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Bring education to life.

Volunteer Opportunities

at Cedarwood

Hot Lunch Volunteers.jpg

Volunteer At Cedarwood

Being an active volunteer strengthens our community, fosters joy in our work efforts, and creates opportunities for connection. In giving your time and talent at Cedarwood, you help to model community engagement for all our children. Whether you feel called to make a larger commitment or contribute just an hour from time to time, there is a way for everyone to engage. We invite all volunteers to contribute to their capacity and in ways that are meaningful and fulfilling.

To ensure the safety of our students all volunteers are required to provide a signed background check form. You will need to deliver the background check form to Jo Wiersma in the front office. Please allow for a minimum of 30 days prior to the date in which you wish to volunteer for processing. The forms are sent to the Oregon Department of Education for verification and Cedarwood has no influence over the timing of this process.

All volunteer opportunities described in this guide are organized into the following categories:

  1. Parent Council

  2. Board of Trustees

  3. Social Life, Festivals, Emergency Preparedness, & Community Events

  4. Stewardship Work

  5. Outreach Volunteers

  6. Development Volunteer

  7. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

 

The Cedarwood Parent Council is one of the three pillars of Cedarwood’s governance, along with the board of trustees, and the faculty and administration. The mission of the parent council is to nurture, support, and develop a vibrant Waldorf community by fostering a positive social life, facilitating parent volunteerism, and offering dynamic parent education.

The parent council is led by two co-chairs and has a leadership team that includes a festivals chair, a representative to the DEIJ committee, an appreciation chair, and parent representatives from each class. The parent council meets monthly, and all community members are invited to attend the meetings.

These meetings furnish an excellent opportunity to learn what is happening at Cedarwood and a bit about the school’s policies and operations. There’s also time to chat with Cedarwood friends, old and new. All parents are welcome to attend parent council meetings.

TO PARTICIPATE IN PARENT COUNCIL, PLEASE ATTEND ONE OF THE MEETINGS OR VISIT THE PAGE FOR CONTACT INFORMATION.

 

Board of Trustees

Those interested in policy and strategic planning may be interested in joining the Cedarwood Board of Trustees. See the board page for more information. The board offers additional volunteer opportunities serving on their Finance, Development, Enrollment, and Facilities Committees.

TO INQUIRE ABOUT BEING A PART OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, PLEASE REACH OUT TO AMBER CLAYTON AT ACLAYTON@CEDARWOODSCHOOL.ORG.

 

Social Life, Festivals, & Community Events

Social Life

Throughout the academic year, the Parent Council hosts a number of social events, including seasonal coffee socials and faculty appreciation luncheons.

Appreciation Luncheons

Each month, Cedarwood volunteers show their appreciation by hosting a faculty luncheon. These events nourish our teachers during their meetings. Each class is assigned one luncheon per academic year. Our faculty appreciates all delicious food. If you’re looking for inspiration, they especially enjoy dishes with protein, such as deviled eggs or hummus, as well as fresh vegetables and gluten-free or whole-grain treats. A build-your-own sandwich bar, a crockpot of soup, or something as simple as nuts and dried fruit are all excellent choices for our faculty.

All-School Leaf Rake

All families are invited to participate in our all-school leaf rake. Bring your child and a rake, and help Portland Parks and Recreation clean up beautiful Lair Hill Park, which our children enjoy daily. Children jumping in leaf piles is welcomed!

Annual Cedarwood Spring Auction

The annual Cedarwood Spring Auction is an event not to be missed. Some say it’s the best party of the year! Cedarwood hosts an evening to celebrate our community, providing an opportunity for attendees to give back to the school. During the dinner portion of the evening, there is a live auction at which each class’s collaboratively created, handmade, project goes up for bids. Class teachers, students, parents, grandparents and special friends are all invited to participate in the design and creation of their class project.

Ways that you can contribute or volunteer for the auction are:

  • Class auction projects

  • Donations of goods, services, vacation properties

  • Set up and clean up

  • Performances and entertainment

  • Creative ideas

  • Support the behind-the-scenes activity of preparing food, beverages, and entertainment

  • Decorations and signage

  • Ticket sales and tracking

TO VOLUNTEER FOR SOCIAL LIFE, FESTIVALS, AND COMMUNITY EVENTS PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.

Festivals

Volunteers help support our faculty in the execution of our rich festival life at Cedarwood, including Micha-el, Lantern Walk, Dia de los Muertos, Diwali, Winter Spiral, Renewal of Light, and May Day. The Parent Council’s festivals chair invites further support from the greater Cedarwood community.

Emergency Preparedness

A community with a preparedness mindset, fully equipped and well-practiced, is our goal & a priority here at Cedarwood. We pursue this objective through several efforts, including:

  • Cedarwood's Safety & Emergency Committee (S&E)

  • Mutual Aid engagement with neighbors & wider community

  • Empowering CWS Parent Volunteers in four areas of involvement

If you are interested in participating in Cedarwood's Safety & Preparedness efforts, please fill out this form.

Winter Faire

Winter Faire is a fun and festive event for the children at Cedarwood and our greater Portland community. Volunteers come together the Friday evening before the event and transform our campus into a wintry, whimsical, wonderland. During the event, children and guests are invited to:

  • Listen to stories told by King and Queen Winter.

  • Visit the beautiful fairies in the Crystal Cookie Cave.

  • Find a lucky stone near the Wishing Stone Wizard.

  • Enjoy the sprinkling of magic dust by our sparkly Faire Fairy.

  • Pick the pockets of a peddler for a treasure.

  • Make beeswax candles.

  • Work with wool, felt and hard crafts.

  • Pick up a screen-printed shirt or bag.

  • Grab a nibble or enjoy lunch at the faire bakery and café.

  • Shop at the marketplace featuring local makers and artisans.

Winter Faire is Cedarwood’s most significant volunteer and outreach event of the year. Each class hosts an activity, prepares foods for the event, and helps with decorations, setup and cleanup. Preparations begin in October. The majority of volunteers’ efforts take place the weekend of the faire.

Volunteers can also support the event through:

  • Behind-the-scene activities including the marketplace, and food and beverages for the bakery and café.

  • Help to set up the outreach and alumni rooms.

  • Manage the setup and cleanup of decorations

  • Ticket sales and tracking

  • Make pocket treasures - Examples on our Pinterest.

Stewardship Committee and Hearth Tenders

This committee and the Hearth Tenders are of crucial importance to daily life at Cedarwood. Volunteers enhance and care for our building and the community, and manage services such as the library, costume room, and lost and found. The majority of the work is done independently, making this a great committee for those who want to be connected but have busier, less flexible schedules.

Specifically, the good work of these groups is to:

  • Keep the kitchen clean and useful.

  • Ensure the library is well organized and continue to develop a book wish list.

  • Help with small woodworking or building enhancement projects.

  • Add flowers to the gardens.

  • Keep the costume room and lost-and-found tidy and well-organized.

  • Prepare a meal for a family in the community welcoming a new baby or healing from an injury or other life event.

  • Welcome new families to the community throughout the academic year.

TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE OR HEARTH TENDERS PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.

Outreach Volunteers

Our community relies on volunteers to help support enrollment and development through outreach. Here are some of the ways in which volunteers can actively contribute to this important work by fulfilling the responsibilities outlined below.

Outreach Volunteers

  • Help set up and guide guest tours of Cedarwood at outreach events.

  • Call admitted families with a personal welcome.

  • Serve as a welcoming family to new community members.

  • Write thank-you cards to families they met and invite them to learn more about Cedarwood.

  • Guide prospective and Cedarwood families through the Journey Through the Grades event hosted by faculty.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day Volunteers

  • Welcome our grandparents and special friends of our children that are experiencing a morning at our school.

  • Prepare, set up, and clean up coffee and nibbles for our guests.

  • Write thank-you notes to the grandparents and special friends who attended.

TO VOLUNTEER OR ASSIST WITH OUTREACH, PLEASE EMAIL ERIN COOLEY AT ECOOLEY@CEDARWOODSCHOOL.ORG

 

Development Volunteers

Working closely with the board Development Committee and development/outreach admin staff, Development Volunteers help support financial giving to the school.

  • Support coffee-cart operations for Coffee in the Courtyard

  • Assist in the Annual Appeal receptions and events

  • Organize the end-of-appeal parties

  • Write thank-you notes to community members they personally engaged with during the Annual Appeal and the Auction

  • Help to procure Auction donations and organize the event

TO VOLUNTEER TO ASSIST WITH DEVELOPMENT PLEASE EMAIL PAUL SARDOCH AT PSARDOCH@CEDARWOODSCHOOL.ORG

 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ)

DEIJ is a board-chartered work group that provides leadership, direction, and a prioritized work plan that aligns with Cedarwood’s Strategic Plan and school accreditation. The DEIJ Work Group is open to everyone in the Cedarwood community to inform and implement the two-year work plan. Examples of past DEIJ projects include recommending and coordinating a diverse selection of resources for the Cedarwood school library and coordinating DEIJ training and education.

TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE DEIJ WORK GROUP PLEASE EMAIL MARCEE HANSEN AT MHANSEN@CEDARWOODSCHOOL.ORG