PARENT HOUR COMMITMENT PROGRAM

Purpose

Sacred Heart Academy’s “parent hour” program has a three-fold purpose:

1. To support fundraising and other vital school-related functions;
2. To foster parent-parent and parent-teacher relationships; and
3. To set an example of community service for our students.

Requirements

• Each two-parent household must fulfill an annual commitment of 40 hours.
• Each one-parent household must fulfill an annual commitment of 20 hours.
• These hours must be earned by the end of April for each school year.
• Hours not earned by the end of April will be billed at the rate of $10 per hour.
• Hours earned in May are applied to next year’s commitment.

Guidelines

1. Parents are responsible for reporting their own hours. Reporting forms are available in the school office and may be sent home from time to time. Forms should be sent or delivered to the “parent hours” box in the school office. Courtesy statements summarizing reported hours are sent home at least twice each school year.
2. Parents are strongly urged to pace themselves throughout the school year in order for everyone to get the maximum benefit from this program. In other words, each family should strive to earn 20 parent hours (10 hours for a single-parent household) by Christmas.
3. Parents with jobs that offer flex time or paid volunteer time are encouraged to take advantage of their workplace programs so that they can participate in their child’s school day. There are, however, many ways of earning hours that can take place outside of the school day.
4. Any adult can earn “parent hours” on behalf of a family, with prior notice. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and siblings at least 18 years old are especially welcome to participate. Circumstances by which non-custodial parents and other adults can earn “parent hours” may be limited by the terms of visitation agreements, Safe Environment requirements, and school policies.
5. If a parent has a medical disability or other extenuating circumstance and is unable to earn “parent hours” as a result, a request for a reduction or complete waiver of the annual requirement may be submitted to the principal in writing. The school reserves the right to request supporting documentation when considering any such request.
6. Parents who are able but do not wish to participate in the “parent hour” commitment program should submit a letter to that effect to the principal by September 15th. They will be billed at a rate of $10 per hour, and this bill will be payable upon receipt.
7. Except as otherwise noted in the program policy, all questions or concerns regarding "parent hours” should be directed to the HEART Club president, president-elect, or vice president. These HEART Club representatives or the school’s business manager may also contact families to discuss any reported “parent hours” which do not appear to qualify.

Acceptable Opportunities

• New student recruitment. The family of an existing student can receive ten (10) parent hours for each student of a new family they recruit. The new family must fully register (including the payment of all registration, enrollment, and enrichment fees) in order for the existing family to claim the recruitment.
• Safe Environment training. Parents can earn “parent hours” for attending the training that is mandatory prior to one-on-one student contact situations, such as chaperoning field trips. They can also claim one parent hour for each $10 in fees paid for related background and driving record checks.
• Involvement in the School Advisory Council (S.A.C.) or one of its committees. Board members and committee chairpersons for S.A.C. automatically meet their family’s parent hour requirement. Participation in committee work is also eligible for parent hours.
• Volunteering as a homeroom parent. Each homeroom parent automatically meets 20 hours of their family’s requirement (40 hours if their classroom does not have two homeroom parents).
• Involvement in the Home, Education, Attitude, Respect and Togetherness (HEART) Club. Board members and fundraising event chairpersons for the school’s parent-teacher organization automatically meet their family’s parent hour requirement. Attendance at a general HEART Club meeting (typically held at least twice a year) is also eligible for parent hours.
• Volunteering at school fundraising and fun-raising events, including HEART Club committee meetings and event preparation work that can sometimes be done at home or on weekends.
• Donation of items for HEART Club fundraising and fun-raising events. Purchased supplies will earn one parent hour per $10 cost. Procurement of silent auction items will earn a minimum of one parent hour per item (parent hours for an item with a retail value over $100 are negotiable and may depend on the winning auction bid).
• Arranging sponsors or purchasing admission to Evening of Chance, the Golf Tournament, or similar “home grown” fundraising events. Specific parent hour opportunities will be announced for each event.
• Donating products requested by the school or from a teacher’s “wish” list, including “specials” teachers and Angel Care, at a rate of one parent hour per $10 cost or value. The school’s monthly newsletter and special notices will be used to notify parents of current requests. At this time, donations of computer hardware and software are not requested. If parents would like to propose the donation of other products or services that have not been requested, they should contact the school’s business manager.
• Assisting teachers or staff. Parents should contact the applicable teacher or staff if this opportunity is of interest. The school’s monthly newsletter, special notices, sign-up sheets on the HEART Club bulletin board(s) and contact from the homeroom parent will also be used to announce specific requests.
• Sacred Heart Parish Community involvement. Sacred Heart Academy parents who participate in other ministries within the Sacred Heart Parish Community help foster a “two campuses, one parish” environment that benefits the school. In recognition of this cross-pollination effect, parents may earn one parent hour for membership in another ministry (max. of two hours) OR five parent hours for a leadership role in another ministry.

Unacceptable Options

The following items are applauded, but do NOT qualify for parent hours:

• Purchase of student/classroom supplies for each school year
• Classroom birthday and other snacks not requested by the teacher
• Purchase of raffle/drawing/carnival tickets
• Donation or purchase of used or new P.E./Spirit/dress uniform items
• Donations to other charities, including collections made at school
• Gifts to teachers or staff
• Attendance at weekly Masses at school or church services outside of school
• Participation in First Communion or Confirmation preparation sessions