Today, our VolunteerSpotlight shines on a dedicated Classroom Dad at Mount Daniel Elementary School in Falls Church, VA. The role of a Classroom Dad (also known as a Room Parent) is to be the teacher's liaison with the classroom parent community and ensure (s)he gets the help (s)he needs for a fun and successful school year.
Please join us in celebrating Shaun Dakin! Shaun uses VolunteerSpot's online signup sheets to coordinate volunteers for his son's first grade class.
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What's involved in your role as a room parent?
I'm the lead room parent so that means I get to tell others what to do! Seriously, I'm in charge of coordinating weekly volunteer activities such as helping out with the Art Class, Computer Labs and our Outdoor Classroom. We also have several "big" one-time events where a lot of volunteers are needed and I help with that has well. For example "Danny's Birthday Party" where the school celebrates the birthday of the school mascot, Danny the Hippo!
Do you also volunteer for other organizations?
Yes. I run a non profit organization in my spare time called Citizens for Civil Discourse where we advocate for voter privacy rights. Please check us out at www.StopPoliticalCalls.org.
How did you get interested in serving at school?
I am a work from home Dad, so I knew I would have the flexibility to help out. Our town is only 10,000 residents and the school is walking distance from our home.
Mostly, however, education is probably the key thing that my Wife and I focus on for our son. Getting involved means that he knows that education is important and his school and teachers are a very high priority for our family.
What’s one piece of advice you have for parent volunteers out there?
Use VolunteerSpot.com!
Seriously, do use it. Additionally, have fun and make sure that you provide regular communications via email AND via "snail mail" or paper so all parents have an opportunity to get involved. Provide lots of feedback and opportunities to help out.
Lastly, make sure you ask your homeroom teacher what they need from you!
Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?
It is easy!
I was looking for a tool to help me manage a lot of potential volunteers with a tool that was built for school volunteer activities. VolunteerSpot was perfect for that!
In fact, I've been using VolunteerSpot for the entire year and parents always tell me that it's one of the best things that I implemented for our classroom. They love it because they can sign up for activities at the last minute and see if there are spots available without calling me or anyone else.
Anything else you’d like our readers to know?
Teachers make a school and I'm so proud of our awesome teachers at Mount Daniel Elementary school in Falls Church City, VA!
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We salute Shaun Dakin and all the other parents out there making a difference in our children's schools. If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at [email protected].
