Bangor School Department

2023-2024 Volunteer Handbook

This handbook was developed by and is the property of the Bangor School Department
No part of this material may be used or reproduced without the express written permission of the Superintendent of Schools

July 2023
 BANGOR SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
73 Harlow Street – Bangor, Maine 04401
www.bangorschools.net

James R. Tager 207-262-9125

Superintendent of Schools Fax: 207-262-9126

July 2023

Welcome, Bangor School Department Volunteers!

We are thankful that you have chosen to volunteer your services to our students. The Bangor School
Committee encourages parents/guardians and other members of the community to share their time,
knowledge, and abilities with our students. Volunteers in our schools enrich the educational program
and strengthen our schools’ relationships with the greater-Bangor community. Your contribution is
important to help meet the individual needs of each child and achieve our mission of academic
excellence for all.

The education of today’s youth takes a whole community. Caring members of our community bring new
energy, diverse perspectives, and needed resources into our schools. All over the country, schools are
drawing support from their communities through the efforts of volunteers who work in our schools,
become career mentors, contribute goods and supplies, and more.

This handbook is designed to provide you with practical information that will assist you in your
volunteer placement. It is our goal to ensure that the time you spend with our students is worthwhile. If
you have any questions that are not addressed in this handbook, please speak with the classroom teacher
or the school principal.

Once again, thank you for helping to make a difference in the lives of students in Bangor. The gift of
your time is sincerely appreciated.

Sincerely,

James Tager
Superintendent of Schools

In consideration of our staff and students, please limit the use of fragrance-based products while volunteering.
We sincerely thank you for your cooperation.

-2-
 Bangor School Department
Volunteer Goals
The goal of the Bangor School Department Volunteer Program is to encourage and enable citizens
within our communities to participate in fostering academic excellence for all students. Our primary
responsibility is to ensure that all volunteers are aware of the confidentiality guidelines enforced in
schools and of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which regulates confidentiality
of student records. Our goals will be accomplished by training, supporting, and providing
encouragement to volunteers to be effective participants within our schools. We recognize the immense
value that volunteers bring to our learning environment.

Definition of a Volunteer
A volunteer is a person who provides services, without compensation or benefits of any kind or amount,
on an occasional or regular basis in the schools or in school activities.

Opportunities to Volunteer
Volunteer skills, interest, and time commitments vary. We hope that you will be able to find a volunteer
opportunity that suits your interests and availability. (A complete list of volunteer opportunities is
provided on the back of this packet.)

Classroom - Some teachers may like to have volunteers help in their classrooms or on field trips.
Examples would be working with students in the classroom or in small groups or preparing instructional
materials as needed.

School Wide - For those interested in helping on a school-wide level, the school library and the
Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) offer various opportunities to contribute. In most schools, the PTO
hosts events that require volunteers to help with coordination, set up, supervision, and communication.

Special School Projects - Periodically throughout the year, the school may require volunteer help
with such projects as school newsletters, decorating, and specific theme-related activities.

Sound good to you?

Here’s all you need to do…

-3-
 Getting Started
Before beginning your first volunteer tasks, all volunteers must complete the following process:

1. Complete and return the attached Volunteer Application and Volunteer Agreement
Form provided on pages 6-8.

2. Attend an orientation session on the responsibilities and expectations of volunteers.

Become familiar with school practices for signing in/out, identification, emergency
drills, classroom policies, and rules. Sign the Orientation Attendance Form and the
Volunteer Acknowledgement of Student Privacy Rights Form provided at the
orientation.

What You Should Know About Our Volunteer Program

The Bangor School Department (BSD) has a strong tradition of parental involvement. Because
volunteers are such an integral part of our schools, it is important to maintain high standards of security
and professional behavior. All volunteers working with or overseeing children must do so in the
presence of a Bangor School Department staff member. Our schools are exciting and busy places, so it is
extremely important for all volunteers to remember the following:

• Respect confidentiality. Students and staff have a right to privacy.

• Honor your commitments and be on time. Choose what is manageable and
interesting to you.
• Be professional, prepared, responsible, and safe at all times.
• Communicate appropriately. Do not distract teachers while they are teaching.
Use an appropriate tone of voice for the age of students. Be positive in
discussions with students.
• Strive to give each child the best effort you can.
• Respect each child as an individual.

Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a great concern while you are in the school. As a volunteer, you may become privy to
information about students’ personal or educational information, either formally or informally. Bangor
School Department policy strictly forbids the unauthorized discussion and/or disclosure of any such
information.

To make sure that students, staff, and families feel comfortable in our schools, it is essential that we
respect each other’s privacy. Volunteers must be especially careful to maintain confidentiality.
Breaching confidentiality can be hurtful to children, their families, and our staff. It can also harm the
good reputation that our BSD volunteer parents have earned over the years.

All volunteers must sign the BSD Volunteer Acknowledgement of Student Privacy Rights form during
the orientation session.

-4-
(Confidentiality – continued…)

Here are some sample issues that may arise:

When you see or hear something…

As a volunteer, you might see or hear things from staff or students that they would not want repeated
outside the school. No matter how innocent, cute, funny, or charming a classroom event may be, it is not
appropriate to repeat stories about students under any circumstances.

When parents ask you questions…

Many parents are tempted to ask you about how their children behave in school. You are not at liberty to
tell. Politely let them know that they should speak with the classroom teacher.

When students tell you about their personal lives…

As students become comfortable working with you, they might decide to share something personal. You
need to keep this information private, even if you know the child and their family outside of school.

When you have a concern…

If you hear or observe something that troubles you, tell the classroom teacher. The teacher is usually in
the best position to deal with the issue appropriately. If you feel your concern cannot be addressed
appropriately by the classroom teacher, discuss it with the school principal.

A Volunteer is expected to:

• Never share personal information about a student or student’s family with
other people.
• Never share specific information with a parent about their child based on the
volunteer’s classroom experience, whether positive or negative.
• Never make comments harmful to the reputation of any pupil, professional, or
other volunteer.
• Never share opinions about the behavior and/or academic program of
students.

Discipline
Allow teachers to discipline children. If there are incidents of misbehavior, it is the teacher’s job to deal
with them. As a volunteer, it is helpful to be specific about rules and expectations with students. Keep
limits and boundaries in place. Consistently and calmly work with the students, taking a neutral stance,
restating rules and expectations, and offering reasonable choices.

If You Need Help…

If you have questions, concerns, or just want to talk about your volunteer assignment, please talk with
the classroom teacher or staff member with whom you are working, or the principal

-5-
 BANGOR SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
73 Harlow Street – Bangor, Maine 04401
www.bangorschools.net

James R. Tager 207-262-9125

Superintendent of Schools Fax: 207-262-9126

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION
You can make a difference: Be a school volunteer!

(Please PRINT clearly.)

First Name: Middle: Last Name:

Maiden Name: Previous Name(s):

Date of Birth: / / Driver’s License # State I.D.#

Home Address:
Mailing Address:
Home Phone: Cell Phone: Email:

Area(s) of interest for volunteering:

Name(s) of Child/Children School Grade

List any education/training/experiences you have had that would help us in meeting the needs of our students:

In which area(s) would you prefer to serve?

School: Volunteer Opportunities:

School: Volunteer Opportunities:

School: Volunteer Opportunities:

Days Available: Times Available:

Person to be notified in case of emergency: Phone:

-6-
REFERENCES:
Please list three persons who can comment on your character and abilities that we may contact.
Name Address Phone Relationship

BACKGROUND:
The Bangor School Department asks the following information of all individuals who volunteer to work with our
children to help ensure the safety of our students.
1. Have you ever been charged with or investigated for sexual abuse or harassment of
another person? Yes___ No___
2. Have you ever been convicted of a crime (other than a minor traffic offense)? Yes___ No___
3. Have you ever entered a plea of guilty or “no contest” (nolo contendere) to any
crime (other than a minor traffic offense)? Yes___No___
4. Has any court ever deferred, filed or dismissed proceedings without a finding of
guilty and required that you pay a fine, penalty or court costs and/or imposed a
requirement as to your behavior or conduct for a period of time in connection with
any crime (other than a minor traffic offense)? Yes___No___

If you answered YES to any of the previous questions, provide full details below, including information with respect to court
actions, the date, offense in question, and the address of the court involved (attach additional page(s) if necessary).

If you have lived outside of Maine, please identify the states and dates:

Refusal to provide authorization for reference and/or criminal records checks and/or providing false or misleading
information on this application shall constitute sufficient reason to deny approval to serve as a volunteer or
termination as a volunteer in the Bangor School Department.
I understand that the Bangor School Department performs reference and criminal records checks on all volunteers
and I authorize persons and entities contacted by the Bangor School Department in connection with this
application to provide information about me. I expressly waive in connection with any request for or provision of
such information, any claims, including without limitation, defamation, emotional distress, invasion of privacy, or
interference with contractual relations that I might otherwise have against the school department, its agents and
officials or against any provider of such information. I further understand that if I am approved as a volunteer,
that I will be required to sign a Volunteer Agreement and attend a Volunteer Orientation.

Date:
Applicant Signature

Printed Name

OFFICE USE ONLY:

_____ Application reviewed for completeness
_____ References checked (attach documentation)
_____ Criminal record checked (attach documentation)

Application approved:
Application denied:
Administrator or Authorized Official Date:

-7-
 BANGOR SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
73 Harlow Street – Bangor, Maine 04401
www.bangorschools.net

James R. Tager 207-262-9125

Superintendent of Schools Fax: 207-262-9126

VOLUNTEER AGREEMENT FORM

I have read the Bangor School Department Volunteer Handbook, have attended a volunteer-
orientation session, and understand my responsibilities as a school volunteer.

I understand that as a volunteer in the Bangor School Department I must keep ALL student and
staff information confidential. I agree not to access, review, disclose, or use confidential student
or staff information without specific authorization from a school administrator. I also understand
that even when I am no longer a volunteer in the schools, any confidential information I have
learned must continue to be kept confidential. I understand that any breach of confidentiality
requirements will result in my immediate termination as a volunteer and may result in legal
action against me.

I understand that I must comply with all Bangor School Department policies and school rules
applicable to school staff as well as all directions from school administrators and staff while
serving as a volunteer. I further understand that my authorization to serve as a volunteer may be
terminated at the discretion of the superintendent and/or school principal at any time if they
determine that such action is in the best interest of the Bangor School Department.

Date Signature of Volunteer

Printed Name

In consideration of our staff and students, please limit the use of fragrance-based products while volunteering.
We sincerely thank you for your cooperation.

-8-