Parent Volunteer Requirements
Volunteers must complete the following prior to being granted volunteer time in classrooms or on school field trips:
1) Completion of Virtus Training
2) Completion of Fingerprinting
All parents and family members are welcomed and encouraged to volunteer their time in various areas on campus. Volunteers may assist in the cafeteria, classroom, and office or with the parish and receive Service Hour credit.
Per Archdiocesan requirements, all volunteers must attend the 'Protect the Children' sponsored 'Virtus Training' session prior to any volunteering. (This includes chaperoning field trips, assisting in the classroom and any other event where students are present). Sessions are scheduled at regular intervals throughout the school year, and dates are included in our weekly communication via Family Envelopes when available. Each session is three (3) hours from 6:00-9:00PM, and offered in both English and Spanish. Please contact the school office to register. Once you have attended this session please submit a copy of the certificate of completion to the school office for our records. Verification must be provided in order to participate in student activities. Original certifications are valid for 5 years, at which point recertification is required. The following is an excerpt from the Los Angeles Archdiocese website regarding this important program:
"Concurrent with beginning any activity in a parish or parish school, all parish and school volunteers, teachers, staff or other paid personnel who work in any capacity with or around children, the elderly or special needs persons, will be required to participate in the VIRTUS program or an equivalent safe environment training program approved by the Archdiocese. This includes parish/parish school staff and volunteers including principals, teachers, Directors of Religious Education, secretaries, catechists, parent helpers, ushers, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, lectors, etc. The goal is to have all adults learn how to help stop child sexual abuse before it happens."..."The VIRTUS training was introduced by the Archdiocese in early 2004. More than 40,000 persons had been trained as of March 1, 2006. Parishes are encouraged to invite public school, law enforcement, social service and othe religious groups in their communities to participate in the local parish or school training programs in order to share fully in the Archdiocese's commitment to providing safe environments for all children. Parishes should keep a copy of the certificates of completion of VIRTUS on file for each person who has been trained."
In addition, all volunteers are required to be fingerprinted. Fingerprinting opportunities are provided and sponsored by the Los Angeles Archdiocese at regular intervals throughout the school year. A schedule of current dates/times is provided in our weekly communication through our Family Envelopes as available. Please contact the specific fingerprinting location to register. Once you have completed fingerprinting, please provide a copy of the form provided by the fingerprinting agency as verification of completion. This will allow tracking of the report should results be delayed or unknown.
All information obtained is kept confidential and secure within the VPIN database provided by the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
If you should have any questions or concerns, please contact the school office at 661 273-5555.