Visitors & Volunteers

Procedures

ALL school volunteers must complete the VOLUNTEER Application process EVERY school year, which is all done ONLINE through the SCUSD website (See Quicklinks for the Volunteer Application links). Must include a negative TB Test result, which is valid for 4 years.

▪Field Trips chaperones MUST complete the volunteer approval process ONLINE at least two weeks prior-to scheduled field trips. Waiting until the week of the field trip is too late.

▪All volunteers must be cleared for the current school year and must check in & out of office using the district's Raptor Visitor Management System every time they are on campus.

▪All volunteers and visitors are required to wear their Raptor Badge each time you are on campus or participate on a field trip. Your Raptor Badge must be worn in a clearly visible position at all times.

▪All volunteers are expected to respect the privacy of all students.

Raptor Visitor Management System (Raptor)

Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) continues to strengthen our campus safety program for students and staff. To further this commitment, we are implementing the Raptor Visitor Management System (Raptor) in our schools.

Part of maintaining a safe environment is knowing who is in our buildings at all times. Raptor allows us to do just that. It efficiently screens visitors, contractors, and volunteers in our schools, creating a safer campus for everyone.

Upon arrival at a district building, visitors will be asked to present proof of identification, such as a driver’s license. This can be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a visit, for any reason, does not have a US government-issued identification, the school staff member can use any form of identification and manually enter the person’s name into the Raptor system. The Raptor system swiftly cross-references the visitor's name and date of birth with an official national database of registered sex offenders to prevent unauthorized access to our campuses. No other data from the identification is collected or stored by Raptor or the district, and this information is not shared with any outside agency, including law enforcement. 

Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that clearly identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of their visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off or pick up an item or paperwork in the office.

The safety of our students is our highest priority, and the Raptor Visitor Management System allows us to quickly identify who is on our campuses. Thank you for your support as we implement these important safety enhancements in our district.

Volunteers & Visitors with infants, babies, and/or preschoolers

Adults with infants, babies, toddlers, &/or preschoolers may not volunteer/work or be present in classrooms with their non-enrolled Laurelwood child, nor may any child be in the work room, as there are sharp objects, machinery, and cutters there, which are a hazard for children.  

In addition, babies, toddlers, and infants do not have TB clearance, and so it is against both school policy and board policy to allow them into any classroom. Please make other arrangements for their care while you are volunteering on campus or for field trips.

Volunteer Orientation

PTA Volunteer Orientation: Mark your calendars for our annual PTA Volunteer Orientation on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at 8:30am in the Laurelwood Cafeteria.  Our volunteers will have a brief discussion to share what the PTA is working on, all of the PTA opportunities available, and answer any questions that you may have. We look forward to seeing you there!

Volunteer Opportunities

Each class will need volunteers for the following-

1. Classroom Representative for the PTA (serve as a communication liaison, along with coordinating Teacher Appreciation Week and possibly other in-class activities as needed.)
2. Project Cornerstone Volunteer(s) (2x/month commitment: 1x/month for a training day & then 1x/month to present the monthly lesson to the class.)
3. Field Trip chaperones (as needed throughout the school year)
4. LW Garden “Paw Patch” Class Volunteers (as needed)

Other Volunteer Opportunities-

*PTA Events: Sign-Ups for PTA events are via online links emailed directly from the PTA

*School Site Council (SSC)

*Field Day

*Picture Day helpers

*Misc. helpers are needed throughout the school year for individual school events, such as hearing & vision screening, Safety Drills, etc.