Volunteer
Parental involvement is the key to the healthy development of our school. Your contribution of time, energy and services is truly needed and sincerely appreciated. Volunteering is an ideal way to meet and work with other parents, and it also shows your children how much their families value the school.
Consider volunteering for a coordinator or chair position, as...
- A BPO sub-committee chair (Booster Club, Environmental Awareness, Integrated Arts, Library, or Parent Education)
- Room Parent Coordinator
- A Baker Benefit co-chair
- Coordinator for a BPO event, such a:
- The Ice Cream Social
- Wellness Workout
- Teacher Appreciation Week
- The Art Show Picnic
- Baker Spirit Wear
- The Book Fair
- The Gift Wrap sale
- Faculty Meeting Treats Coordinator
...or serve on a BPO sub-committee...
...or volunteer for multiple smaller tasks, like...
- Bringing treats for a faculty meeting
- Scooping ice cream at the Ice Cream Social
- Planning kids' activities for the Art Show Picnic
- Checking in guests at the Baker Benefit
- Setting up for the Pancake Breakfast
- Distributing Gift Wrap orders
The bottom line: in order for the school to run smoothly, Baker requires not only your tuition, but also your time and some additional financial contribution.
BPO Volunteer Opportunities
The Baker Parent Organization (BPO) supports classroom work and serves the fellowship needs of the school community. Every parent with a child at Baker automatically becomes a member of the BPO. You can do your part in supporting your organization in a myriad of different ways.
Ongoing Committees
The following committees meet throughout the year to manage their particular interests and require a chairperson as well as committee members.
Admissions: These activities, coordinated by Deidre Harrison, the Admissions Director, occur throughout the year. Baker Open Houses need parents who enjoy sharing the best about the school and feel comfortable fielding a variety of questions from prospective parents. If you wish, you could also lead an individual tour for families who cannot make Open House days.
Booster Club: This group supports the sports-related activities of our older students (4th-8th Grade). Its work includes running the Spring Sports Banquets, coaching teams, managing the sports bulletin board, and photographing and reporting on events.
Environmental Awareness: Through education and outreach to the Baker community, this group cultivates greater understanding of our impact on and relationship with the environment.
Integrated Arts: This parent/teacher group arranges various arts opportunities that are integrated into core curriculum studies. It sponsors a number of specific programs throughout the year, including the artist-in-residence program that allows Baker students to work with professional artists.
Library Committee: This committee supports the school library (and the librarians) and organizes the spring children's book drive, book swaps, and the annual One Book--One Baker event.
Parent Education: A new group as of the 2006-7 school year, this committee has the opportunity to establish a formal Parent Education program at Baker.
Community Events
Throughout the year, the Baker Parent Organization sponsors gatherings and parties that bring the entire Baker community together. These events include:
First Day of School: Parents gather in the morning after children are settled into their new classrooms. The BPO executive committee for that year is introduced. Breakfast fare is served. See old friends and meet new Baker families!
Date and place of event: first day of the school year, late August; Baker Library or lunchroom
Volunteer needs: just your presence!
Ice Cream Social: The BPO welcomes families to the new school year in mid-September with an afternoon filled with cool treats and fun.
Date and place of event: A Saturday in mid-September; Baker
Volunteer needs: help with set-up and clean-up, ice cream scooping, and student activities
Parent Socials: Traditionally held at several parents' homes (with who-goes-where determined by which class the student is in), this October gathering allows parents to get to know each other better in an adult setting.
Date and place of event: A Saturday evening in October; two Baker families' homes
Volunteer needs: Two families to open their homes, people to bring hors d'oeuvres; BPO provides drinks - wine, beer, and non-alcoholic
Baker "Spirit Wear" Clothing Sales: What better way to support our school than by wearing t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, etc. with the Baker name and/or logo on them?
Date and place of events: ongoing throughout the school year at Baker events on campus
Volunteer needs: Coordinator; help with inventory selection and volunteers to staff table on sales dates
Pancake Breakfast: Come out of the house on a January Saturday to enjoy pancakes and fellowship in the Baker cafeteria.
Date and place of event: A Saturday in mid-winter; Baker cafeteria
Volunteer needs: Event chair, help with set-up and clean-up, food servers, help as needed
Wellness Workout: This encompasses all workout classes for adults that run throughout the school year.
Volunteer needs: Coordinator to serve as liaison between workout providers and front office.
Teacher Appreciation Week: This committee ensures that our faculty and staff receive a delightful luncheon, as well as other perks (massages, breakfast treats, etc.) that show our appreciation of them.
Date of event: first full week in May
Volunteer needs: Coordinator for the week's events; parents to provide lunch dishes, breakfast treats, and assistance with set-up, clean-up, and tasks during the luncheons
End-of-Year Art Show and Picnic: This May event brings together families to admire our students' art and to have a good time in the mild spring air. The committee members who plan the event work closely with both the Integrated Arts Committee and the faculty to insure success.
Date of event: weekend day in May
Volunteer needs: Coordinator; people to mat and hang the student artwork; help with food sales and activities on the day of the event
Faculty Support
Faculty Meeting Refreshment Committee: Coordinator organizes volunteers to deliver treats for faculty meetings throughout the school year. Treat providers can select one or more specific Mondays and deliver treats for 35-40, homemade or purchased, to the school by the end of the school day (3:15).
Room Parents: Make an ongoing commitment to your child's classroom - be a Room Parent! These parents volunteer to help their classroom teacher and to work on the class art project for the Baker Benefit in the spring. The Room Parent Coordinator keeps them all on the same page.
Fundraising
The Baker Parent Organization receives no money from the School Board to run its many events and committees. Our primary fundraiser is the fall Gift Wrap Sale. We also assist in recruiting volunteers for the Book Fair and Benefit, but proceeds from those sales benefit other areas of the school.
Baker Benefit: The BPO organizes volunteers for this fun annual spring event; monies raised on behalf of the Fund Board to help support capital expenditures.
Date and place of event: A Saturday evening in the spring, at an off-campus location TBD
Volunteer needs: Event co-chairs, auction chair, and raffle chair; help with invitations, auction book design, ad sales, publicity, and displays; auction items; help with set-up and clean-up; monitors for auction tables; help with check-in and check-out
Book Fair: This late fall week of book sales supplies much-needed extra funding for our school library.
Date and place: consecutive school days in the fall; in a location on the Baker campus
Volunteer needs: Coordinator; help with set-up and clean-up; volunteers to work shifts at the check-out table
Gift Wrap Sale: The BPO kicks off the school year with this sale of wrapping paper, tags, and other gifting necessities.
Date of event: ongoing in September
Volunteer needs: Coordinator; help tabulating and distributing orders
Additional School Volunteer Opportunities
The BPO isn't the only entity within Baker that would love your help. Development, the School Board and the Fund Board also would like to put your skills and interests to work to benefit our community.
Fourth of July Parade: Marching in the Evanston parade has become a tradition for Baker families. Chair the event, help with logistics, or show up (with kids in tow) to strut down Central Street on Independence Day.
General Support: Your talents with signs, websites, or assembling "thank you" take-aways for prospective families will come in handy.
Outreach: Staff a table at farmers' markets and school fairs, mentor a new family, answer questions for a prospective family, or assist with Baker-sponsored community events (such as the annual Ricky Byrdsong Race Against Hate). Help spread the word about our school!
Development and Fundraising
Jennifer Schack, Development Director, supervises activities in this realm. Gifts from individuals and organizations support operating funds, endowments and capital projects. Alumni and parent volunteers play important roles in securing these gifts, ensuring Baker its continued financial independence and enabling the school to continue providing exceptional education to our children. Volunteer opportunities include:
Grant and Foundation Work: research and write grant proposals, research foundations and corporations in order to introduce Baker to those entities who might have an interest in supporting the school.
Mailing Work: Compile and prepare mailings either on campus or at home.
Phone work: Making evening calls for the annual Phonathon, and other calls as needed.