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Frequently Asked Questions about the WMS Co-op Program |
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Updated for 2011-12 School Year |
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The WMS Co-op Program builds on the sharing of skills, talents, and participation throughout the school community to meet the needs of our children and benefit school programs as a whole.
Our Co-op provides a way for all of our children to benefit from the unique interests, talents, and professional skills abundant in our parent population. Active involvement in Co-op is an excellent way to strengthen your partnership in your child’s education while getting to know other families and making valuable contributions integral to the functioning of the school.
Beginning with the 2011-12 school year, each family is responsible for 30 Co-op hours. Hours will be pro-rated for those families who enter WMS after the beginning of the school year. Your yearly Co-op requirement begins September 1 and ends June 15. Co-op participation requested between the last day of school and September 1 may be applied to the requirement for the upcoming school year, but completed hours may not otherwise be carried over from year to year. (back to top)
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Your Co-op hours will be tracked as you report them, and you will receive a mid-year statement of your completed hours to date in January. At the end of the school year, the business office will issue bills for incomplete hours. You may request an update on your submitted co-op hours by contacting Family Relations.
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Co-op hours may be reported for requests made through your child’s teacher, homeroom parent or as posted on the co-op board. Some examples of participation that may be reported for Co-op hours are:
- Classroom support (your child’s Homeroom Parent will provide a list of classroom jobs) Note: Although we have a nightly cleaning crew, more intensive disinfecting of shelf materials is advisable, especially in infant and toddler classrooms. Teachers may ask parents in their classroom to share the responsibility for this important chore.
- Event support (planning committees, set-up, providing food, publicity, etc.)
- Maintenance support (gardening, small repairs, carpentry, etc.)
- Program support (library, sports activities, Extended Day/Before and After School Program assistance, etc.)
- Administrative/Office support (Board participation, fundraising, grant writing, graphic design, technology assistance, etc.)
When purchasing items for classroom, event, or program support, the general guideline is that one Co-op hour equals $25.00 spent. In order to receive Co-op credit for requested purchases, a receipt must be attached to the Co-op Report form. Classroom teachers may approve purchases up to $100. Purchases of $100 or more must be pre-approved by the Director of Advancement.
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Many valuable contributions of time and talents are made because parents wish to be supportive of their child’s classroom activities and of the school in general. Some examples of participation that may not be reported for Co-op hours are:
- Attending classroom parties or other celebrations
- Donated furniture and technology: As much as we appreciate your consideration, donated items such as furniture and computers cannot be included as Co-op time. We would suggest that you complete a tax deductible donation form (available from Jennifer Burns, Director of Advancement) for these items. Like you, we have limited storage, so please check before bringing items into school.
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- Actual time spent: It is not always clear how long it will take a parent to complete a project. In those cases, parents are asked to track their time expenditure and report the number of hours actually spent on the task.
- Time spent plus supplies purchased: If a parent spends 2 hours making curtains for a classroom, plus $25 in fabric or other supplies, they may claim a total of 3 Co-op hours.
- Year-long commitments: It is recognized that certain Co-op jobs include extensive responsibilities and time commitments, and may be assigned an hour value. For example, a parent serving as a homeroom parent or board member may claim 30 Co-op hours.
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- Co-op bulletin boards: Co-op Opportunities and sign up lists are posted on bulletin boards across from the Library and at the top of the Aspen wing. All jobs are posted here first
- School website - www.wmsde.org: Co-op opportunities are regularly posted on the “Parents” portion of the school website.
- Email: Opportunities for Co-op participation are often communicated to parents through the Wednesday Weekly or classroom emails.
- Classroom bulletin boards: Classroom teachers and homeroom parents often post Co-op requests on their hallway bulletin boards or may list needs in their class newsletters.
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Parents may complete many Co-op jobs in the school, during evening hours or on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Important: If parents bring children into the school after hours, they must follow the same rule that applies to all employees of the school regarding child supervision: Children should never be left unsupervised in any area of the school at any time.
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Yes, many Co-op jobs, such as materials making and graphic design, may be done from your home.
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Co-op hours may be reported online through the WMS website or via a Co-op Report form, which is available across from the Library. To receive Co-op credit for purchases, receipts must be attached to the form. Reports may also be submitted via email to familyrelations@wmsde.org. Receipts may be scanned and attached.
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Please submit reports for all completed Co-op jobs as you finish them, even if you have already fulfilled your Co-op requirement for the year. As valuable resources, parent donations of time and purchases are tracked and help the school with funding for grants. You may also need this information for tax purposes. More importantly, your support throughout the year is vital to the functioning of the school. Many of the school’s largest events happen in the spring, and their success depends on our parents’ time and talents.
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If you are unable to complete your family’s co-op requirement before June 15th, you will be billed for the hours not completed at the rate of $25 per hour. Parents who are unable to complete their Co-op hours by the end of the school year but wish to do so over the summer may contact Jennifer Burns, Director of Advancement to make arrangements. (back to top)
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