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May 2, 2008
Dear Parents,
You are receiving the new Home & School Association’s Policy on Service Hours. The fifteen (15) required service hours should be no problem for most families (K-5). This Policy, which was approved by our Education Commission, will be evaluated yearly. Please talk to Home & School representatives, Amy Smith or Karri Preston, if you have any ideas for improvement for the future. This Service Policy is similar to the one in effect at St. Henry’s School.
We appreciate the many things you do for your children through various Parish groups. This Policy, however, focuses on involvement directly related to Home & School activities, which in turn directly benefits your children. The Home & School Association assists the school in a variety of ways: helps to finance school buses and other field trip expenses, pays for school assemblies, and classroom supply purchases (such as new text books and teacher request items). The financial support of the Home & School Association helps to keep costs down for everyone.
This policy starts on May 15th of this year. You can start building up your hours for next year by volunteering to sell Scrip after Masses (help is needed!) or by signing up for a shift at our Riverfest Pizza booth in August (information to come home soon).
Thank you for your commitment to St. Bernard’s School.
Jeff Allen
School Required Service Hours Form
2007-2008 School Year
Grades K- 5
As a church, we the catholic people of St. Bernard’s Parish, are called by Baptism to live and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ by worshipping God in prayer and sacrament, teaching and preaching the word of God; loving and serving our neighbor. Gifted and anointed by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to the mission through responsible stewardship of our time, talent and material resources.
-Taken from the Parish Mission Statement
In an often confusing and detached world, parents can give their children a gift that can last a lifetime through their role-modeling of faith, commitment and service.
Tuition covers only 40% of the cost of educating your child at St. Bernard’s School. Because of a rich tradition of parish support and fundraising by parents through our active Home & School Association, we have been able to keep tuition as affordable as possible. To keep in balance this successful formula, we need your help.
In an effort to promote volunteerism we are asking that each family contribute a minimum of 15(fifteen) service hours per year to aid the school/ Home & School in their important educational and fundraising work. With this contract, each family will be given a service sheet on which is listed the time, place and activity for which of these required hours are fulfilled. It should be handed in as soon as the required fifteen hours are met. The deadline for the sheet being handed in will be May 15th of the school year. After that, $10.00 for each unserved hour (maximum of $150.00) will be added to that year’s school tuition. That extra bill will be due in full with the rest of the normal school tuition on or before June 30th of that year. Failure to pay this bill will result in the same consequences that the regular unpaid tuition incurs.
The program will start effective May 15, 2008 and the service hours can be earned through May 14, 2009. The first 30 minutes for the 2008-2009 school year can be earned by attending the informational meeting explaining the program in detail and answering questions. The meeting will be held in May 8, 2008 at 5:30 before the end of the year Wellness Event..
Some of the activities that would fulfill these hours:
*Helping with the numerous Home & School Association activities and/or projects.
-Monthly Home & School meetings
-Riverfest Pizza Sale
-Golf Outing (summer-every other year)
-Book Fair (winter-every other year)
-Mardi Gras Pancake Event (spring)
-St. Patrick’s Day Parade (spring)
-Parish Auction Baskets (spring)
- Classroom Christmas Gifts (winter)
*Working as a tutor, classroom aide, school office assistant, unpaid playground supervisor, Forensics coach and/or judge(Must have Viritus training)
*Chaperoning on a school fieldtrip (Must have Viritus training)
*Sprucing up playground area, weeding and picking up litter
*Aiding faculty members with classroom projects that can be done at home
*Selling Scrip at Mass 4 times= 1 hour of service
*Filling Scrip orders during the week= 1 hour service/week
*Auto Scrip or Weekly Purchases of Scrip= 1 hour service/school year
*Coaching 5th grade as a coach or assistant- 15 service hours/school year (only 2 coaches/team)
*Anyone who chairs a school event will have the 15 service hour obligation met for one school year.
We realize not all items are listed, please contact the person in charge or the principal if you are not sure if your time counts for service hours. Some of these volunteer commitments may be equal to or more than 1 hour it is up to the discretion of the chairperson of the event.
We understand that some parents put in many hours as scout leaders, Religious Education teachers, etc. You are applauded for your efforts and contribution to the life of our parish. These hours, while appreciated, do not count as directly helping the school and the Home & School Association.
Volunteer service has a genuine value. The opportunities are almost boundless. Please understand these hours must be performed by the parents or guardians themselves (not the children). There are no carry-over hours from one year to the next. Also note: the $10.00 for each unserved hour must be paid directly to St. Bernard School and be designated for this purpose alone. The money collected from unserved volunteer hours will be used for the tuition assistance program, projects or other school needs determined annually by the Home & School Association.
This program is being established to promote volunteerism, not raise funds. Getting involved in the school makes the commitment to your child’s education and faith deeper.
Please note that the school will collect responses from families on this new endeavor. We can only grow and serve effectively by sharing thoughts to new programs as they continually develop. Please help us grow by communicating your experiences about the program after the first year is under way and modifications may be made based on communication and feedback. We continually strive to provide a strong foundation for our families.
Family Signature _________________________ Date: _____
School Representative _________________________ Date: _____
St. Bernard’s School
School Service Hour Record Form
2008-2009 School Year (beginning May 15, 2008)
Family Name: __________________________________________________________
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Type of Activity Performed
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Date Performed
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Hours Served
(to nearest ¼ hr.)
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School Representative Signature
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It is your responsibility to get the school representative or event chair to sign off on this form. Amy Russ will track the hours when the school office receives the forms.
I am opting out of my volunteer hours. Please find my payment enclosed.
Signature and Date
Feel free to use the back of this sheet, if necessary. We realize for MANY of you these fifteen hours are a mere “drop in the bucket” of all the service time you give on behalf of our parish and school. Jesus’ promise to those who are generous is especially appropriate for you. “Give, and it shall be given you. Good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over, will they pour into the fold of your garment. For the measure you measure with will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38
Thank you so much. Your help is truly invaluable.
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