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!

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!

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