Opportunity Knocks
Overview
What is Opportunity Knocks?
•
Stanley Middle School offers community volunteer
options for all students. Many are during the weekend and a few are during the
week. The majority of the events are supporting local Lafayette organizations,
with a few located in Concord or Walnut Creek. Some of the monthly events
include: Contra Costa Food Bank, John Muir Rehab. Many one-time events are for local elementary schools and community festivals. Last year alone, Stanley students volunteered over 4,000 hours of
community service!
How does my student get involved?
•
Every other Wednesday at lunch there is an
Opportunity Knocks Meeting. These meetings are held in the Multipurpose room.
The morning of the meeting, an announcement is made during school announcements
as well as posters are posted around campus informing students of an upcoming
meeting. The Wildcat Weekly will also mention any up-coming meetings.
How does my student sign up for an event?
•
During our meetings at lunch, upcoming events
are discussed. Students can sign up at the end of the meeting for any event
that interests them. Students can also go to the school office and look over
the Opportunity Knocks Binder. The binder is placed in the office after each
meeting and all sign-up sheets are in the binder. New this year: we will be trying Google Docs as well to keep track of our sign-up sheets.
•
When students attend the Wednesday Opp Knocks
meeting, they do the following when sign up for an event:
1.
Sign up for the event on the sign-up sheet (make sure
your schedule allows you to participate)
2.
Pick up a GOLD “Opp Knocks” SLIP (the size
of a ½ sheet of paper)
3.
Pick up a small reminder slip indicating what event
they signed up for, this includes the date, time and the contact for the event
should any questions or cancellations arise.
What does my student take with them when they attend a
volunteer event?
•
Students take the Opp Knocks GOLD SLIP with them
to the volunteer event. The volunteer coordinator will sign the slip and the
student takes the slip back to the office and places it in the Opp Knocks box.
How does my student get credit for volunteering?
•
When the student turns in the Opp Knocks GOLD
SLIP into the Opp Knocks Box in the office, it is then recorded into our
tracking database and will be listed periodically in the Opp Knocks Binder.
Can my student get credit for outside volunteer hours?
•
Yes! Students volunteering for a non-profit
that is not a “Stanley Event” can get up to 10 hours of Opp Knocks
credit. The student needs to obtain an Opp Knocks GOLD SLIP from the Opp
Knocks meeting or from the binder. The slip should be filled out including a
signature from the volunteer coordinator and returned to the Opp Knocks box in
the school office.
Opportunity Knocks
Incentives: Get rewarded for volunteering in your community!
|
Volunteer Hours
|
Reward
|
|
6
|
Yogurt Shack Gift Card
|
|
12
|
Jamba Juice Gift Card
|
|
18
|
Lunch with Mrs. McShane
|
|
35
|
Great America Trip in June!!
|
2012-2013 Opp Knocks
Meeting Schedule
Generally, we meet every other Wednesday during lunchtime in
the Multi-Purpose room. Bring your lunch and sign up!
|
August 29 | January 16 | September 12
September 26
|
February 13
|
|
October 10
October 24
|
March 13
|
|
November 7 November 28
|
April 17
|
December 1 |
May 15
|
Upcoming Events:
There’s never a shortage of opportunities to volunteer! Look for sign-up sheets at the meetings or in the Opp Knocks binder in the office. We will attempt to get email notifications out for upcoming events to help avoid scheduling conflicts. If you want to be on the email notification list please fill out this Google Form to be added to the list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dFg3bEdKS1VUX2p0SFJ1aXFMOTJMeVE6MQ
Other Example Service
Opportunities
•
Stocking shelves at Contra Costa Food Bank
•
Helping at Lafayette’s Art and Wine
Festival
•
Assisting at the Lafayette Reservoir Run
•
Supporting local elementary school events and
activities (registration days, festivals and book fairs)
•
Buddying with special needs students during
lunchtime
•
Assisting with sporting events by keeping score
or judging
•
Supporting the drama program as stage hands,
ticket takers or make-up artists
•
Offering help at the Way Side Thrift store
•
Being peer coaches in the afternoon to help
other students with school work
We are always pleased to receive requests for our help
to aid community charities or groups needing an extra set of hands from our
volunteers.
Student Information:
How to get involved with Opportunity Knocks
•
Sign up for an event on the sign-up sheet (you
can do this at the lunch meeting, or by walking into the office and signing up
in the binder)
•
Take a Reminder Slip from the pocket by the
sign-up sheet. Don’t forget to write down your shift time!
•
Take a GOLD SLIP (you take this slip with
you to the event to have the volunteer coordinator sign it)
•
Return the completed GOLD SLIP back to
the office after the event and place it in the Opp Knocks Box.
•
We will keep track of your hours and a report
will be placed in the back of the binder periodically. • EXPECTATIONS: • If you sign up, please show up. Or, if something comes up that prevents you from coming, please let the event coordinator know right away. (Remember, these coordinators are counting on you to be there to help AND you are taking a volunteer spot that someone else may have wanted, so please be responsible for your schedule when signing up.) • When you are working a volunteer shift, the event coordinators expect you to be on time and helping for your whole shift rather than socializing or walking out before the job is complete. Please keep cell phone use to a minimum and conduct yourself in a respectful and responsible manner. Remember, you are representing Stanley Middle School and we want to maintain the great reputation that our Opportunity Knocks students have earned in the community so we will continue to have opportunities in the future.
•
If you have any questions, please call or email:
Mrs. Shelley Smith: 256-7766; shllsmith@comcast.net
Mrs. Pam Severson: pam.severson13@gmai.com
Event Coordinator
Information:
Need help at your event? Here’s how it works:
•
Contact the Stanley Office or the Opportunity
Knocks coordinators directly with the following information about your
request: Name of Organization, Contact person’s name, email and phone
number, Date, Location, Time (shifts), number of volunteers, job
responsibilities, any special instructions about checking in.
•
We will provide our students a sign-up sheet in
the office and at our bi-monthly meeting. These sign-ups may also be posted on a Google Doc that can be emailed to you. (We are trying this new process this year.)
•
Two days before your event, go to the Stanley
Office and ask for the Opp Knocks binder (the reason you need to wait until
a day or two before the event is to give the kids a chance to sign up for the
events. If you copy it too soon, you might miss the last minute volunteers who
have signed up. If you are curious about how the sign-ups are going, feel free
to come to the office anytime to check it out.)
•
Look through the sign-up sheets and find the one
for your organization. They are posted in date order.
•
Make a photo copy and put the original
back in the binder.
•
1-2 days before the event, call all the students
and remind them of their shift. Please leave your number in case they need to
call you back.
•
Only call the alternates IF you need them. The
students know if they are an alternate and they will only come to the event if
they get a call.
•
At the event, please ask the students for their completed Gold Opportunity Knocks slips. Sign the bottom and return
it to the student. (The student turns this form into the Opp Knocks Box in the
school office in order to get credit for their service.)
Events Requiring Carpool
transportation:
•
48 hours prior to the event, call students to
remind them of their shift and that a permission slip is REQUIRED
•
On the day of the event, collect all completed
permission slips
•
If a student doesn’t have one or it
isn’t signed, you can call the parent/guardian to obtain verbal approval
•
If you do not talk with a parent or guardian,
the student may not attend the event.
•
Please feel free to contact either of the
coordinators if you have questions:
Shelley Smith: shllsmith@comcast.net or 256-7766 Pam Severson: pam.severson13@gmail.com
|