbrouck 821-1787 or JHASBROU@ausd.net.
- Apache Days (August - student registration check in) Registering all AHS students for school in four short days takes a lot of volunteers (about 150) and we are up for it! Volunteers are assigned to one spot for several hours. Jobs include sitting at a table, collecting forms, checking them and then stamping a slip or helping with directing students and monitoring the flow of traffic through various stopping points or checking textbooks out to students. There is something for everyone. Bilingual workers are especially appreciated! Contact Karen Tom 821-0038 or 4toms@earthlink.net or Kathy Yamane 574-1858 or MIKATYAM@aol.com.
- Freshman & New Student Orientation (August) Adult volunteers are needed to coordinate activities on the day of the event as well as in the event planning.
If you have any further questions, please call PTSA president Kay Kinsler at 355-4834 or kaykinsler@altrionet.com.
