Volunteer

We ♥ Our Volunteers!

In our small school in this very small community there are fewer people to do all the tasks. We have many fun events and programs to enrich our student’s experience and it takes a village to pull it off.

We ask every family to volunteer their time and we will work hard to find tasks that match your schedule and interest! We welcome and seek out volunteers from our community.

Black Butte School has a history of rich volunteerism, which has created a vibrant educational experience with strong connections in our community. We can’t thank our volunteers enough for being an integral part of the Back Butte School education program! We honor our dedicated volunteers with a Volunteer of the Year award each Spring. In 2023 our Volunteer of the Year was Rachel Gonzalez (top left), and in 2024 the honor went to McKenzie Ruckman (bottom left).

Why Volunteer?

Our school is a vital part of this community. You add to the vitality when you share your time and skills, building connections and making a positive difference in the lives of our students!

⇒ When you volunteer, you…

Enable enrichment activities for the student’s educational experience
Put your skills toward a positive change
Provide individual attention and support a student’s learning
Build relationships with students, staff, and other community members.
Feel better! (Studies have found a correlation between volunteering and positive physical and mental health).

Volunteer Responsibilities

To be a volunteer it is important to:

Be prompt and dependable in attendance.
Be flexible. Change is the only constant in a school setting.
Practice professional ethics and confidentiality. Confidentiality means to avoid discussing personal
issues or student information with anyone other than school staff.
Know and observe all regulations of the school.
Remember that you are acting as a role model for the children.
Support and supplement the work of the staff. The volunteer’s role is assistance, not replacement.
Communicate regularly with staff.
Honest in your approach and attitude, building trust and respect with students, staff, and other community members.
Patient in your work with others. Give the program time to get established and for you to find your niche.
Consistent in treating others with respect and courtesy and expect the same in return.
Supportive of school staff as they do their jobs. Remember that the volunteer is here to help and support the work of our school, not evaluate and criticize the staff.

If working directly with students:

Accept each student in terms of their background, values, personality, and abilities.
Be willing to help, ask for directions, follow instructions, complete training, participate in meetings, and try a variety of approaches and techniques with the students.
Let them know that making mistakes is an important part of learning (growth mindset).
Praise them honestly, as this will build the student’s self-confidence. Remember, attentiveness and effort can be as important as performance. Be encouraging. Accentuate the positive and minimize the negative.
Notify staff of any student concerns in a timely manner.