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Making A Difference for APS!

Edition 1

Making ADifference for APS!Edition 1
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Welcome Back to Our Amazing Volunteers and Partners!

The 2022-23 Volunteer and Partnership Liaisons would like to welcome all our new and returning volunteers and partners -- thank you to the parents, community members and organizations who support APS students and schools. This monthly newsletter highlights school volunteers and partners that are making important contributions to student success, both inside and outside the classroom. Both myself and each V&P liaison at the schools are here to help promote the great things that each of you are doing in the schools and to help you navigate the volunteer process. We look forward to highlighting you in the upcoming newsletters.
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Arlington Public Schools would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all who so generously donated school supplies for our students. Each year we receive an outpouring of support from organizations, government agencies, non-profits and community members. It is because of you, our students and teachers have the supplies they need to get the new school year off to a great start!

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Carlin Springs Elementary School

Thanks to the enormous community support, our students, teachers, and classrooms were prepared and stocked with supplies and tools for learning! Our network of supporters have helped ensure our students are ready to transition back to school this fall. We were able to provide over 200 students with backpacks, supplies and filled our school clothing closet. Every gift has helped us start the school year stronger. Thank you to our amazing parents from St. Ann Catholic Church; the Arlington Jaycees; St. John’s Episcopal Church; and dozens of other groups and individual donors who purchased items from our school's Amazon Wish List.

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Arlington Career Center

The English Language Institute located in the Arlington Career Center would like to thank the Arlington County Police Department for delivering backpacks for our students to start the school year off.

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Hoffman-Boston Elementary School

Thanks to the generous donations of school supplies from the Defense Intelligence Agency, the American Legion Auxiliary and Dorie Miller Post, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, and Mt. Olive Baptist Church, students at Hoffman-Boston can have the supplies they need to start the school year. These wonderful community partners have supported Hoffman-Boston with annual school supply drives for many years. Their continued support not only helps provide our students with the tools they need to learn and be successful, but also benefits our families, teachers, and the entire Hoffman-Boston school community.

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Volunteer Opportunities

APS is committed to attracting, encouraging and retaining dedicated volunteers to support student learning. We welcome parents, grandparents, and community members to participate in numerous ways. Check out the current volunteer opportunities below.

Abingdon Elementary School

Abingdon Elementary School’s PTA, in partnership with Abingdon’s Volunteer and Partnership Liaison, is eager to build a strong volunteer base to support the students, teachers, and school community this year. The PTA launched a new website and volunteer form to gather information about interests, skills, and availability of potential volunteers. One need we are hoping to meet is volunteers who speak Amharic, Arabic, and Mongolian to help translate newsletters, flyers, and other communication with families. For more information please contact Nicole Jondahl at Nicole.Jondahl@apsva.us


Arlington Community High School

Arlington Community High School is currently seeking tutors with flexible work schedules to help between 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and 5:30 – 9 p.m. Tutors will meet 1:1 on a weekly basis. We are currently seeking tutors to help our students in Economics and Personal Finance, English Literature, Biology, and Algebra 1. For more information, please contact Daniel Castillo at Daniel.Castillo@apsva.us


Kenmore Middle School is currently recruiting volunteers with flexible work schedules to help start a mentoring/tutoring program after school. There will be a short virtual orientation/training and very flexible hours. Kenmore needs tutors for: 6th, 7th, and 8th grade English Language Arts, 8th grade Pre-Algebra/Algebra, 8th grade Physical Science, Family Consumer Science, and 6th/7th grade Math. Tutors are needed every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:15 pm. All volunteers must submit the Arlington Public Schools Volunteer Application:

For further information or if you have any questions, please contact Alam Lainez at Alam.Lainez@apsva.us


Gunston

Gunston Middle Schools is seeking volunteers to help with math and reading during the school day. There are also opportunities for after-school help with various clubs. Any help would be appreciated by the teachers. Please contact Tamika Rector at Tamika.Rector@apsva.us for more information.

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APS Parent Volunteers

Parent volunteers play an important role in APS. Not only are they great resources for teachers and a solid support for the school community, but parent volunteers also demonstrate to their children and others that school is important and worth the time and effort. Lets take a glimpse around the system and see how our parents are making a difference.
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Long Branch Elementary School

The third grade at Long Branch Elementary School School welcomes an energetic group of parent volunteers. These parents are committed to supporting students and teachers as they helped to make a difference in the learning experience by accompanying classes at the Outdoor Lab!

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Taylor Elementary School

Taylor Elementary School has enjoyed our volunteer parents coming in on Thursdays and Fridays to be "Mystery Readers" in our kindergarten and first grade classes. Parents love to read to their child's classrooms and surprise them with their presence.
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Cardinal Elementary School

Cardinal parents, Amy and Paul Graddon have volunteered for the past 2 years. They have read the story about understanding dwarfism, I’m Just Small, That’s All. The author, Karalee Braithwaite, helps kids understand that despite dwarfism being a difference, kids with dwarfism are still regular kids. Cardinal strives for our students to know it’s okay to be different, that differences make the world wonderful and that no matter how many ways we may be different, one thing that we all have in common is our feelings.

Let's Talk About Food!

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Arlington Community High School - Food for Neighbors and Amazon Fresh

Shoutout to Food for Neighbors and Amazon Fresh who recently stopped by Arlington Community to unload food to give to the students. We are so thankful for all who came by to help.

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The Food Bus @ Cardinal

The Food Bus at Cardinal is kicking off, thanks to our wonderful volunteers who have taken this over. The Food Bus is a program where students put food items that have not been opened in the refrigerator or bins for donation to the Arlington Food Assistance Center.

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Partner Spotlight

The Montessori Public School of Arlington has a new partnership with local restaurant, Los Chamacos. They support our hard-working teachers and staff by reserving a premium group space, once a month, for a get together after work hours, where everyone can unwind, relax and enjoy discounted food and drink prices. Partnerships like these have had a wonderful effect on morale and have exponentially boosted workplace camaraderie.


Glebe Elementary School has recently signed a partnership agreement with RESET, a volunteer-powered organization of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professionals whose mission is to motivate children to discover and explore the worlds of science and math. RESET encourages students to consider education and career choices in related fields. Glebe students and staff are excited about the new partnership.

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Quotes from Williamsburg Staff, Volunteers, and Students

"I love volunteering in several education programs in Arlington, including Junior Achievement because of my passion for education. I love any opportunity to share knowledge because I learn something new too. I strongly values JA’s curriculum because it helps address a national problem that crosses all parts of society, regardless of education level, socio-economic status, or gender." - Bernie Piper, Williamsburg Middle School


I joined Helping Hands because it's a great opportunity to help the community out.

You also make a lot of friends, and many fun memories. Vivian Lynch 7th grader at Williamsburg MS


"Our Volunteers make our programs shine. We are grateful for their support" - Christine Williams STEAM Teacher