May 29th, 2009 •
Related •
Filed Under
Thank goodness for dedicated parent volunteers! Our kids and their schools need them now more than ever. To mark the end of the school year, here is something I wrote for parents who give their time and talents to their children’s schools.
By Ruth McKinnie Braun
You know you’re a diehard parent volunteer when you know all your school’s teachers by name.
You really know you’re one when they all know your name and for all the right reasons.
You know you’re a diehard parent volunteer when you know where all the classrooms on campus are located.
You really know you’re one when you know where all the storage closets are located and what’s inside them.
You know you’re a diehard parent volunteer when you know all the custodians by name.
You really know you’re one when the custodians know your name and are happy to help you because they know you appreciate that they’re the glue that holds your school together.
You know you’re a diehard parent volunteer when you know you can ask the office staff for a favor.
You really know you’re one when the office ladies know they can ask you to help unjam the copier or answer the phones in a pinch.
You know you’re a diehard parent volunteer when you get calls from parents with questions about a fundraiser or upcoming event. They call because they know you’ll have answers.
You really know you’re one when you have a dedicated phone line on your answering machine for school business because your husband is tired of taking messages.
You know you’re a diehard parent volunteer when you know the names of the other diehard volunteers who can be counted on to step up.
You really know you’re one when you have their numbers programmed into your cellphone.
You know you’re a diehard parent volunteer when you get all the all-hands-on deck group e-mails that go to reliable volunteers. (And you write some of them yourself.)
You really know you’re one when you go through withdrawals when summer starts and the e-mails stop and you brighten up when they start again as the new school year nears.
You know you’re a diehard parent volunteer when you’ve held almost every volunteer job at your elementary school.
You really know you’re one when you don’t let up after your kids enter middle and high school.
Finally, you know you’re a diehard parent volunteer when you help for the good of your children.
You really know you’re one when help for the good of ALL the children at your school.
Here’s a hard copy of “You know you’re a diehard parent volunteer when…”
You know you’re a diehard parent volunteer when…
Here’s a hard copy of “You know you’re a diehard PTA volunteer when…”
You know you’re a diehard PTA volunteer when…
Comment by Beverly Trainer on 29 May 2009:
Nice article! I’m going to pass this on to my supermom (of kids 2, 4 & 7) goddaughter. ;o )
Comment by PTA_Mom on 30 May 2009:
Terrific! Only one I’m not sure of is the summertime “withdrawls”. Think I’ll manage just fine.
Comment by Su Craig on 2 June 2009:
Great statements, they are so true.