Dear Parents,
There are so many ways to volunteer at Hacienda, and each classroom needs many volunteers to fill the wide variety of Hacienda roles and opportunities! Please click on any link that sounds exciting to you to learn more and sign up! Many need more than one parent, and if a larger group is working together than there are spots for, please email communications@hips.rocks to open more spaces (with teacher approval). Believe it or not, these are not even all the committees, but they will get you started. If you don't have the availability to be in the classroom for a regularly occurring role, never fear! Single-day volunteer spots will be sent out regularly. Look for Book Fair, Fall Festival, Family Fun Dance, International Night, and the list goes on…. There will ALWAYS be another opportunity to give a few hours here or there if that fits your calendar and work schedule the best.
BOOK FAIR: One of our students’ favorite events is the Scholastic Book Fair, and we’re looking for a volunteer to lead our team! Without a lead, HIPS won’t be able to host this much-loved event. As the Book Fair Lead, you’ll coordinate the fair, rally volunteers, and help bring the joy of reading to our students while promoting literacy throughout our school. It’s a fun and rewarding role, and the kids’ excitement when they walk into the Book Fair makes it all worthwhile. If you’re interested in helping continue this tradition, contact us today! See more info here: Book Fair Guide (This is also a role that can be shared with someone else.)
PESTS… but the GOOD kind! Sign up to experience the joy of being someone's "secret pal," but EVERY month of the school year! We have about HALF of the outstanding Teachers and Staff linked up with a PEST, which means there are many still available who support, teach, and inspire our Hawk families! Feel free to ask Elizabeth Thoma or Communications if you have any questions.
ART VISTAS: Hacienda’s art program is back and looking for volunteers! Teach children art history and help them create their own beautiful works of art! Be a classroom Docent, helper, or assist with prepping materials behind the scenes. All art prints, project materials, and step-by-step lesson plans are set up for you. Training by Art Vistas co-chairs is offered before each lesson. Orientation will be held in the cafeteria after morning drop off on Thursday, August 28th!
STAFF APPRECIATION/HOSPITALITY & AT-HOME HELPERS: Love lending a hand, baking, or crafting? Join our “Hospitality Helpers” crew! You might help set up or clean up events, bake or prep snacks, or tackle at-home projects like printing, cutting, or crafting—whenever it fits your schedule. Sign up to be notified if we need help from home or something yummy baked. We have planned monthly treats for our Teachers and Staff throughout the year. For September, we are looking for someone to coordinate the event! You would be in charge of choosing a date, picking the treat or drink, setting up a signup sheet for volunteers to bring food or drinks, and coordinating setup on the day of.
Yearbook Team: Do you love taking photos or doing graphic design? The Yearbook Committee is for you! Create lasting memories for all Hawks by designing pages for your classroom or special HIPS events. Tutorials and working days are provided throughout the year. This is a great at home volunteer job done on your own time. GRAB YOUR SPOT TODAY!
SPROUTS: Interested in joining the Sprouts team? Sprouts is a HIPS-funded, parent-led, no-experience-needed gardening enrichment for Hacienda students. Six lessons a year: 1) Soil Health and Nutrition, 2) Seeds and Seedlings, 3) Plant Growth & Plant Parts, 4) Nutrition Through Garden Edibles, 5) Pollination, 6) Seed Production and Collection. Do you already know what you want to do? Join us on 8/22 for Orientation. Sign up on Konstella here as a Docent or Helper for your child(ren)'s classroom(s).
PROJECT CORNERSTONE: Project Cornerstone is a partnership with the YMCA. The goal is to help every student feel valued, respected, and supported. When kids feel safe and confident, they thrive academically and socially. We need new and returning volunteers in the classroom once a month to lead a short and fun discussion or activity. Topics include kindness, empathy, respect, inclusion, and standing up for yourself and others. No experience needed. You’ll get everything you need- online training, books, discussion points, and activity materials. It’s easy, meaningful, and really fun! Become a positive, familiar adult presence for the kids, help build a positive culture, and join Project Cornerstone! Click here for more info or here to sign up for your children's classroom! Orientation is on 8/25 at 9am in the cafeteria.
TRAFFIC CIRCLE: We are looking for volunteers to sign up and help our younger students safely enter and exit the car. This also leads us to TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT & SUPPORT: The front office receives many emails and phone calls throughout the school year concerning vehicles around campus needing to follow basic traffic laws and parking expectations. Now, we can report these concerns and alert San Jose traffic enforcement. Use the link to report your problems. As a reminder, drop-off zone etiquette should look like this!
Additionally, you can see ALL the many committee opportunities by clicking “committees” on the left-hand side of your screen. Click the orange button on the right to read a more detailed description of the needs and current openings to get involved.
Although many things are much easier on the web version, we realize many still use the app instead (designed as a complementary feature to check messages and sign up for events mainly). You are welcome to use either, but the screen will look different. To browse committees on your phone via the app, please refer to these screenshots in the attached PDF!