Purpose

Caregiver volunteers play an important role in every school setting. In addition to being the best way to promote a school, they bring talent, time, and often, financial support. As schools look to do more with less, caregiver volunteers fill gaps with everything from office administrative support to large scale events and fundraisers. Every caregiver has something to offer our school.

The Parent Volunteer Committee (PVC) at Fort Collins Montessori School (FCMS) is a standing sub committee of the school board and is comprised of caregiver volunteers. Primary PVC functions include:

• Coordinating parent volunteers*
• Raising funds to support initiatives related to staff appreciation and community building
• Supporting strategic initiatives set by the board and school staff

The PVC does not and should not directly represent FCMS in its communications or decision-making. FCMS is not liable for PVC-organized activities.

Mission

To express appreciation and support for staff and build an engaged, inspired family community.

Membership & Roles

PVC is open to all FCMS caregivers. There are no dues and people may join at any time during the year. Caregivers can participate in PVC by regularly attending meetings or volunteering for one time opportunities.

The ideal framework for PVC includes the following:

Officers

• Chair: Preside at monthly and one off meetings; Serve as the primary contact to staff and represent PVC at meetings of other groups, if needed; Retain all official records of the PVC; Prepare for and lead meetings; Review the treasurer’s report; Have regular check-in meetings with staff/board; Thank volunteers for their efforts; Finalize the activities calendar with the board; Set the schedule of monthly meetings for the year; Determine which officer and committee chair positions might need to be filled next year, and reach out for volunteers; Manage fundraising all up; Prepare event plans for activities and work with staff/board on approvals.
• Secretary: Record and distribute meeting minutes; Maintain a complete file of all approved minutes, agendas, and materials distributed at any official meeting; Maintain parent volunteer database; assist room parents with birthday and holiday gifting.
• Treasurer: Attend monthly meetings; Report all financial transactions at monthly meetings via a Treasurer reports; Reconcile the accounts; Write checks as needed; Make deposits in a timely fashion, as needed; Keep financial transaction forms available for all volunteers; Work on developing the annual budget; Work on the annual report; Responsible for sending tax letters to in-kind and financial donors.
• Social Coordinator: Schedule all community building events including picnics; Send thank you notes to donors; Manage the Ambassador program; Coordinate meals for staff work days.

Roles

Fundraising: Responsible for managing current PVC fundraising programs.

Room Parents: One parent assigned to each classroom; Welcome new families to the school and notify secretary to update records; Assist teachers with scheduling room observations and conferences; Coordinate and deliver birthday and holiday gifts.

General Members: Applies to all FCMS parents and caregivers; Participate in meetings; Serve on committees; Volunteer a la carte; Vote during meetings; Nominate new officers.

Elections, Vacancies, Removal

Elections will be held at the second to last meeting of the school year. Nominations will be collected at the third to last meeting. At that meeting, nominations may also be made from the floor. Voting shall be by voice vote if a slate is presented. If more than one person is running for an office, a vote via email to all parents will be taken. All FCMS caregivers are eligible for office.

Officers are elected for one year and may serve no more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office.

If there is a vacancy in any office members will fill the vacancy through an election at the next regular meeting.

Officers can be removed from office with or without cause by a two-thirds vote of those present (assuming a quorum) at a regular meeting where previous notice has been given.

Activities, Duties and Responsibilities

Staff Appreciation

• Recruit caregiver volunteers to serve as Room Parents
• Raise funds for and distribute birthday and holiday gifts to all staff members
• Manage Teacher Fund that provides financial support to staff members in case of emergency, for professional development, and other needs as determined by the committee
• Provide meals for two teacher work days annually

Community Building

The following are examples of what PVC might do in a school year:

• Beginning of Year Picnic
• End of Year Picnic
• Town Hall Support
• Host Parent Nights Out

Fundraising

PVC will raise funds needed to support its mission and funding goals will be set annually. Any funds raised above the annual goals will first be used to establish a reserve and second used to support existing programs with significant emphasis placed on the Teacher Fund. All financial goals will be reviewed with, and approved by, the board annually. For fundraising activities spearheaded by the PVC, visit the Fundraising page.

Parent Volunteer Coordination*

PVC will attempt to fill out of scope parent volunteer requests. If PVC agrees to help find a volunteer it does not mean PVC will take on the task. This is to protect PVC members from burnout and to allow us to stay focused on our mission. An out of scope request is one that is not in this charter or listed on the PVC calendar, available upon request.

For example, if a staff member needs a volunteer to complete the school yearbook, PVC will help communicate the need but will not assume responsibility for the task.

Cross-Committee Collaboration

PVC is committed to working across all board sub committees. Specific areas of concentration include fundraising and school wide communications so as not to overwhelm the community.

Fiscal Responsibility & Financial Controls

• PVC maintains a bank account at First National Bank in the name of the FCMS – Parent Volunteer Committee. The account is registered under the FCMS Employer Identification Number, however, all budget management and accounting are performed by PVC.
• PVC adheres to the following guidelines: Require two signatures on checks over $200.
• Request and receive approval from at least three officers before spending funds.
• Maintain a paper trail for reimbursements, check/debit card requests, cash receipts.
• Follow Robert’s Rules of Order and produce a monthly report showing the balance at the beginning of the month, plus receipts (cash in), and less disbursements (checks out), with the ending balance at the bottom.
• Reconcile monthly.
• Conduct an annual audit.

Standard Committee Procedures

Reporting

PVC provides a monthly status report to the assigned board liaison. The board liaison will use the monthly reports to provide a quarterly report to the full board. The monthly status report shall be delivered to the liaison five business days prior to the board meeting.

Communication

PVC adheres to school communication policies and will utilize school channels as approved.

FCMS Policies

PVC adheres to all school policies as outlined in the Family Handbook found on the FCMS Policies page.

Join the Parent Volunteer Committee

Please complete the following form if you are interested in joining PVC.