Chaperone Information
ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT BEING A CHAPERONE? Our students have tremendous opportunities to perform and there is always a need for chaperones. If you've ever been tempted to answer the call to volunteer, but didn't know what was expected of you, here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Do I have to be a chaperone to attend a band event? No, parents are invited and encouraged to attend pep band games, concerts and performances throughout the year. If the event is out of town and you want to meet the band there, contact Mr. Henson about the appropriate way to get there. (There may or may not be room on band transportation for extra “non-chaperone” parents, Mr. Henson will need to make the decisions for each event based on space availability.) What do I need to do to become a volunteer? All volunteers will need to complete the volunteer application (found here) What are my responsibilities as a chaperone? Be a good parent. We have great kids in our band program. They are respected everywhere they go for being responsible and polite. BUT they are still enthusiastic youth who don’t always use the best judgment and they need parents to help guide them to act responsibly. Get to know the students. This means that you need to get to know the names of at least some of the students and be a part of their group while helping them to act maturely and responsibly. Take action. If you see students doing something you feel is not appropriate, you need to be able to step in and take responsibility. There are other parents there to help so you are not left alone with the responsibility, but usually small issues can be easily diffused before they become big issues by stepping in quickly. Be there. Many times, it is enough to have a parent “around” to remind students how they should be acting and talking. My child HATES it when I volunteer… Remember that when you volunteer as a chaperone, you are not there to torment your child. There are other parents capable of that. Give them the freedom to join you or stay with their band friends and ignore you. Don’t take it personally, let them have their space. Try to leave the discipline of your own child to the other parents and enjoy meeting the other parents and students. Once they realize you can be there and not intrude, they will trust you to be in the background. Are there costs involved? Although we do not charge parents to chaperone, each event varies and parents are asked to pay for their own expenses such as meals on the trip etc. There are some events where chaperones need to be uniformly dressed (ie the Grand Floral Parade) so there may be a cost for a shirt. We ask parents to pay for the cost of these shirts and they are theirs to keep (but we will do our best to accommodate those who can’t afford it). We try to keep all expenses to a minimum but as Boosters we do not use funds raised by students to pay for the chaperone costs. Often on longer trips, the costs for an adult can often exceed the costs for a student. Are there rewards? Unbelievable rewards! The joy of seeing your child perform, seeing the interaction of an amazing group of students, and getting to meet and talk with other parents is … PRICELESS!!! |