Volunteer

It has long been an important priority of the community and a founding tenet of Excel Academy to involve the parent/guardian in the community of the school. Everyone has something to offer that will benefit their child’s education and a school is stronger when everyone contributes. Family involvement in any capacity sends a clear message to the students and the importance of their education and conveys the bigger idea that we are partners to support students.

Board of Directors

Families can be involved at Excel Academy in several areas including serving on the Board of Directors. It is the Board’s responsibility to ensure that the mission and programs of Excel Academy are implemented. The Board also develops policies that serve as the framework around which the school’s mission is implemented. Parents can serve on all standing committees related to the Board of Directors. Part of the purpose of these groups is to research topics/issues and make recommendations to the Board.

• Learn more about Excel’s Board of Directors
• Email the Board: Contact@excel-board.org

Parent Teacher Organization

Families are also involved through their agreement to volunteer 40 hours each year. These volunteer hours may be spent assisting the teacher in the classroom, serving as a guest speaker for a particular unit, chaperoning on field studies, working on a school committee, assisting with lunch and recess, helping in the office, working on the facility or any number of other projects that directly benefit the schools operations. Family involvement in this manner not only assists Excel Academy in keeping costs down, it builds relationships with the families and caregivers of our students, helping us to better serve them as well.

Learn more: 

• Excel Academy Parent Teacher Organization
• Find volunteer opportunities
• Log your hours

Volunteers are welcome in the classroom by prior arrangement with the teacher as long as they do not cause any disruption and adhere to strict guidelines about student privacy. The school is intended to be a space of safety and belonging for all students, staff, and members of the administrative team. Student privacy for academic, social-emotional, behavioral, and physical needs are protected. Should this be violated, a volunteer will no longer be eligible to serve in that capacity. Should we learn that a family member is using time in the building or volunteering to disparage other members of the community or disrupt the learning and work environment, we that person will no longer be eligible to volunteer at the school or during school-sponsored events.

We ask that at the beginning of the year, all volunteers wait until after the first month of school to come into the building to support the classrooms. We ask this to provide time for teachers to set classroom expectations and build initial community relationships with students and in support of peer-peer connections. Volunteers who serve in the school should expect to obtain a background check. Further, we use the Raptor visitor management and background check system. We ask that siblings of Excel students not accompany families to volunteer without prior approval from the Executive Director.

• Please note: Excel Academy is a closed campus. State and federal laws mandate that all volunteers check in at the school office, present a valid driver’s license at the office, get checked in at the office, and receive a name badge before proceeding into the school. They must also check out with the office as they leave.

The Outreach Committee has been a caring, supportive part of our Excel Academy community for many years. Serving on the committee is truly an opportunity to celebrate and offer assistance right in our own backyard. The generous Outreach families have come together to provide gifts for teachers and staff celebrating momentous life occasions such as a wedding or birth of a child. They have also cooked countless dinners for those experiencing life altering events such as a new baby, death in the family or serious illness. Committee members stood in the gap when Excel families struggled to put food on the table or to provide a holiday gift for their children. Our focus on supporting students so that they can be successful in the school environment has allowed us to make snacks available to those that might otherwise not have it or provide rides home from school.

We encourage you to consider volunteering to be a part of the Outreach Committee. It is an opportunity to earn volunteer hours by donating your time or making a financial contribution while taking a load off a family in need. 

The Outreach Committee truly demonstrates what makes our school great!

• Sign up to be added to the Outreach Committee list.

**Please do not hesitate to reach out if your family or someone you know at Excel Academy might benefit from our care. 

**We are discreet in our communication and respect the confidentiality of the families we support. 

Email Tara Schirner at exceloutreachcommittee@gmail.com