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    NHS volunteers  

     Neshaminy Volunteers

    		 Hoover Field Day  
     
     
    Neshaminy School District recognizes that volunteers can make valuable contributions to the school district. The Board encourages the use of volunteers, subject to the guidelines set forth in this policy. This policy is established to formalize Board practices and to provide measures for a safe environment for all employees and students, in full compliance with laws and guidelines mandated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

    Definition of a volunteer

    Volunteer – One who voluntarily provides a service to the school district without compensation. The building principal authorizes the selection and use of parents/guardians, community members, and others, as volunteers to assist and supplement regular school district staff. The principal will provide a policy letter to each volunteer and obtain an affirmation form to be completed by the volunteer. Under no circumstances shall a volunteer be considered an employee of the district. A volunteer shall receive no wages or other valuable consideration for the performance of volunteer services. The volunteer position is not a right, but a privilege that is conferred by the Board. Any such volunteer position may be eliminated at any time for any reason or no reason.
     

    Who needs to obtain volunteer clearances?

     
     Any adult applying for or holding a volunteer position who is responsible for a child's welfare or has direct contact with children during curricular or co-curricular activities needs to obtain volunteer clearances. Examples include coaching assistants, classroom volunteers, Home & School activity volunteers, playground volunteers, office volunteers, field trip chaperones, or school musical / drama volunteers. Clearances are not needed for such activities as concession stand operators (as long as children are not also working in the concession stand), 50/50 or raffle ticket sales at school and sports events, or one-time classroom visitors or educational speakers (though proper ID is still required for all school visitors).
     
    If you have any questions as to whether a clearance and affirmation is needed for a particular volunteer role or activity, please contact your school principal. 

    Don't Wait! 

    Act 34 - the Pennsylvania State Police Clearance - can take 2 to 4 weeks to process and Act 151 - the Child Abuse History Clearance - can also take 2 to 4 weeks. You will NOT be allowed to volunteer or chaperone a school trip unless all appropriate volunteer paperwork is complete and submitted.
     
     
    New Volunteer Registration / Activity Request Information

    Our new system allows registration for multiple schools at once, volunteers will be able to identify activities they would like to participate in when volunteering, and will allow users to track the number of hours they volunteer using this new service.

    https://appgarden5.app-garden.com/VolTrackPA97502.nsf

    The first time you access the system you will need to click on the registration link to register your email address and create a password.  Click on the:

     New registration button icon

    You will receive an e-mail confirming your e-mail address.  Then, go to your e-mail and click on the link in the e-mail to access the registration page.  Once the application is submitted, you will receive an e-mail that the application is submitted.   Background checks will be initiated if needed based on the activity level selected.  An e-mail will notify you when they are approved. 

     Procedure for obtaining volunteer clearances / background checks
     
     
     
     
    2 - Print, read and sign the Volunteer Affirmation
     
    3 - Read and fill out the Act 24 Arrest / Conviction Report and Certification form
     
     
    4 - Apply for the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check - Act 34 at https://epatch.pa.gov/home 
     
    There is no cost for volunteer checks.  Helpful hints: 
    •    You do NOT need to create a user name and password to do this clearance.
    •    You should click on new volunteer record check.. 
    •    After you have filled in all the information required, and it has been submitted and paid for, you will receive one of 3 results:
    Request Under Review - If a background check has returned a result of "Request Under Review". The review process will be completed in approximately 2 - 3 weeks.  So check back in 2 to 3 weeks to view an updated status. 
    No Record - you will need to print the certification form by clicking on the Certification Form hyperlink.
    NOTE: THE CERTIFICATION FORM SHOULD BE PRINTED OR SAVED; ONCE VIEWED YOU WILL HAVE NO FURTHER ACCESS TO THE DOCUMENT (which is what needs to be turned into the office - NOT the receipt/invoice.)
    Record - the relevant information will be mailed to you and that is what you need to submit.
     

    5 - You must do either A or B below:

                A.  If you can answer NO to all 3 questions below, then print, read and sign the Volunteer Affadavit and have it notarized.
                      
                       1 - 

    Are you applying for a paid position?

                       2 - Are you attending a school trip that lasts 3 or more days?
                       3 - 
    Have you lived anywhere else, besides the state of Pennsylvania, in the past 10 years?
     
     
                 B.  If you answered YES to any of the 3 questions above you need to apply for your Federal Criminal History
                      Background Check - Act 114.  The cost of this clearance is $22.60 and can be obtained here:
     

    To help facilitate the correct form, volunteers and potential employees should use the following codes:

    The Service Code is 1KG6ZJ

    Applicants will need to visit a fingerprint scanning center, the nearest to Neshaminy are in Fairless Hills and Bensalem.
     
     
    6 - Apply for your Child Abuse History Clearance - Act 151, There is no cost for this clearance.
     
     
    This clearance requires you to create a new account.   After you create your new account you should have the following information readily available to help you complete your application:
    • Addresses where you have previously lived
    • Names of all individuals with whom you have lived to include parents, guardians, siblings, spouses, etc.

    If you have any questions about the Child Abuse History Clearance, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions page. If you need further assistance, please contact the ChildLine and Abuse Registry's Child Abuse Clearance Unit at 1-877-371-5422.

     
    7 - If your volunteer work involves 10 or more hours per week in direct contact with children, you must be tested for tuberculosis and show documentation that you are free from tuberculosis before serving as a volunteer.  This test can be completed by your family physician or at a qualified clinic (such as those found at some pharmacies), and will be at the volunteer's expense. TB tests generally take 3-4 days to complete. Provide a copy of the documentation from the test facility upon completion of the test.
     
    8 Once you have completed these steps, the clearance documents MUST be uploaded into the new volunteer registration website. You no longer need to submit copies to schools or separate copies if you have multiple children at different schools within Neshaminy School District.
     
     
     Please don’t let these procedures scare you away! 
     
    It is for the safety of our children. Neshaminy School District truly values our volunteers and appreciates the effort it takes to complete this process. If you have any questions, please contact the office staff at your child's school.
     
      Helpful Links