Random Acts of Appreciation

As part of a new effort to randomly show appreciation to CFISD staff throughout the district, the community engagement department has arranged deliveries of special treats to campuses and facilities. Most recently, the VIPS (Volunteers in Public Schools) executive board filled approximately 240 bags of chocolate and delivered them to staff at the Science Resource Center, Emmott ES and Metcalf ES. More information about the community engagement department can be found on the district website. For more information about partnering with CFISD, contact Leslie Francis at 281-894-3950.

Matzke WatchD.O.G.S. Program Launch

Photo by Scott Moore

The Matzke Elementary School WatchD.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) program got off to a great start with a pizza night for all the Matzke fathers on Sept. 15.

More than 100 WatchD.O.G.S. and their children showed up for the event, where they signed up forWatchD.O.G.S. days to volunteer at the campus throughout the school year.

Matzke received donations from H-E-B, McDonald’s and Dattz Pizza for the program launch.

“The best part of the night was when one daddy signed up next to another one, and they shook hands and introduced each other and kept chatting about the program,” said Matzke assistant principal Kyla Mote. “We brought the community together. Many dads volunteered to help more than the one day that we asked of them. It was a total success!”

Become a Mentor

The CFISD Mentor Program is a cooperative effort of volunteers designed to encourage elementary, middle and high school students to finish school and focus on future education and career goals. A mentor is a suitable role model committed to helping a student with her or his academic and social development. 

In the 2013-2014 school year, over 400 mentors were matched with students.

Jim Black, a senior vice president at Caldwell Companies, commented on his CFISD volunteer experience: 

"I've only been involved with the mentoring program for a short time, but it provides me a great opportunity to build into a young man's life.  The experience is challenging at times, but is ultimately extremely rewarding. That moment when you "break through" with the student and develop a bond of trust is a game changer.  Very pleased to be in the program and would highly recommend it to other potential mentors."

To become a mentor you must:

• attend a training session;
• complete a global volunteer/mentor application; and
• consent to a criminal record check.

Dates for training sessions can be found on the district website. If you would like to schedule mentor training at your place of business, contact Leslie Francis by email or phone, 281-894-3950.

Community Engagement Volunteer Opportunities

If you would like to donate your time and energy to help CFISD students, Community Engagement is here to help you get started. Community Engagement is the CFISD department responsible for several volunteer programs. Bus Buddies is one program that is currently in need of volunteers.

Bus Buddies is a partnership between volunteers and CFISD to provide assistance to elementary students to help them get off the bus at the correct location. You can sign up to become a Bus Buddy by filling out and submitting an application. No formal training is necessary.  Upon receiving your application, Community Engagement will send you the Bus Buddy procedures that volunteers need to follow.

Another way to volunteer is to become a mentor. All schools are in need of mentors. Mentors are suitable role models committed to helping students with academic and social development. More information can be found on the Community Engagement section of the website.

There are many other opportunities to volunteer with CFISD, and it is easy to get started. Parents, grandparents or legal guardians of CFISD students can sign up to volunteer by filling out the online Volunteer Registration Form. All others must fill out the Global Volunteer Application. Both applications can be found on the volunteer section of the CFISD website. All visitors are required to present a valid driver’s license or other valid government-issued ID in the main office. The complete list of guidelines can be found in the school policy.

For more information on how you or your company can partner with CFISD, contact Leslie Francis at the Community Engagement department, 281-894-3950.