Family Hours

ISM benefits from a very involved volunteer community that includes parents, guardians, and extended family, as well as family friends and neighbors. We ask families to contribute three hours of service per month for the first student enrolled and one additional hour for each additional student; all hours are completely voluntary and we do not require mandatory hours for admission or continued enrollment. 

 

Our Assistant Office Manager serves as our volunteer liaison. She manages the overall process including verifying fingerprinting information and weekly COVID test. You can find volunteer opportunities by speaking with her or your child's teachers, and by responding to ParentSquare postings and emails.  For any questions regarding volunteering at ISM you can contact the Assistant Office Manager via email or in person in the school office. 

 

HelpCounter, a hosted software solution, allows volunteers to log their hours either by signing in and out on a front-office computer or by manually entering hours after completion. The front-office kiosk also prints volunteer/visitor badges that ensure student safety, as all authorized campus visitors are badged, and visitor safety, as we can use the “logged in” list to know who to account for during emergencies and drills.

What steps do I take to volunteer?

First, you need to become eligible to volunteer if you want to contribute hours where you will come into contact with students (e.g. chaperoning fieldtrips or helping in the classroom). For all such volunteers, we require background checks, a completed  Adult Tuberculosis (TB) Risk Assessment Questionnaire, a completed Volunteer Emergency Information Form, and an electronically signed copy of this Confidentiality Agreement Form. Additionally, each time you volunteer on campus you will be required to submit proof of a negative COVID test that is no more than four days old. If you can not complete any of the above requirements don't worry! You can contribute your talent and time to the school by helping teachers from home, joining the Community Connection, or being a part of any other ISM parent groups. Since you will NOT be working directly with students we ask that you complete all sections above that you can but no one section is required.

Requirements for Volunteer Fieldtrip Drivers

Volunteer Driver Application & Pledge Form
As a fieldtrip driver, you will provide a highly valued service to ISM students. The availability of volunteer drivers allows ISM to plan exciting off-campus learning opportunities that greatly enrich the student experience. However, that enrichment cannot come at the cost of student safety. Ensuring the safety of students, and all participants, on every trip is paramount. Toward that end, we require that all volunteer drivers submit an online application and pledge form.

Please understand that this form must be completed, submitted, and approved by the administration in order for you to participate as a driver.

 

Online Defensive Driving Course
At the request of our insurance provider, we require that you complete a short defensive online driving course every three years on the SafeSchools website. You can start the process with online course self-registration.

To complete the self-registration, please create a user name of your first initial of your first name and first four letters of your last name and a password of your choice.  In addition, at the SELECT YOUR BUILDING prompt, please click to choose INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF MONTEREY as the relevant building.

All parent volunteers have been assigned the mandatory Defensive Driving (CA Full Course) to complete and will be "greeted" with this course upon entering the site.  Then, once you have completed all sections of the course, it will record your completion for verification purposes. You can do this anytime, anywhere, using any computer and web browser. The entire process will take you 20-25 minutes to complete.

 

Documents in Hand
State law requires that you have your license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance with you whenever you drive, we have the teacher in charge of each trip check to ensure that you have these documents in your possession at the time of each fieldtrip. Because the status of your license, registration, and insurance might change at any time, we do not keep these required documents on file.

 

Giving snapshot

 

During the 2019-2020 school year, 463 ISM individuals volunteered their time and talent in multiple roles throughout the academic year, logging 15,421 volunteer hours total.

Volunteer roles included the following categories with 50 or more hours, plus many more below 50:

• Distance Learning Support ~ 6,192

• Classroom Support ~ 4,040

• Fieldtrip Chaperone ~ 967

• Saturday Work Day ~ 363

• Library ~ 331

• Family Connection Member ~ 158

• Surveys, focus groups, coffees, and townhalls ~ 153

• Room Parent ~ 140

• ISM Board of Trustees ~ 112

• SEM (Schoolwide Enrichment Model) ~ 108

• Fundraising Projects (e.g. boxtops, Big Sur aid station) ~ 125

• Special Events (e.g. Grandparents & Great Friends Day, Halloween) ~ 120

• ISM Foundation ~ 90

• Front office, lunchroom, and recess coverage ~ 79

• Science Fair, History Day, Tech Challenge, Exhibition, Community Project ~ 67

• Yearbook ~ 63

• Book Fair ~ 57