Classroom Volunteers

The Adopt-a-Class classroom volunteer program was temporarily suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic in compliance with official Loudon and Monroe County rules for school visitors. Now that safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines are available for volunteers and staff, permission has been granted for school visits. Our classroom volunteer program will resume normal activities for the 2021 summer school program, which starts May 24 and runs through July 1. Adopt-a-Class requires that all our participating volunteers be fully vaccinated by May 10, 2021.

Most Adopt-a-Class TN members are classroom volunteers who work directly with children as tutors, either individually or in small groups. Each volunteer is matched with a teacher and a classroom. This allows the volunteers to get to know the children and feel pride in their progress.

Schedules are flexible and organized directly with the teacher. Most volunteers work 3 to 5 hours per week, either on one day or split into multiple days. Some volunteers choose to spend more hours at school. Volunteers may assist in any grade or class. Volunteers may also assist in "Specials", such as PE, Art, Computer Lab, Guidance, ELL, and Chess. Teaching experience is not required.

Summer Programs

Registration is now open for all summer volunteer programs. Adopt-a-Class requires COVID-19 vaccinations for all volunteers who will be in contact with school staff and students. For more information and registration, email Karen Hamerslag at adopt.a.class.tn@gmail.com.

Loudon Elementary School Summer Camp

Loudon Elementary School has scheduled an academic summer camp to run from May 24 through July 1, 2021, and has been approved for volunteer assistance. Adopt-a-Class is recruiting and scheduling members for this program. The program will include up to 11 classrooms of students. Academically, students will be served in small groups to catch up on math and reading skills. To make learning fun, weekly "travel" themes will be used. Classes will experience new destinations with regional food, activities and events. Volunteers will help as needed, especially with small groups or one-to-one tutoring. This is the perfect transition to classroom volunteering during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Steekee Elementary School Summer Camp

Steekee Elementary School has scheduled an academic summer camp to run from May 24 through July 1, 2021, and has been approved for volunteer assistance. Adopt-a-Class is recruiting and scheduling members for this program. Steekee will have 3 classrooms, and hope to have a morning and afternoon volunteer for each group. There will be an hour of STEM/STEAM from 2:00-3:00 from Monday through Thursday

with volunteer needs.

Vonore Library Summer Reading Program

The purpose of the program is to keep children reading and learning throughout the summer. The goal is to instill a lifetime habit of reading, and become regular library users. This wonderful program was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is proceeding with reduced scheduling in 2021 due to continued health concerns. The 2021 Vonore Public Library Summer Reading Program will include story time and activities starting at 11 am each Wednesday in June. All activities will take place outdoors each week. Individuals interested in volunteering should contact the library director, Nicole Wiggins, at (423) 884-6729.

In 2022, Adopt-a-class will partner with Winnie Okumura to help run this program with more comprehensive offerings.

Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement (JA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the success of young people. Age-appropriate lessons in financial literacy, career preparation and entrepreneurship are delivered by community volunteers. JA provides schools with volunteer handbooks, student materials, and classroom learning tools. Elementary school classes are offered for Kindergarten through fifth grade as five 40 minute sessions. Loudon Elementary offers this program as part of their Guidance classes. Adopt-a-Class participates in this program with our volunteers teaching this curriculum to all grades. This is a tremendous opportunity to positively impact the future of our local children. Visit jausa.ja.org for more information.

Volunteer Backgrounds

Our volunteers come from very diverse backgrounds, bringing a cornucopia of life experiences to their volunteer work. Here are many of their careers:

Human Resource Management ** Pastor ** Copywriter ** Stay-at-Home Mother ** Teacher ** Global Logistics ** Executive Assistant ** Chemical Engineer ** Social Worker **Head of Personnel ** Biomedical Research Scientist ** Banker ** Communications ** Computer Technology ** PE Teacher ** Elementary School Teacher ** Art Teacher ** Private School Administrator ** Nurse ** Learning Resources **Accountant ** Piano Teacher ** EMT ** Medical Lab Technician ** Detective ** Speech Therapist ** Paralegal ** Middle School Teacher ** Veterinarian ** Instructional Designer ** Research Scientist ** Ultrasound Technician

Volunteer Protocols

Please Do:

Park in guest lot at front of school.
Follow the school's guest sign-in protocol.
Use the Adopt-a-Class log or keep track of your hours.
Wear casual, respectful and comfortable attire.
Exchange email contacts and your cell phone number with your teacher.
Communicate schedule changes with your teacher +/- volunteer partner.
Contact school office if you cannot reach your teacher to notify about schedule change.
Give children smiles and positive reinforcement.
Follow teacher’s instructions explicitly and without alternative suggestions.
Inform teacher if a child is disrespectful or behaves inappropriately.
Inform teacher if a child mentions a problem at home, e.g. abuse, drugs.
You may bring treats/snacks for children with teacher’s approval.
Comply with all school protocols, including fire drills or practice lock-downs.

Inform Karen Hamerslag at adopt.a.class.tn@gmail.com if you need to take an extended leave of absence or resign, or if you need assistance with conflict resolution.

Adopt-a-Class TN