As a parent at SJS, there are many ways to get involved. The school could not offer the quality of education, service, and sense of community that it does without parental involvement as volunteers, committee members, and supporters. All jobs are important, so whether you sign up to help a little or a lot - your efforts are needed and appreciated. We realize that families are busy, so SJS has many opportunities to choose from.
How Do I Get Started?
Keeping the best interests of the students in mind, and to provide a safe and secure environment for our youth is a priority of the Diocese of Fort Worth and of St. John the Apostle Catholic School. To help ensure a safe environment, all volunteers in the presence of children must complete a Safe Environment Session, which must be done every 3 years. The first session is conducted in-classroom and generally takes 3 hours to complete. You may attend any session in the Fort Worth Diocese. Please visit their site to find upcoming sessions. Follow-up sessions may be completed online, you will receive an email with the details when the time comes to renew.
How Do I Find Volunteer Opportunities?
Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator. She will let you know of upcoming opportunities and find out what you are interested in doing. The school will also email parents with requests for volunteers throughout the year.
How Do I Log My Hours?
You can log your hours online at any time or fill in the Volunteer Sign-in Sheet when you arrive.
What are ESP hours?
The Educational Support Program (ESP) is a fund established to provide a long-term financial base for capital improvements, to ensure high quality education, and to provide future enrichment for St. John the Apostle Catholic School. Each family is required to pay $300 each year or complete 40 ESP hours at a rate of $7.50 per hour.
Are all volunteer hours considered ESP hours?
No, volunteering only counts toward your ESP hours if the work is something the school would have paid for (painting classrooms, loading software on computers, setting up tables for the Auction, etc). If you are unsure whether your volunteer efforts will count as ESP hours, please contact us.
Even if your volunteer efforts do not count towards your ESP hours, it is still important to log your time. Some funders will look more favorably on an organization if it can demonstrate community involvement.
Are Volunteers Recognized?
Volunteers are recognized for their service to the school each year at the Volunteer Recognition Mass held in May. Additionally, St. John the Apostle Catholic School is an official certifying organization for the President's Volunteer Service Awards:
- Bronze Level: 100-249 hours/year
- Silver Level: 250-499 hours/year
- Gold Level: over 500 hours/year