Volunteering At Madrona

Madrona was founded with the expectation that teachers and parent volunteers would work together to provide a terrific learning environment for our children. Many schools in the Edmonds school district try to incorporate volunteers in the classroom, but it is really on a hit-or-miss basis. Partly this is because a culture of volunteering is not at those schools. Teachers are unable to predict when parents will be in the classroom, nobody exists to schedule regular volunteer time, and the teachers are often expected to train each new volunteer who comes along. This adds up to more work for the teachers, instead of less.

Culture of Volunteering

Classroom volunteer coordinators at Madrona take the responsibility of scheduling, training, and basically supervising the many parents who are willing to donate their time. The volunteer coordinators also oversee the collection of information in the classrooms, make sure that paperwork is completed for field trips and any other special activities, and do basic bookkeeping for the classrooms. Madrona also has the benefit of having the Volunteer Program Manager, which is a paid position in charge of overseeing all the volunteer activities happening at the school. This position, currently ably filled by Kim Magaña (her phone number is 425-431-2911), has to have a finger on the pulse not only of all the classrooms, but all the other activities in the school, and is an important liaison to the school’s administration as well.

Opportunities to Help

Parents first place to check for volunteering opportunities should be with their child's classroom. Ask the teacher about getting involved and find out who is the class's volunteer coordinator.

Madrona's Volunteer Program Manager will be able to direct you to other opportunities. Fundraising efforts, such as SCRIPT, All For Kids and others, are always in need of help. Early in the school year a Volunteer Fair is held to provide information about the various programs and to help parents fill out the necessary forms.

All volunteers fill out forms and are screened via a Washington State Patrol background check. We also ask that all volunteers sign an agreement of confidentiality, which respects the privacy of students and families.

This agreement states that it is not appropriate to discuss or share students' private information, including performance in school, with other parents volunteers or non-supervisory staff.

Please stay informed and watch the material sent home with your child and material posted on this Web site for opportunities to help out.