Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School relies on the support of the parents and guardians of our students to carry out many of the auxiliary programs that add to the success of our school year. Parents may enlist the help of Grandparents, Aunts, or Uncles to assist them in reaching the required service points.

Remember that volunteering not only benefits your kids, but will enrich the classroom, the whole school, and the entire community by providing students with positive interaction, support, and encouragement.

Research shows that when parents are involved in their children's education, the children are more likely to:

•                earn better grades.
•                score higher on tests.
•                pass their classes.
•                attend school regularly.
•                have better social skills.
•                show improved behavior.
•                be more positive in their attitude toward school.

Parent Participation at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School is known as “Service Points.” This participation program is outlined on the formal Tuition Agreement Form signed at Registration. Each family is expected to complete 30 points per year (or 20 points for a single-parent household). Families​ ​not​ ​meeting the​ ​service​ ​point​ ​requirements​ ​by​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​school​ ​year​ ​will​ ​be​ ​assessed​ ​a​ ​flat fee​ ​of​ ​$1,000.

VOLUNTEER GUIDELINES

Volunteering at Our Lady of Mercy School is an experience and a privilege for both the school and the volunteer. It is designed to promote and maintain a supportive relationship with the students, teachers, and school staff.

Please help keep our program running smoothly by following these guidelines:

1. Sign in at the office when you arrive at school.
2. Wear your volunteer name tag.
3. When you leave, sign out at the office and return your name tag.

The following Code of Ethics is essential for volunteers:

1.         Any authority given to a volunteer is at the discretion of the teacher who is directly responsible for the instruction, safety and discipline of the students.
2.         The classroom teacher will specify what he/she wants you to do.
3.         Volunteers should never divulge confidential information to which they may have access to in the classroom or in the school. It is a state law that the rights of students are to be respected and that personal information about them is not to be revealed.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

We want to thank you in advance for your interest in volunteering at Our Lady of Mercy School. The teachers, students and staff greatly appreciate the time you are willing to share through your volunteer work here. You will add greatly to the educational experience of our students.

Some of the ways you can help during school hours, after school, or during the weekend…

•          act as a classroom helper
•          act as a lunchroom or playground monitor
•          help to plan and chaperone field trips, and other events that take place away from the school
•          help to plan and chaperone in-school events (social dances, Sacramental gatherings, graduation ceremonies)
•          organize or assist with a specific club or interest group
•          assist coaches and gym teachers with sports and fitness programs
•          help the school administrators with clerical work or other administrative assistance
•          attend PTO meetings
•          work as a library assistant or offer to help with story time or reading assistance in the school library
•          sew costumes or build sets for theatrical and musical productions
•          work with the school band or choir
•          help out with visual arts, crafts, and design courses and projects
•          hold a workshop for students in trade or technical programs
•          volunteer to speak in the classroom or at a career day, if you have a field of expertise that you'd like to share

Remember that not everyone is suited for the same type of involvement — you may have to "try on" a number a few activities before you find something that feels right. If you're at a loss for how you can help, just ask your child's teacher or a PTO Board member who will likely be glad to help you think of something.