Volunteers / Interns / Student Teachers

Volunteers, Interns, Student Teachers, and Volunteer Coaches Information

The Board of Education recognizes that volunteers can contribute valuable to our schools. The Board endorses a program encouraging community residents to take an active role in improving schools and to become school volunteers, subject to suitable regulations and safeguards. The board and school district administration shall appropriately recognize volunteer services.

The Board of Education encourages the use of volunteers to (1) increase students' educational attainment, (2) provide enrichment experiences for students, (3) increase the effective utilization of staff time and skills, (4) give more individual attention to students, and (5) promote greater community involvement.

 The Superintendent shall establish procedures for securing and screening resource persons and volunteers. No person who is a "sex offender" as defined by Public Act 98-111, An Act Concerning the Registration of Sexual Offenders shall be used.

 Principals shall maintain a list of all regular volunteers in the district (chaperones on field trips, aides, library and classroom volunteer assistance, grandparents, assistance at athletic events, field days, etc.), which shall be available to the Superintendent of Schools.

 Volunteers, interns, and other such non-employees working within the schools (“volunteers”) must work under the supervision of Windham Public Schools staff. Volunteers are held to the same standards of conduct as school staff and must observe all Board of Education policies, including applicable policies on the confidentiality of student information. Volunteers must submit to state and federal criminal record checks and a record check of the Department of Children and Families (“DCF”) Child Abuse and Neglect Registry. No person who is required to register as a sex offender under state or federal law or whose name is currently listed on the DCF registry may volunteer in the Windham Public Schools.

Legal Reference:         Connecticut General Statutes

10-4g Parent and community involvement in schools; model programs; school-based teams.

10-235 Indemnification of teachers, board members, employees, and certain volunteers and students in damage suits; expenses of litigation.

54-254 Registration of a person who has committed a felony for a sexual purpose.

Volunteers, interns, and other nonemployees working within the schools (“volunteers”) must work under the supervision of Windham Public Schools staff. Volunteers are held to the same standards of conduct as school staff and must observe all Board of Education policies, including applicable policies on the confidentiality of student information. Volunteers must submit to state and federal criminal record checks and a record check of the Department of Children and Families (“DCF”) Child Abuse and Neglect Registry. No person required to register as a sex offender under state or federal law or whose name is currently listed on the DCF registry may volunteer in the Windham Public Schools.

Volunteer I

Explain

Group I: Volunteers that assist school staff members with school activities in the presence of a Windham Public Schools employee. Background checks are not required for Group I volunteers. Group I volunteers are those who assist school staff members with school activities such as those listed below:

  • assisting in a classroom, cafeteria, or library when a staff member is present;

  • accompanying a class on a field trip during the school day with a staff member;

  • helping in the school office during regular school hours;

  • assisting in the cafeteria or library during regular school hours or

  • assisting during extracurricular events, i.e., dances, fairs, open houses, sporting events, etc.

To apply to be a Volunteer I, please apply online through Applitrack.

Volunteer II

Explain

Group II: Volunteers will be classified in Group II when they provide services to students and are not in the direct presence of a Windham Public Schools employee. Group II volunteers are those who engage in activities such as those listed below:

  • accompanying a class on a field trip in which the plans include that students be divided into small groups supervised solely by the volunteer chaperone for any length of time;

  • chaperoning an overnight field trip;

  • working in direct contact with students without the direct presence of a Windham Public Schools employee;

  • working as a student intern or

  • coaching

 

Group II Volunteers must meet with Human Resources to complete a consent form regarding releasing information concerning any prior or pending criminal offenses. Such volunteers must submit to a record check of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Abuse and Neglect Registry. Group II volunteers will incur a cost for fingerprinting and criminal background checks.

 

To apply to be a Volunteer II, please apply online through Applitrack.

Instructions

1.        Complete either the Group I or Group II application, depending on the volunteering you will be doing. The application can be found on our Windham Public Schools website.

ONCE STEP 1 OF THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN FILLED OUT, THE FOLLOWING FORMS WILL BE SENT ELECTRONICALLY.

 2.       Group I & Group II will receive the Volunteer Waiver Information Form.

 3.       Group I & Group II DCF authorization release

 4.       Group II must complete the Student Teaching, Internship, Administrative Placement, and Volunteer Form. 

 5.       Fingerprints Procedures: BEFORE BEING FINGERPRINTED, YOU MUST:

 ·         Complete the Privacy Rights Forms for Local School Districts-Nonemployees and Volunteers

 ·         PRE-Enroll ON THE FOLLOWING STATE WEBSITE: https://ct.flexcheck.us.idemia.io/CCHRSPreEnroll/

 ·         You will be asked to provide a Service Code. Please refer to the chart below.

 ·         Follow the instructions on the website.

Service Code

Type

Responses

Payment Type

Total Fee

4A21-BBB6

SDE-Approved Student Teacher-PAID

State and FBI

Epay

$13.25

DFE6-F3BA

SDE-Approved Student Teacher-UNPAID

State and FBI

Epay

$11.25

914A-41B5

Volunteer or Unpaid Nonemployee

State and FBI

Epay

$86.25

1FF5-4183

Student Teacher or Intern Unpaid

State and FBI

Epay

$86.25

544D-EFA9

Student Teachers or Intern paid

State and FBI

Epay

$88.25