Please click on any item below to access the information or materials. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Jill Coffey in the BSV office or jillcoffey@berkeley.net
What information do you share with volunteers during the New Volunteer Orientation?
Volunteer – Teacher 1st Meeting Check List , which we give to volunteers during the orientation to help guide you both through the site-based orientation process. This list mirrors the list of “to do’s” before beginning to volunteer also found in the
BUSD – BSV Volunteer Contract + BSV Registration Form: view the most recent version of the our program’s arrangement with BUSD for all volunteers screened and placed through the BSV office.
How do I know when BSV has placed a volunteer with me?
BSV will send you a green information sheet for each volunteer we place with you. If you prefer, we can contact you directly before sending your contact information out to a potential volunteer. Typically, we send out contact information to both teacher and volunteer at the same time and instruct the volunteer to get in touch with the teacher immediately. You can see a sample of the Volunteer Assignment Letter we send to volunteers here.
How does my volunteer get a BSV Name Badge?
BSV always gives volunteers a BSV Name Badge with the new volunteer assignment–either through postal mail with the Assignment Letter or we hold it in our office for pick-up. If your volunteer does not have a current name badge, please ask him/her to contact our office immediately to request one. Name badges are essential for helping school staff identify who is and is not cleared to be on campus. Volunteers are ready to start volunteering when they have a name badge. If you need to meet with a prospective volunteer before s/he has a name badge from BSV, you should follow your school’s instructions for visitors from the community.
Each name badge has the school site name and volunteer’s first and last name. If the program through which s/he is volunteering is on multiple school sites, we might list several schools or just the name of the program. If you wish to inquire or comment about a particular BSV-badged volunteer, please write down the name and school site listed on his/her badge and contact our office.
What information do you send me about each volunteer?
View a sample of our Volunteer Information Sheet we send out to you for each volunteer we match to your needs. This is usually sent to your inter-district mail box within 5 business days of the placement. If you want more information about any particular volunteer, you can either ask us for more detailed report and/or contact the references listed on the volunteer’s information sheet provided for exactly that purpose!
Do parents/guardians need to go through BSV for screening?
Parents/guardians of a child currently attending a BUSD school have rights under the CA Education Code to volunteer with prior notice and approval from the teacher. If the volunteer wants to work with students outside their child’s classroom, your school site may require the volunteer to come through BSV for additional clearances. Please check with your principal for specifics. You may also choose to recommend parent volunteers attend the BSV orientation or additional school site-based trainings. Many parents new to BUSD find this quite informative!
Does BSV require fingerprinting for volunteers?
We are currently working on new volunteer policy in BUSD and will update this section as soon as possible. At present, no fingerprinting is required for volunteers under the supervision of certificated school staff. Volunteers serving under the supervision of non-certificated staff will need fingerprinting, which will be available at no cost to volunteers through a partnership with BUSD.
Move to West Campus, New Fingerprinting services for BUSD volunteers!
The BSV office will be offering fingerprinting for all BUSD volunteers or unpaid interns this coming school year–as soon as we are certified and have the machine up and running at the West Campus. Our move date is August 7th, but realistically, it will be sometime in September before we begin fingerprinting folks. So we don’t hold back volunteers, BUSD will allow a grace period so volunteers can start working with kids without the screening until we are set-up, and at that point, they will have a few weeks to come into our office for fingerprinting.
If you want more information, please contact me. This is a transition period and we would love to hear of any potential challenges or suggestions you have to help this new process run smoothly for you and your programs.
If you have urgent questions, please direct them to Jill Coffey in the the Schools Fund School Volunteers office.