If you are interested in volunteering for Passport Check, here are some things you might want to know before you come to your first Check...
1. Make friends with that month's map. That is to say, it's great if you can be familiar with the countries and geography featured each month. For me, it works to do Passport Study with my son. (Last year I even did my own maps study-- remember, extra maps are in the front hallway.) We quiz each other, too-- sometimes I'll fake wrong answers to see if he's paying attention. However you choose to do it, being acquainted with the map makes it easier for you and can help the checks go a little quicker. When I practice with my son I use the blank World Study map and place it facing him, upside down for me. This is how the maps will be oriented at the Check.
2. Please remember to sign in and grab a name tag at the computer near the front office. It's important that the school know which adults are in the building and where they are located.
3. We start at 8:45 sharp. We have students coming in very shortly thereafter and things get busy, so if you can be there on the earlier side (and we know some of you have preschool drop-offs or plan to come in later) that will help us to get new volunteers paired up with more experienced ones. They will show you how to use each child's passport to mark off their achievements and more.
4. All you need is yourself and your cup of coffee or tea.... we've taken care of everything else.
5. If you can stay for just a short while or the entire time or come in for part of the Check, which runs from 8:45 until about 11--- either way, it's a big help. This activity could not exist without parent volunteers, and the familiar faces make this an event many kids look forward to.
6. Something to think about: we can help the kids out a bit. We do try to get all of the kids through Level One, and some kids might ask for a hint as to some locations. Our task as checkers is to try to help the child do their best and sometimes they need just a little nudge to remember where something is on the map. As you watch other checkers, you will see that this is a pretty nuanced process and over time, you'll get comfortable with 'how much is just right' in regard to adult assistance.
Oh, and a fun thing about Passport Checking is that you can be the checker for your own kiddo! Let your child know that they can tell their teacher "I'm waiting for (my mom, my dad, my friend's mom, that parent who volunteers in my class whom I really like)" and they will usually accommodate this. So, if you see kids waiting up front to be checked but they aren't coming to you-- please don't take it personally. They are just waiting for their preferred grown up.
