BECOME A VOLUNTEER MENTOR-TUTOR

Because students’ safety is the responsibility of each PWC school, please adhere to the following visitor guidelines.

• Report to the school’s front office before you begin your volunteer activity.

• Register in the Visitor Logbook (or on the computer).

• Provide one of the following government-issued photo identification cards that contain your full name, date of birth, and photograph to the school administrator.

  • PWC School ID

  • Driver’s License

  • DMV Photo ID

  • Military ID

  • Passport

  • Permanent Resident Card

• The school admin will issue you a name badge, which is important to readily identify you as an EAI Mentor-Tutor volunteer, and in case of an emergency.

• The front office volunteer log is a record of your hours of service, which allows the school to report the number of cumulative volunteer hours.

• At the end of your shift, report to the front office to return your name badge and retrieve your government issued photo ID card.

• Please Note:  While you are waiting to sign-in or sign-out of the PWCS Visitor Logbook and provide or obtain your PWCS or government-issued ID card, please check-in or check-out of the VPW Kiosk using the laptop at the school office front desk. 

• After obtaining your name badge, please report directly to the school library.  If needed, please use the restrooms designated for Adults only.

• Volunteers will work within guidelines established by the school administration and will work under the direction and supervision of the school principal, assistant principal, other school staff or EAI Director.

• Volunteers who will have unsupervised contact (not under the direct supervision of a school district employee) with students must meet the conditions of PWCS regulations that require volunteers to complete background checks and/or be fingerprinting.

• Volunteers may not supervise a class during a teacher’s or EAI staff’s absence.

• Volunteers may not bring children who are not registered in the school when they tutor, mentor or assist in the classroom, library, etc.

• Volunteers may not contact students or parents outside of the school setting.

• Volunteers may not enter into games with students on the playground.

• Student Discipline:  As with employees, volunteers should not touch students in an aggressive, disciplinary, or sexual nature. It is the teacher’s responsibility to discipline the students. Volunteers may only assist teachers and may not have sole responsibility for supervision of students.

• Drug-Free Workplace:  PWC Public Schools is a Drug-Free Workplace. Volunteers shall not have consumed alcoholic beverages or taken illegal drugs when working at a school.

• Smoking:  Smoking is prohibited on all PWC public school property.

• Dress Code:  Volunteers need to follow school guidelines for student dress code. Dress comfortably but remember that you are a role model for our students.

• Attendance:  Reliability is expected because teachers and the school staff plan for volunteer assistance. If you need to be absent, please email the EAI Director 24 hours prior to your shift at: educateboard@gmail.com.  If you must provide notice of absence less than 24 hours before your shift, please text the EAI Director so that the school may be notified if additional support may be required to support the EAI afterschool program.

•  Blood:  The general public has been made aware of blood-transmitted diseases. If there is blood on a student, immediately contact a staff member.

  • REMEMBER—Follow all safety rules of the school in which you are working.

  • If an accident occurs, immediately contact a staff member.

  • Never move a child involved in an accident. A member of the school staff will initiate proper procedures for accidents.

By School Board policy, you must keep information you learn about students between yourself and your assigned supervisor. A misplaced comment can be devastating to a student, a family and the volunteer program. Do not contact parents regarding the performance or behavior of any students. If you do have questions or concerns, talk with the principal or building administration. Volunteers who breach confidentiality will be dismissed.

According to Virginia Code § 63.2-1509 and Ann. Code §§ 63.2-1505, 63.2-1506:  A mandated reporter, including school personnel or volunteers, having reason to suspect that a child under the age of eighteen (18) years has been abused, abandoned or neglected shall report the matter immediately to the Virginia Department of Social Services Child Protective Services (CPS) or within 24 hours. The Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline Numbers are: (804) 786-8536 or

(800) 552-7096.

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Volunteers must also inform the principal or other school staff that a report will be made; often the principal or school staff can help the volunteer make the necessary contact with the appropriate person(s).

If the local department responds to the report or complaint by conducting an investigation, the local department shall do the following:

• Make immediate investigation

• Determine within 45 days if a report of abuse or neglect is founded or unfounded and transmit a report of the findings to the department and to the person who is the subject of the investigation.

If a volunteer does not conform to the guidelines outlined in this handbook, the administrator may suggest alternative actions or assignments. If this option does not meet with success, the administrator has the option to terminate the volunteer’s placement. Volunteers will not be placed or will be dismissed if they falsify any information on the volunteer registration or application forms.