Volunteering

Positive Parent Involvement

St. Christopher School sees parents as important partners in the education and development of children. The school and its parents share a common mission – to foster each child’s academic success, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth. Working together, the school and its parents can create an exceptional educational, social and moral experience for every child. St. Chris offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, including before school activities, during school events and programs, and after school and at-home options. Please take a moment to read the descriptions below!

 

How to Get Started 

To make signing up for volunteering easy for our parents and coordinators, we have created online volunteer registration sheets for all of our programs through Sign-Up Genius. This system is GREAT! You can sign up with just a few clicks of the mouse, receive automatic email reminders about your volunteer activities, see who else is volunteering for a program, switch volunteer times with another volunteer, and more!

 

At the end of each volunteer opportunity description below, you will find a link to that volunteer registration form on Sign-up Genius. You must register your name and email in order to volunteer – this enables the email reminders and gives our volunteer coordinators an easy way to contact you.

 

For additional questions, please call Director of Advancement Marta Nissen at 882--7442, ext. 116.

 

Safe Haven -- Diocesan Child Safety Requirements

All volunteers who work regularly with students in the Diocese of Manchester must fulfill the following requirements:

 

• Visit the Diocese of Manchester volunteer webpage HERE and complete a Diocese of Manchester Volunteer Application. The Diocese will forward your application to the school;
• Complete background checks for all states in which you have resided during the past 5 years. (Links to background checks are listed on the Diocesan volunteer webpage. The background check form must be printed, notarized, and returned to the school. Do NOT include payment with the form;
• Complete child abuse awareness training online through the Safe Haven training site by following the directions HERE;
• Read and acknowledge our diocesan Code & Policy (you will complete this at the end of your online training). You may print out the completion certificate, but it is not necessary. The school receives automatic notification of your completion of the training. 

 

The forms and training should be completed before you begin your work with minors (but no more than 30 days before beginning your work.) Employment/volunteer eligibility is contingent upon the results of the background check results.

 

 

 

Before and During the School Day Volunteer Opportunities

 

Auction Committee 

The St. Chris Annual Auction is THE biggest fundraiser and social event of the year at St. Christopher School – mark your calendar for March 21, 2020! This fun night out for parents and friends of St. Chris features a silent auction, a fabulous dinner, plenty of time to socialize, and a thrill-a-minute live auction. The committee spends the months leading up to the Auction planning the evening, soliciting donations to auction, helping with class projects, and recruiting attendees. Meetings are held once a month on Friday mornings for most of the year; additional meetings are needed as the event gets closer.

 

Click HERE to Volunteer!

 

Chess, Checkers and Cribbage Club    

One of the unique opportunities for students here at St. Christopher School is the Chess, Checkers and Cribbage Club. This program offers a safe, low stress environment for the children to learn and enjoy new games, while engaging in a social activity that is fun for all. The program is open to students of all grades. Children play weekly with classmates and learn at their own pace. We encourage parents to join us and learn the moves. This in turn gives you the opportunity to play at home with your children, which quickly improves everyone’s skills and offers yet another way to connect with loved ones.  The Chess, Checkers and Cribbage Club meets weekly before school on Fridays in 5M.

 

To volunteer, contact Tal Murthy or Chris Parks.

 

Drama Club 

The St. Christopher Drama Club offers all children in grades 3 thru 6 the opportunity to express their creativity thru acting or as part of the stage crew. This experience gives children a chance to show their dramatic side, funny side or to just overcome shyness. Rehearsals will take place in the Fall, culminating in the performance of a live play on stage at Nashua Catholic Jr High on April 24, 2020, which is very exciting for the actors as well as the stage crew!

 

There are several ways to volunteer for the Drama Club, and time commitments will vary based on type of job:

 

• Rehearsal Help: The kids learn their parts best in small groups, so we need lots of help at rehearsals! No acting skill necessary!
• Costume Design: Our budget is small so we always need as many sewers as possible for costumes.
• Set Design: We always need things made for our set, so if you are a builder or crafty, we need you.
• Set-Up & Clean-Up: Crews for the night of the show.

 

Volunteer Sign-Up's will take place once rehearsals have begun! More information is available from music teacher Laura Daigle.

 

Faith Outreach Group    

The goal of the Faith Outreach Group is to assist teachers and the school in providing a spiritually enriching environment for our children. Volunteers can participate in all kinds of ways, including helping in the classrooms with a particular community service project, being a liaison between the classroom teacher and the adopted clergy, or even helping with mailings and event planning for Vocation Day.  Monthly meetings are held first thing in the morning or at lunchtime. The Faith Outreach Group consists of three programs:

 

• Adopt-A-Priest/Religious - priests, sisters, and deacons from the community pair up with a classroom and visit monthly with the children to strengthen our vital Catholic faith connection.  The religious share many aspects of their lives with the students and build a wonderful relationship with the students throughout the year.
• Vocation Awareness – the annual Vocation Day, held in the Fall, is a unique tradition at St. Christopher School where priests, sisters, deacons and lay people who are dedicated to Catholic religious life are invited to the school to share with the children the path God has chosen for them.  Each year, there is a different theme for Vocation Day.
• Community Service – Special projects are chosen each year for the parents, teachers, and students to share our faith with others by reaching out to those in need.  Some examples of projects we’ve worked on are Operation Christmas Child, quilts & blankets made and donated to Project Linus and Nashua Children’s Home, Easter baskets donated to the Nashua Children’s Home, and special crafts and cards delivered to participants of the Meals on Wheels program.

 

Hot Lunch Volunteer     

Let’s do lunch! Our Hot Lunch program is our biggest volunteer effort…and one of our most rewarding! Students love to see their parents and grandparents during the school day, and parents love knowing that our students are getting a nutritious meal every day (that they don’t have to pack!). The program needs many, many volunteers to operate smoothly. No experience is necessary – we will train you. Time commitment to serve lunch is usually once a month, from 11:15 – 1:30. You pick the day of the week that fits your schedule best, and we’ll take it from there!

 

Click HERE to Volunteer!

 

Junior Great Books    

The Junior Great Books program is a weekly reading enrichment program for children in grades 2-6 where they are introduced to classic literature.  The students are grouped according to grade level and meet for 10-12 weeks with a parent group leader in small groups of 8-10. The students are given the opportunity to discuss the weekly story, review vocabulary and gain the experience of sharing their thoughts in a small group situation.  One parent volunteer from each of the grades 2-6 is needed to lead the group. Great Books meets once a week from 7:50 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. for 10-12 weeks (January – March).

 

Sign-ups for Junior Great Books will take place later in the year.

 

Popcorn     

Moms, Dads, Grams and Gramps…all are invited to help us pop and serve popcorn to our students! The popcorn program is a win-win for our students – they get one of their favorite healthy snacks and the proceeds from the sales go to help our school. This is a great opportunity for those who don’t have a lot of free time, as the time commitment is once a month on Fridays from 8:40 a.m. to 11:00.

 

Click HERE to Volunteer!

 

 

Wednesday News Stuffers     

On the last Wednesday of each month during the school year, each family receives a paper edition of the Wednesday News, which often includes sign-up sheets, informational flyers, calendars, and a variety of other materials. Since each family receives a packet, that’s a lot of stuffing! Many hands make light work, though, so we are always on the lookout for “stuffers” that day. We usually begin stuffing at 9:00 a.m. and are almost always finished by 11:00 a.m. Stuffers are needed on the last Wednesday of each month.

 

Click HERE to Volunteer!

 

After School/Evening Volunteer Opportunities

 

Christmas Shopping for Kids  

Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without Christmas Shopping for Kids! This great tradition allows all of the children in the school the opportunity to shop for their families in a non-threatening, kid-friendly atmosphere featuring gifts from $1 to $6. Kids have a great time shopping, and volunteers really get into the Christmas spirit! Volunteers are needed to plan the event, shop for merchandise, and host the event.

 

Click HERE to Volunteer!

 

FIRST Lego League         

Each fall, St. Christopher enters a team in the FIRST Lego League (FLL) competition.  Boys and girls in 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th grades create a team and design a robot to compete in a nationwide challenge.  Parent volunteers will guide the students through the design, build, and competition phases, which culminate at Bishop Guertin High School in December.  This program is excellent for developing creativity, team building, task management, teamwork, and working in a competitive environment.  FLL focuses and rewards more than the competition, including sportsmanship, creativity, spirit, team aesthetics, and more. Weekly meetings occur after school; the final competition is on a Saturday.

 

Contact Coordinator Lana Tyrrell for more information about FLL.

 

Parent Group

The St. Christopher Parent Group offers every parent the opportunity to get involved with fun and educational enrichment programs for our students and wonderful community events for our families. It is a truly rewarding experience to witness the joy on the children’s faces during these events. Among the many programs and activities the Parent Group coordinates are:

• Used Book and Uniform Sale – parents donate used books and uniforms which find new homes with our students.
• End of the Year Barbecue- free, fun event for students, parents, faculty, and new families.
• Special Enrichment Guests – cool visitors to our school, including the wildlife and bird programs, local weatherman, storytellers, and more!
• Teacher Appreciation Events – teachers enjoy fabulous meals and goodies, in thanks for all of their hard work over the school year.
• Christmas Tree Lighting -- Christmas is extra special at St. Chris and our evening Christmas Tree Lighting is one of the best family holiday events around!

 

The Parent Group meets several times during the year in the school Library. If you are unable to attend the meetings, there are lots of other ways to get involved. Please feel welcome to participate in any way that fits into your schedule.These are just a few ways to participate:

• Volunteer to assist at individual activities listed above.
• Write monthly Parents Group updates for the school newsletter
• Recommend new enrichment programs
• Bake/cook for Teacher Appreciation events

 

Click HERE to Volunteer!

 

STEM Committee   

 

The STEM Committee provides the guidance and resources necessary to inspire and empower students to become confident lifelong learners with a passion for science, technology, engineering and math. The Committee develops a vision for St. Christopher School’s STEM program and, based on an evaluation of existing resources, programs and curriculum, identifies and prioritizes gaps where resources are needed to achieve the STEM vision.  Meetings occur in the evening.

 

Parents are also invited to participate as one-time guest speakers in our STEM-related classes and extracurricular groups. If you’d like to share your STEM-related profession or hobby, our students would love to hear from you!

 

Click HERE to Volunteer!

 

At Home Volunteer Opportunities

 

 

Sunshine Math and Where in the World     

Both of these enrichment programs allow students who choose to participate the opportunity to do independent work in Math and Social Studies. Students take home weekly or monthly worksheets, dependent on the program, and return them to school completed. Volunteers are needed to copy, distribute, collect and correct the students’ papers, as well as track student progress. Work may be sent home for volunteers to complete, so this is a great opportunity for those with a busy daytime schedule.

 

Click HERE to Volunteer!

 

Box Tops

Box Tops for Education is a year-round fundraiser that helps our school earn cash.  School supporters save the Box Tops coupons they find on items that they normally purchase and send them in to the school.  The St. Christopher parent coordinator gathers the loose coupons and distributes them to parent volunteers who count and bundle the coupons into groups of 50, as required by the Box Tops for Education program.  The coordinator then submits the bundles to the program and a check is mailed to the school for the value of coupons collected.  Checks are issued twice a year with mailing deadlines in late October and late February.  

 

Envelopes of loose Box Tops can be sent home with your child.  Once they are bundled you can send them back with your child.  Simply let the coordinator know how much time you have for the task and she'll give an appropriate amount to count.

 

Click HERE to Volunteer!