Volunteering

We’re all in this together.

Parents are partners in their child’s education and in building our inclusive school community. On any given day, parents can be seen volunteering throughout our campus both inside and outside the classrooms. In addition to the Parents Guild, PS#1 parents participate in a wide variety of committees, activities and projects. At PS#1 there are endless opportunities for involvement.

How do PS#1 parents volunteer at school? Let me count the ways – driving on a fieldtrip, dropping in for DEAR time, dishing out Hot Lunch, chairing the Yearbook Committee, checking math facts – The list is long and varied.

This sharing of our time and talents in our children’s school enables us to be active partners in their growth. It allows us to build relationships with those friends, teachers, librarians, and mentors influencing their lives. Classroom volunteering provides a glimpse into the curriculum, classroom dynamics and social world that can be difficult to fully grasp from the outside. This insight into our children’s experience allows us to build on their learning experience and to fully support them in their journey.

PS#1 parents also pour their heart and soul into volunteer activities outside the classroom. We emcee at the Book Festival. We share a song, a poem or a dance. In doing so, we illustrate to our children that in life we are members of a community, working together to achieve a common goal. We each play a role in orchestrating events and creating a rich learning environment.

By volunteering at the school, we have modeled for our children how to shape our community and become an integral part of it. Our children, in turn, gain the confidence to express themselves in this community and make the school their own. And along the way the parents and children alike have made friendships that will last a lifetime!

Cathy Watts
Parents Guild Coordinator