Terra Centre Elementary School welcomes volunteers, including parents, community members, and high school students.  Volunteers provide a valuable resource of assistance at the school. Opportunities include tutoring, mentoring, assisting in the library, and also many critical, behind the scenes tasks.  If you, or someone you know is interested in this valuable community service opportunity, please contact the school. You may volunteer at any time during the school year. There is a volunteer sign-up sheet available through our PTA, as well as our front office.  

Background checks are required for certain volunteers (FCPS will cover the cost of the background check).  If you volunteer at multiple locations, you will only need to have your background check conducted once. The volunteer badge will be good at all FCPS locations.

Listed below are examples of the types of volunteers who need to have a background check:

• Extended family members who are not parents or guardians of a current FCPS student (i.e., aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents)

• Former FCPS employees or students

• Non-parent/guardian volunteers who have “regular and frequent” contact with children

• Non-parent/guardian volunteers who chaperone overnight field trips

• Any volunteer whom the principal/program manager requests – regardless of status or affiliation with FCPS

The following individuals do not need a background check in order to volunteer:

• Parents or guardians who have children currently enrolled in FCPS

• Current FCPS employees or students who serve as volunteers

• School Age Child Care (SACC) employees

• Current law enforcement officers

• Volunteers who help with occasional or one-time-only events (i.e., field days, graduation parties) as long as there is direct supervision by regular school staff

Volunteers and mentors who meet the criteria for a background check must go through the process or will not be able to volunteer with FCPS.

Tuberculosis tests are no longer required for volunteers and mentors.

*In some cases, parents have volunteered at school (usually to work in a classroom), but brought a sibling of a student with them.  Fairfax County’s Risk Management strongly recommends against this practice. It can be disruptive to the learning environment and the parent volunteer has to focus on the sibling along with the work they are here to perform.  So we support FCPS and ask volunteers not to bring siblings when volunteering.