Volunteer at SJCS

Background

San Jose Chinese School (SJCS) is a co-op school administrated and operated by parents. The school relies on parents’ participation to provide our students with a safe and rewarding environment for Chinese learning. 

Who are the volunteers?

All enrolled families and students can sign up for volunteering.

What are the volunteer’s responsibilities?

Families should ensure they complete all required service points by the end of the school year by: 

• Signing up for volunteer spots via the Service Point Portal on the school website.

• Signing in to the office before starting their duties.

• Completing duties promptly and reliably, accepting the guidance and decisions of the volunteer coordinator.

• Signing out in the office when completing duties.

How many volunteer hours are required?

Each family must fulfill five (5) service points per semester for a total of ten (10) service points per school year, regardless of the number of enrolled students.

An upfront volunteer fee of $150 will be charged along with tuition at the time of registration. Depending on the number of service points completed, this fee is fully or partially refundable at the end of the school year.

If your student(s) continue enrolling in the next school year, the volunteer fee will be automatically carried over.

What are volunteer activities?

There are various types of help the school needs. The service points are given based on the level of effort for the assigned tasks. Below are the positions throughout the school year. 

Year-round positions

Class representative (10 points)

• Facilitate communication and relay important information between the classroom teacher and parents. 

• Organize class-related events or activities. 

• Address parental concerns and promote a positive class community.

School Staff (10 points)

There are various staff positions under the following seven departments. 

• Principal’s Office

• Academic 

• Operation 

• IT

• Discipline

• Extracurricular 

• Accounting

Board members (4 points)

Each class can assign one or two board members, based on class size. Board members oversee school policies, budgets, and leadership, and act as a link between families and the school administration. They must attend four (4) board meetings each school year. and receive priority consideration for staff positions within the school.

Operational positions

Safety Patrol (1 point)

This position helps the school enhance student safety and fosters a secure learning environment. 

• Timeline: School days

• Volunteer hour: One session (8:20-10:30am or 10:20-12:35pm)

• Assist in managing traffic during drop-off and pick-up times

• Monitor areas prone to accidents.

Snack stand (1 point)

This position manages a snack stand including booth manning, inventory maintenance, customer services, and payment.

• Timeline: School days

• Volunteer hour: One session (8:20-10:30am or 10:20-12:35pm)

School event positions

Academic Contest Coordinator

• Timeline: October to December (planning & preparation) & January (event day)

• Category Lead (10 points) 

• Judge (4 points) - Follow contest rules to evaluate participants’ performance and assign scores or rankings.

• Proctor (4 points) - Monitor test-takers to ensure compliance with testing rules. Assist with any technical or logistical issues during the examination.

Chinese New Year Carnival Coordinator

Plan and assist in holding a cultural carnival to promote Chinese culture and school reputation for school families and community. 

• Timeline: October to January (planning & preparation) & early February (event day)

• Team lead (6 points) - Plan and coordinate execution of the event. The position varies in logistics, stage & ceremony, sales, booth fair, technical support, and sponsorships.

• Assistant (4 points) - Support event planning and coordinate administrative tasks.

• Event helpers (2 points) - Assist in ensuring the smooth running of the carnival on the event day.

Where to sign up for volunteer spots?

Visit the Service Point page on the school website. When signing up, be ready to provide the following information:

• Volunteer’s full name

• Phone number

• Email address

• Your student’s class ID

• Family ID (first four letters of the last name + last four digits of the registered phone number, e.g., chen-1294)

Where do I check my service point status?

Families are responsible for keeping track of their service point status to fulfill the required ten (10) points by the end of the school year.

Monthly Statement

The school sends monthly service point statements to families. Please make sure the email address provided on the registration form is valid. 

Compensation for unfulfilled points

An upfront volunteer fee of $150 will be charged along with tuition at the time of registration. Depending on the number of service points completed, this fee is fully or partially refundable at the end of the school year. 

If your student(s) continue enrolling in the next school year, the volunteer fee will be automatically carried over.