Published: September 05, 2008 08:30 am      

Inservice training scheduled for volunteers

Cleburne ISD will host its annual inservice for participation in the Volunteers In Public Schools program at 8:30 a.m. Monday in the Central Office board room, located at 505 N. Ridgeway.

“Our district has always been so fortunate to have parents, grandparents and members of the community who are willing to give of their time to our students and teachers,” said Lisa Magers, CISD director of community relations, who oversees the VIPS program. “We are looking forward to welcoming these giving individuals back for another year and will hopefully sign-up some new volunteers as well.”

Volunteers serve on CISD campuses in a variety of ways, from tutoring to assistance in the library to providing an extra set of hands to classroom teachers, freeing them up to devote more time to the classroom and lesson preparation.

“I like volunteering because it really gets you ‘into’ the school,” said Adams Elementary volunteer Kristie Yancey. “You get to know the personnel better, and you get a feel for how things work on the campus. You also get to know many of the parents. There are a whole lot of great reasons to be a volunteer.

“It’s also very rewarding. The more familiar your face becomes to students as a volunteer, the more the kids come to know you. And they are very appreciative of all you do at their school.”

Last year, members of VIPS gave more than 6,300 hours of their time to CISD campuses. Volunteer Service Awards at the bronze, silver and gold levels were presented to seven Cleburne VIPS members through the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

“Volunteers are so valuable to our schools,” said Karen Snyder, assistant principal at Coleman Elementary. “The teachers rely on them in many ways. They help copy papers and keep things organized. As tutors, our volunteers do a great job, whether they are working one-on-one with a student or with small groups. We appreciate all they do to help our students and our schools.”

For information on the VIPS program, call 817-202-1127.