Volunteering is a GREAT way to get involved, meet other Eckstein families and improve your child’s middle school experience.
Middle school volunteering is a little different from what you may have experience in your child’s elementary school, and middle schoolers will often assert their independence by saying they don’t want their parents to volunteer, but don’t believe them! It is still very important to your child that you are interested in their school and want to be involved. Studies consistently show that students do better academically and socially when they have a parent or guardian who is active and engaged at their school.
“The more parents participate in schooling, in a sustained way, at every level — in advocacy, decision-making and oversight roles, as fund-raisers and boosters, as volunteers and para-professionals, and as home teachers — the better for student achievement.” Williams, D.L. & Chavkin, N.F. (1989). Essential elements of strong parent involvement programs. Educational Leadership, 47, 18-20
“When parents come to school regularly, it reinforces the view in the child’s mind that school and home are connected and that school is an integral part of the whole family’s life.” Cotton, K., Wikelund, K., Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, School Improvement Research Series. In Parent Involvement in Education
“Decades of research show that when parents are involved students have: Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates, better school attendance, increased motivation, better self-esteem, lower rates of suspension, decreased use of drugs and alcohol, fewer instances of violent behavior.” Roberts, 1992. In Online Resources for Parent/Family Involvement. ERIC Digest by Ngeow, Karen Yeok-Hwa, 1999.
There are many ways to be involved at Eckstein. If you’d like to get involved or have ideas for other ways you could contribute your time and energy to the Eckstein community, please contact Eckstein Volunteer Coordinator LauraLeigh Young at llyoung@seattleschools.org.
Current Eckstein volunteer needs:
General Volunteer: General Volunteers are list of “go to” people that we can contact to see if they are available and interested in helping out with unexpected volunteer needs throughout the year.
ASB Magazine Sale: Help for a 2 to 4 hour shift on either Wed 10/14, Wed 10/21, Wed 10/28 or Thurs 10/29 to help process orders and distribute prizes for Eckstein’s magazine sale fundraiser. No experience needed!
Food Drive: Help with the publicity and organization for the school-wide food drive in November.
8th Grade Dinner: Help plan decorate, set up or clean up for this fall social event for 8th grade students and their families. Parents of 6th and 7th graders are encouraged to volunteer so 8th grade families are free to enjoy the event.
8th Grade Promotion and BBQ committee: Help plan, set up , serve or clean up for the 8th grade promotion and family BBQ during a school day in early June. Parents of students in all grades are encouraged to volunteer.
Staff Appreciation Events: Help organize or bring food for staff appreciation days in Oct, Dec, May and on the last day of school in support of Eckstein teachers and staff.
Field Trip Chaperones: Accompany students on field trips at various times throughout the year.
5th Grade School Visits: Accompany the student tour guides and answer parent questions during one or more Eckstein school visit days in January or February.
Library Assistant: Assist as needed in Eckstein’s library. This help can be arranged on a regular schedule or as your time allows.
Eckstein Annual Campaign Committee: Join the committee that organizes the school’s primary academic fundraiser, the Eckstein Annual Campaign.
Grant Writing: Work with Eckstein staff as needed to research and write grant proposals on an as-needed basis.
Gardening: Help to organize or work alongside other Eckstein families on one or more special school gardening projects throughout the year.
Tutoring: Work directly with students who need a little extra help. Can be arranged either during or after school hours.
