Art For Bears Volunteer Blog

    Art for Bears Volunteer Orientation 

Wednesday Sept. 10, 2014, 8:15-9:00 Bacich Art Room 

(This orientation is for new volunteers and for first time volunteer coordinators/assistant) 

     Agenda:

1. Welcome Volunteers
2. Meet the Art Teacher Mrs. Libby
3. A and B Week Calendar 2014/15
4. A and B Week class schedules
5. AFB Class-Coordinator/Assistant job description
6. Volunteer policy and procedures
7. Guidelines for Art Room volunteers
8. Connect with AFB volunteers coordinators Samantha and Lauren
9. Q and A

AFB coordinator/assistant job description:

1. The main job of the coordinator is to coordinate the other AFB volunteers. 

2. If possible but not mandatory, the AFB coordinator will attend classes as a consistent volunteer to assist Mrs. Libby. 

3.  If a volunteer is unable to be there on their scheduled day, the coordinator should help make every effort to contact another AFB or class volunteer for a replacement.  This will help insure that there is a continuity and consistency of the volunteers at each AFB class. 

4. Throughout the school year Mrs. Libby sends communications to the AFB coordinators about upcoming projects and additional volunteer needs for special projects. Therefore, the AFB Coordinator is a conduit of information back to the class. 

AFB Volunteer Policy and Procedures

Due to the age of our children and the nature of the art projects, Mrs. Libby has asked that she has the following number of volunteers to help assist in her classes:

TK and K:  Assistant plus 3 volunteers

1^st grade: Assistant plus 2 volunteers

2^nd grade: Assistant plus 1-2 volunteers

3^rd grade: Assistant plus 1 volunteer

4^th grade: Assistant plus 1 volunteer

If you are unable to be there on your scheduled day, please make every effort to contact another volunteer on your replacement.

Holidays and Schedule Changes

Throughout the school year the District observes local and federal holidays. If your child’s

Art for Bears Class falls on an observed holiday, Mrs. Libby will adjust the art lessons

accordingly in order for students to have ample time to finish projects. Due to a large

student body and a tight schedule, missed classes may not always be rescheduled. 

Mrs. Libby will communicate schedule changes via your class AFB coordinator/assistant,

and/or homeroom teacher.

Mrs. Libby’s Guidelines for Art Room Volunteers

Thank you for signing up to be a AFB coordinator/assistant or volunteer in the Bacich Art

Room! We will be working together all year, and I would like you to feel both comfortable and useful.

GUIDELINES:

● Arrive 10 minutes prior to class start time.

● All volunteers are required to sign in at the office and wear a visitor’s badge while

on campus.

● Write your last name on a tag in the name tag file box and place it inside your

visitor’s badge.

● Parents who volunteer may not bring in younger siblings or pets.

● Cell phone use is not permitted during school hours.

● I will debrief volunteers on the specific project for that day and direct volunteers on

how they can assist.

● Expect to stay 5-10 minutes after class to assist with clean-up.

1. Please remember we are here for all students. Sometimes it is hard for young

children to “share” their parent in the classroom, so a chat at home before your first

visit to class may be helpful. At the beginning of the lesson your child will have the

opportunity to introduce you to the class, so we all have a chance to get to know one

another.

2. As I introduce the lesson, please listen along with the class so you are better able to

answer students' questions as they work. At the beginning of a project the instruction will

likely be longer then mid-project.

3. Sometimes I will have materials preparation or artwork mounting project set up for you to work on at the beginning of a lesson, while I work with the children. Please keep one ear open to the lesson as you fold, cut, glue, etc.

4. In art there are as many solutions as there are artists creating them! Helping with

creative projects is a bit different from helping with reading or math where there is

often one correct “answer”.

5. Keep praise specific. It is better to say: “I like the wavy line on your snail’s shell”

than to say “Nice job”.

6. Do not do a student’s artwork for her or him. Sometimes it is tempting to touch the

student’s projects, but that tends to reinforce any doubts a child may have.

Here are some helpful hints:

∙ Listen closely to students’ questions. Answer simply.

∙ Reassure and remind students of directions.

∙ Some students rush through their work. Encourage them to slow down, work carefully,

to add detail.

∙ Some students have trouble getting started. Ask them to find their “can do “attitude.

Some helpful phrases:

● “I like the way you…”

● “There are no mistakes in art…”

● “Remember how Mrs. Libby showed us….”

● “Let’s get some ideas from the (board, book)…”

Philosophy

“I believe that every child is already an artist when she/he walks through the door. In order

to educate the whole child, our job is to bring each child further along the path of artistic

exploration and expression.”

Barbara Libby, Bacich Elementary Art Teacher

Bacich Art For Bears Week A and Week B Calendar 2014/15

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxgV2xBlVAC_UUhzRndjbjVBZTg/edit?usp=sharing

TK-4th Grade Class Schedules Week A and Week B 2014/15

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NRVDX5_qhsnsFLjxI7Q1EjyjvjL48FO7kT0ipppy1Sg/edit?usp=sharing

A