Volunteer at Garfield High School
Volunteering at Garfield HS
Garfield’s Staff and Students Need YOU!
Greetings from your Volunteer Coordinator!! My name is Jhitana (Jit-Thona) Ball! I am super excited to be in this new position! My role is to be the bridge between the school needs, parents, faculty, and community. This position will allow you, the parents, and guardians of Garfield students, to participate in any capacity.
We are looking to create a diverse program where our volunteers reflect our students and their needs. With the possibility this encourages everyone to engage within programs. Dr. Hart and I will be working closely to prioritize the needs of the students, and the Garfield community.
The Garfield Staff and PTSA urge you to volunteer to work with our students, faculty and administrators so that Garfield High School is a place where every student thrives. We welcome and encourage the involvement of all parents and guardians, as well as members of the community.
~ Thank you! Jhitana Ball (GHS Volunteer Coordinator). Please feel free to email me at jlball@seattleschools.org to get more information or if you can help out.
Immediate & Current Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers Needed
For additional information, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Jhitana Ball at jlball@seattleschools.org.
- Hallway and Campus Support
- After School Programming
- Academic Coaching/Tutoring
- Testing
- Career Exploration
Please refer to the PTSA GHS Website page for more opportunities.
Even More Ways to Volunteer
There are many ways to volunteer with Garfield, either through the PTSA or within the school. PTSA requests tend to be one-time, event related commitments. The opportunities within the school are typically more long-term, once/week opportunities, but occasionally a staff member will have a short term, project-related request. To learn more about even more volunteer opportunities at Garfield, please contact the GHS Volunteer Coordinator Jhitana Ball; jlball@seattleschools.org
Field Trip Chaperones
In addition to the volunteer paperwork, all Chaperones must sign the field trip guidelines for volunteer chaperones form.
District Updates
How to Apply to Volunteer with Seattle Public Schools
Why Volunteer in Your Child’s School?
- Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates
- Better attendance
- Increased motivation & self-esteem
Checklist for New Volunteers
Visit our volunteer website to:
- Review volunteer handbook
- Complete online training
- Apply securely online
- Background check required
Questions? Contact your school office or visit the SPS Volunteer page to learn more.
Additional Steps for Certain Volunteer Roles
The following volunteer roles require a national background check, regardless of how long the volunteer has resided in Washington:
- Unsupervised volunteers who work with children regularly (including remote/virtual volunteers).
- Volunteers chaperoning overnight field trips longer than three days.
- Volunteers involved in any sports or gym activities coordinated by the school (for Athletics see *).
If situations 2 or 3 apply to you, visit the volunteer website to learn more.
* Important: Athletic coaches must apply via SPS Athletics Department.
Sports Safety
All gym and sports volunteers must be current on CPR, First Aid, Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Concussion Courses.
Field Trips
Field trip volunteers supervise students. Once approved to volunteer, request additional forms from the field trip organizer to review and acknowledge your important responsibilities.
Keeping Students Safe
Child Abuse Prevention
Nationally, one in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before age 18. Volunteers help to protect children by learning to recognize and report potential abuse.
At SPS, each volunteer completes an online Sexual Misconduct Prevention training before start of their service.
Criminal Background Check
- If you have lived in Washington State for the past three (3) years, SPS will complete your state background check at no cost to you.
- If you came to Washington from another state in the past three years, you will need to purchase a one-time national background check.
New or newly returned to the U.S.?
Visit the SPS Volunteer page for more information.
Why is there a fee for out-of-state background checks?
Unlike our state, the federal government does not provide schools with free screening tools. SPS selected a vendor to offer secure, affordable background checks for the volunteers who need them ($21 in most cases).
Frequently Asked Questions
I completed an online application last year. Do I have to reapply this year?
Your online application is on file so please do not create a new application. On your second volunteer anniversary, you will receive an email with login instructions to renew your application.
Can I use my smart phone to apply?
Our online volunteer application is smart-phone friendly.
Thank you for helping create safe schools, and for your generous donation of time and talent!