Adopt A School

GUIDELINES

Sons of Norway Adopt A School

The Sons of Norway Adopt A School Program creates a partnership between lodges and schools. The objective is to enrich the scholastic, cultural and community experiences of school-aged children.


The mission of Sons of Norway is to promote, preserve, and cherish a lasting appreciation of the heritage and culture of Norway and other Nordic countries while growing soundly as a fraternal benefit society and offering maximum benefits to its members. Lodges address the mission by offering cultural and social opportunities within their communities.

Sons of Norway members are a diverse group, who work or have worked in many different jobs and professions. They are well traveled and well educated and active in their communities. Many are retired and can share a wealth of experience with students, many who may not have opportunities to be with adults other than their parents. Younger Sons of Norway members have their work and family experiences to share.

Through the Adopt A School Program, the lodges can offer the direct involvement of their members at schools as volunteers. They can also sponsor activities and events for the students and their families, and they can provide funds for special projects in the school. Lodges can adopt one or more local schools as a means to focus their volunteer and service efforts for maximum and direct positive impacts in the community.

Adoptions are based upon the needs of the individual schools as reported by the principals, teachers, parents, and students. Lodges provide volunteers, activities and events based on the abilities and interests of their members.

The Adopt A School Program will provide positive public relations for participating
lodges.

To get started, the lodge selects a coordinator and committee for the program.

The coordinator may be an officer or a member who volunteers to serve in that role. To get member buy-in, communicate with all members and invite them to participate!

STEP ONE

Once you appoint a lodge coordinator, please inform your district Adopt A School
coordinator.

STEP TWO

Create structure and plan for the program's success. The lodge coordinator and committee
will decide which school to adopt with member suggestions. In selecting a
school, consider:

  1. relationship of members to schools,
  2. location of the school, and
  3. needs of the school.

Find out what kind of volunteer service your lodge is interested in providing before you visit the school. Be flexible so that you can customize your service to meet the needs of the school. Have members complete a survey of interests and suggestions (See sample SURVEY OF INTEREST.)

Seek to build a relationship with the adopted school: its staff, students, and families. Your involvement in the program is limited only by the bounds of your imagination and creativity.

STEP THREE

Send a letter or call the principal of the selected school. (see sample.) Follow up with a telephone call and meeting. Not only do you want buy-in from your members, but also from the school. The goals for this meeting are to introduce the principal to the concept of Adopt A School and decide what level of involvement is desired. Share with the principal the background of the program and all the necessary details. Let the school make suggestions about what they would like. Together, you can design the
program based upon needs of the school and the talents and interests of your members. This step could occur over several meetings. Don't be surprised if it does not all happen in one sitting. Optional--You may wish to formalize a short agreement between you and the school. (See sample ADOPT A SCHOOL AGREEMENT.)

STEP FOUR

Recruit volunteers. Many of your members may have already signed up for service. Get back to them with specific needs. Start planning at least one event, activity or fund raiser that your lodge is going to do for the school.

STEP FIVE

With the school representative, schedule and hold an orientation meeting for the volunteers and teachers. The purpose of this meeting is to allow the volunteers to become familiar with the school, its policies, and the faculty. Although you and the principal together will decide on a time, make sure that both the faculty and the volunteers will be able to attend. Immediately after school is usually the best time for an introduction to the school. Allow the principal to go over important school policies (fire and tornado drills, dress codes, etc.). Allow volunteers and teachers time to meet together. Volunteers who will work with specific teachers need to meet the teachers and see the classrooms.

Determine if specific training is needed. For example, tutors may need specialized training. Whenever possible, work with the school staff to develop job descriptions for regular volunteers. Some schools may have volunteer guide books. If your school doesn’t, perhaps one of your members would be willing to work on one.

STEP SIX

Begin the program. Make sure that volunteers sign-in before every visit. Encourage them to fill out an evaluation regularly. The school will probably want them to signing for security purposes, and it also allows the program director to track the volunteers. Evaluation is important because it will allow the lodge or school to learn from the volunteers and make appropriate changes. The lodge Adopt A School coordinator should visit the school once every couple of weeks to review sign-in sheets and evaluations. If a volunteer is having an attendance problem or raises concerns, look into the situation and take steps to remedy it.

STEP SEVEN

Evaluate and revise as needed. Keep your volunteers happy! Share success stories. Have volunteers meet now and then. Recognize them at lodge meetings and in lodge newsletters. Ask questions and communicate with the members and the school staff .

Role of Lodge coordinator with committee.
n With President, convene committee.
n Use toolkit as guide.
n Be contact person to report on the program to your District coordinator
and apply for Sons of Norway Adopt A School matching funds.
n Meet with members to get input of members for the program.
n Be the contact with the school on the program.
n Be the contact for the volunteers.
n Encourage the lodge to support the Adopt A School Program.

Role of lodge members:
n Offer suggestions to select a school or schools.
n Suggest volunteer projects and activities.
n Serve as volunteers
The toolkit provides suggestions for completing the suggested steps.

Benefits and Ideas
The Benefits

Sons of Norway members are a diverse group of people working in or retired from many different jobs and professions. They are well traveled and well educated.

Through the Adopt A School Program our members will serve as community bridge builders, to help students expand their learning.

Here are some of the benefits of the Adopt A School Program:

  • bringing experience to those who need experience.
  • creating mutual understanding through face-to-face dialog and contact.
  • promoting school as a learning center for all ages.
  • promoting positive adult images to youth.
  • bringing lessons of the past and real-life experiences to the classroom.
  • offering an understanding of culture and heritage from those who want to share their interests.

Ideas for Adopt A School Program:

Check with the School. They may have existing programs that fit your lodge.
Tutoring. Members who can commit to tutoring students in need of extra help.
Room Grandparents. This is a concept at the elementary level that goes
beyond just tutoring. The “grandparents” spend time with the students
on a more informal basis than tutoring. They bring a wide variety of
cultural and educational experiences into the classroom.
Mentorships. Volunteers work with talented and gifted students on special
projects.
Computer Laboratory Assistant. Volunteers with computer knowledge and
experience can tutor students.
Folk Fair. This activity allows members to share their crafts, arts, skills, and
music with the students. This is an excellent way to keep alive cultural
and ethnic heritage.
Apprenticeships. Volunteers work with small groups of students on a regular basis—in a concentrated craft, hobby, or interest area.
Teaching Arts and Crafts. Volunteers help students with arts and crafts
projects in classes or small groups.
Musical Presentations. “Kitchen bands,” musical groups, and individual
musicians share their talents and skills with students.
Discussion Groups. Volunteers discuss their personal history or discuss
current events issues with students.
Oral History. Volunteers come into the classroom to talk about what life was
like when they were students and on other topics of interest. They may
bring memorabilia to show.
Storytelling. Favorite stories from the past are told in a dramatic fashion.
Media Center Helper. Volunteers check out books, read stories, and
perform other duties as needed.
Teacher’s Helper. Volunteers make bulletin boards and booklets, correct
papers and workbooks, and help the teacher with other paperwork.
Service-Learning Projects. Members may work with a class to perform a
service project that is connected to the curriculum.

ROLE OF THE DISTRICT SONS OF NORWAY COORDINATOR
1. The most important thing is that the coordinator be a district champion
of the Adopt A School Program. This person may be a member of the
District Board but need not be.
2. The District Coordinator will communicate with lodges via phone,
e-mail and through the zone/sub-district directors to ensure that each
lodge appoints an Adopt A School coordinator.
3. The District Coordinator will work with the district presidents/board to
develop an action plan to ensure participation by local lodges in the
Adopt A School Program.
4. The District Coordinator will provide information to zone/sub district
directors so they will be able to promote the Adopt A School Program
during lodge visits.
5. The District Coordinator will serve as a resource to help lodges
implement Adopt A School and answer questions.
6. The District Coordinator will receive from the local lodges the name of
the local lodge Adopt A School coordinator and communicate that
person’s name to the Fraternal Department at:
adoptaschool@sonsofnorway.com

DISTRICT COORDINATORS
ADOPT A SCHOOL PROGRAM
District 1 Marilyn Syverson
210 South Street
Morris, MN 56267
320-589-1228
msyverson@hometownsolutions.net
District 2 Darlene Satterlee
24505 250th Avenue SE
Maple Valley, WA 98038
425-432-1529
darmv@aol.com
District 3 Kenneth Johnson
3 Derry Street
Patchogue, NY 11772
631-289-3580
kjohnson@keyspanenergy.com
District 4 Gloria Johnson
2309 4th Ave. South
Great Falls, MT 59405
406-453-3764
gloriajteach@great-falls.net
District 5 Gilbert Bergsrud
1910 Lochaven Road
West Bloomfield, MI 48324
248-363-0850 Ext. 790
gilandrita@aol.com
Distrrict 6 Mary Beth Ingvoldstad
17207 Squirrel Hill Road
Middletown, CA 95461
707-987-2404
cingvoldst@aol.com
District 7 Karen Ring
110-10866
Surrey, BC V3T 5W9
ring+AF8-k+AEA-hotmail.com
District 8 Name not furnished

 
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