Mandatory Service Hours Program

The mission of ICS is to foster in each student, spiritual growth, academic excellence, and moral integrity. We believe that children succeed when the family, parish, and school communities partner on their behalf. We also believe that families have a responsibility to invest in the success of the school community.

Since direct tuition payments and subsidies from the Parish are not sufficient to fund all programs, we have come to recognize that all members of the ICS community need to participate in supporting a rich and broad program for our students.

ICS has implemented a program of Mandatory Service Hours. This program encourages broader participation and recognizes those who support our school. It also provides a means for those not able to provide service hours to make a buy-out payment in lieu of performing service hours.

What is the Mandatory Service Hour Commitment?

Each family of ICS is expected to serve for a minimum of 25 hours per year. For the 2009-2010 school year, these hours will be accumulated from June 1, 2009 through May 31, 2010. Families have an option to make buy-out payments in lieu of serving these hours at a rate of $25 per hour for those hours in which they cannot participate. A complete buy-out would be calculated as $25 x 25 hours = $625.

Are Service Hour Buy-Out Payments Tax Deductible?

Service Hour buy-out payments are NOT tax deductible.

What qualifies for Mandatory Service hours?

Mandatory Service Hours are intended to support:

A. Fund raising

B. Activities which are cost saving to the school or allow teachers to focus on core academic programs

C. Other school sponsored activities that are critical to meeting our mission.

The list of activities that qualify for service hours can be found on the school's web site.

What does not qualify – In order to assure that we have coverage of school sponsored events, some activities that occur at Immaculate Conception School in which family members may participate will not qualify as Mandatory Service Hours.

· Hours served at SAC or EAC meetings - we do not want to encourage participation on these committees as a means to accumulating Mandatory Service Hours.

· Externally sponsored activities not central to the school mission. For example:

· CCD

· Boy Scouts

· Cub Scouts

· Brownies

· Girl Scouts

· Classroom parties

· Classroom events which are clearly social in nature

Who may perform the Mandatory Service Hours?

The intent of the Mandatory Service Hours is to build a close community with the immediate families of the children of ICS and not to have these obligations served by others. In order for volunteer work to qualify for Mandatory Service the activity must be performed by parents, legal guardians, siblings over 21 years of age, or grandparents.

Mandatory Service Hours may not be performed by a member of one family for another family without the permission of the pastor.

The goal is to place volunteers where needed. ICS will to do its best to place volunteers in their preferred activities while meeting this goal. However, based on the needs of the program, it may not always be possible to place volunteers in their preferred activities.

How will Mandatory Service hours be tracked?

ICS Event Coordinators will determine the number of hours required for each event and will utilize a tracking form to track hours for each event. These forms will be collected and provided to the mandatory service hour database administrator who will track and report total hours served to each family via the school's web site.

Failure to meet the requirements of the Mandatory Service Hours program will be treated as non-payment of tuition, with the same consequences. The Pastor is always willing to discuss exceptional circumstances.

Is the Mandatory Service Hour Commitment Pro-Rated if Our Child is Enrolled After the Start of the School Year?

Yes, the pro-ration is as follows -

• For students accepted between June 1st and October 15th: the annual requirement is not reduced.
• For students accepted between October 16th and January 15th: the annual requirement is reduced by 25%
• For students accepted between January 16th and April 15th: the annual requirement is reduced by 50%
• For students accepted after April 15th: the annual requirement is eliminated

Activities for June 1, 2009 – May 31, 2010
If you are interested in volunteering for service hours, you should contact the coordinator of the event, who will inform you of availability of service time.
Activities that occur during the school day:
Activity		Hours		Coordinator		Do I need "Protecting God's Children" training & fingerprinting to perform this activity?
Assist teacher as requested in classroom		1-2 hrs. as needed		Teacher		Yes
Photocopy		2 hrs./week – 10 people		School Secretary		No
Weekly packet assembly		3 hrs./week – 3 people		School Secretary		No
Recess Assistant		90 minutes/day – 3 people		School Secretary		Yes
Work at Book Fair		TBD		Book Fair Coordinator		No
Fill SCRIP orders		1 hr./week – 5 people		SCRIP Coordinator		No
Assist Art Teacher		16 hrs. available per week		Art Teacher		Yes
Assist in library		18 hrs. available per week		Librarian – Mrs. Puleo		Yes
Assist Tech. Coordinator		TBD		School Tech. Coordinator		No
After-Care Assistant		3hrs. per wk. – 5 people		School Principal – Mrs. Reilly		Yes
Assist with St. Nicholas Shoppe		4 hrs. - 20 people		St. Nicholas Shoppe Coordinator		No
Car line		1 hr. per morning weekly		School Secretary		No
Activities that occur after the school day:
Activity	Hours		Coordinator		Do I need "Protecting God's Children" training & fingerprinting to perform this activity?
Bake for an event (class parties excluded)	1 hr.		Hospitality Chair		No
Coordinate an event - to be announced periodically	Hours to be determined		Event Coordinator		No
Work an event	Hours to be recorded		Event Coordinator		No
Scholastic book orders for classroom	2 hours/month		Teacher		No
Sell SCRIP after mass	30 min./week - 5 people each week		SCRIP Coordinator		No
Work Pancake Breakfast	3 hr. shifts - 10 people per month		HSA Breakfast Coordinator		No
Sell 50/50 at Pancake Breakfast	4 hrs./month		HSA Breakfast Coordinator		No
Assist with school play	Hours to be determined		Director of School Play – Mrs. Meo		Yes, unless no children are present.
Serve on a Parish Festival Planning Committee	Hours to be determined		Parish Festival Coordinator – Laura Vitelli		No
Serve on the Home School Association (HSA)	Hours to be determined		School Principal – Mrs. Reilly		No
Assist with cleaning detention basin	Hours to be determined		Coordinator – TBD		No
Assist with cleaning classrooms	1 hour daily x 16 rooms		Coordinator – TBD		Yes
Assist with set-up/clean-up St. Nicholas Shoppe	4 hrs. - 20 people		St. Nicholas Shoppe Coordinator		No
Coach school teams	Hours to be determined		Sports Program Coordinators – Jeff Ulrich, Laura Ostrowski		Yes
Help with Development Committee activities	Hours to be determined		Director of Development – Ken Sanchez		No
Assist with school sponsored after-school clubs	2 hrs./week x 10 weeks per session		Club Coordinator		Yes
Assist with SCRIP tracking & administration	Hours to be determined		SCRIP Coordinator		No
Assist with Mandatory Service Hours Program tracking & admin.	Hours to be determined		Coordinator – TBD		No