Volunteer Guidelines
Shoreline School District strives to provide a safe, healthy, and supportive environment for students, staff, and volunteers. Generous volunteers enrich our schools with their gifts of time and service as field trip chaperones, lunch and recess supervisors, classroom or library helpers, tutors, club and athletic supporters, and more.
Volunteering 101
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Sign in and sign out. Wear a school- or department-issued volunteer badge or sticker at all times
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Know the school. Familiarize yourself with the school’s layout, rules for students, communication methods, and emergency procedures. Tip: each room has an emergency flipchart or poster mounted on the wall with procedures for various emergency situations.
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Use adult/staff restrooms only. Do not accompany a student into the restroom.
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No photos or contact information. To protect student privacy and yours, do not ask to take a student’s picture, ask for their phone number, or give them your contact information. Do not ask to connect on social media or by other digital means.
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Keep it confidential. All that you learn from staff about your student or from interacting with your student is confidential. Please remember this when discussing your volunteer work outside of the school.
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Report concerns. If a student shares any information with you that causes you concern for their safety or health (such as suspected abuse or neglect), or if you observe a concerning behavior or interaction between anyone on campus or at an event, tell the teacher or principal. They will follow up on the information appropriately. Please keep the content of the information and action you took strictly confidential.
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Respect diversity. Shoreline School District students come from many different families, cultures, and communities. We celebrate diversity and nurture cultural and ethnic pride in our students.
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Please listen and learn about the backgrounds and values of students you interact with.
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Do not impose your personal values and beliefs onto the students.
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Do not engage in commercial, political, or religious solicitation of students or staff.
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Avoid language that may be perceived as discriminatory, sexist, racist, or offensive.
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When in doubt, err on the side of caution in your choice of words.
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Act as a role model. Engage with students in a respectful and age-appropriate manner and maintain the highest professional, moral, and ethical standards in your interaction with students.
Safe Interaction with Students
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Avoid being alone with students. There must be a school or district employee in the area where you are working with students.
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Handshakes, high fives, and fist bumps are considered appropriate friendly touches.
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If a student wants to hug you, show them how to “hug from the side” — bending down so that your shoulders are level with the student’s. Let the student initiate this kind of behavior.
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Never touch a child in anger. If a student is unruly or disrespectful, return them to the classroom and let the teacher take over from there.
The bottom line is to use your best judgment at all times. Treat the students as you wish to be treated: with dignity, care, and respect.
School Board Policy 5111, Policy 5430, Procedure 5430P
Apply to Volunteer
Because the safety of students is so important, Shoreline School District has a volunteer screening process. We screen all volunteer applicants who will work directly with children through the WA State Patrol, including parents. A volunteer application must be submitted each school year. After submitting your application, allow 2-3 weeks for processing. To verify your status after the processing period has elapsed, please check in with the office manager at the school(s) you've listed in the application.