Volunteering

Poquoson Schools is overjoyed to have our buildings filled with community members getting involved in our schools! In our ongoing commitment to providing a safe and nurturing environment for our students, we have recently implemented enhanced security measures for volunteers entering our school building.

The safety and well-being of our students have always been our top priority, and these measures are designed to ensure that every person who enters our school is thoroughly vetted and monitored. Here are some of the key elements to our volunteer security process:

1. Sex Offender Registry Checks: A preliminary part of the approval process will include a check against the sex offender registry. This added precaution will help us further ensure the safety of our students.

2. Background Checks: All regular and on-going volunteers (for example, those individuals who are working with students multiple times a week) will now undergo a comprehensive background check (paid for by the division) before being approved to volunteer at our school. This additional step will help us identify any potential concerns and ensure that our volunteers are trustworthy individuals. Individuals who are vetted on this level will be considered part of the School Champions group and will be identified as those who are committed, reliable, and dedicated to enhancing the educational experience and well-being of our school community.

3. Identification Badges: All volunteers will wear name tags and those in the School Champions group will be issued identification badges that must be worn prominently at all times while in the school building. This will make it easy for staff and students to recognize authorized volunteers.

4. Check-In and Check-Out Procedures: We will maintain our robust check-in and check-out system to monitor the presence of volunteers in the building. This will help us maintain a precise record of who is in the school at any given time.

5. Training and Orientation: We will provide all volunteers with orientation and training sessions to familiarize them with our school policies, emergency procedures, and their responsibilities while volunteering. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to the safety of our students.

These enhancements will not only improve the security of our school but also provide peace of mind to our entire school community. We would also like to encourage anyone interested in volunteering at our school to apply using the link on this website and/or reach out to the volunteer coordinator at your student’s school to initiate the approval process.