FAQ Page
- CCA Website
- Sep 30
- 11 min read
Updated: Oct 29
Answers to the most asked questions.
The volunteer expectation for families with one child enrolled at Cardinal is 20 hours per school year. For families with more than one child enrolled, the volunteer expectation is 30 hours per school year.
Any individual 18 years or older who does not have a student enrolled in CCA can complete volunteer hours on your behalf. When you have someone complete hours on your behalf, s/he should SignUp for a volunteer spot using your student’s name and carpool number in order for you to get credit for the hours they complete on your behalf. Please note that all volunteers who will be assisting in the building and interacting with students need to be background checked and complete the Safe Schools Training.
No. We rely on each family to complete their own volunteer hours. We genuinely appreciate and rely upon those volunteers that go over their requirement, but those hours in excess of the requirement cannot be donated to others.
Yes. We understand that not everyone can make it into the building to donate their time. Therefore, $20 = 1 hour of community service for in-kind donations. Please note that this applies ONLY to items that are being asked for by teachers, staff and the PTO. You will not receive hours for items donated that were not requested. Teachers and staff will have wish lists and the PTO is always in need of gift cards. Monetary donations made in support of fundraising efforts do NOT count toward volunteer hours.
For Carpool, no. For almost everything else, yes.
All volunteers who will be in the building and interacting with students need to be background checked and complete the Safe School training online. You will need to complete the Safe Schools Training first. Once you have completed all courses, please email your course certificates to Zachary Ford at zachary.ford@cardinalcharter.org in administration. He will then send you a link for the background check. Once you have applied for the background check and been approved, you are ready to be an in school volunteer. You can access information on the Safe Schools Training HERE.
Volunteer opportunities can be found on the Volunteer Page of this website. Additionally, opportunities can be found on the CCA Families Facebook page, in the weekly newsletter, by attending PTO Meetings and directly from your classroom teacher. Once you identify a volunteer opportunity that interests you, please SignUp via SignUp.com before arriving to campus to expedite your CheckIn process.
We encourage you to be proactive in finding volunteer opportunities by reaching out to your classroom teacher or the PTO with your ideas. We are always looking for ways to improve our school community and great leaders for projects!
Where do I find breakfast and lunch menus?
Breakfast and lunch menus are updated monthly and can be found HERE.
How does my student buy lunch at school?
Sign up and add funds through My School Bucks! Set up your account today HERE
What if my student lost something?
We will have an unlabeled lost and found in the front lobby or cafeteria and a labeled lost and found in the school closet.
Pictures of the unlabeled lost and found are posted on the Cardinal Families Facebook page, parents have 3 weeks to claim their child's clothes. After 3 weeks, the non-uniform clothes will be donated, and the uniform clothes will be sold at the used uniform sale. After 3 weeks, all non-labeled uniforms belong to the PTO. For your items to qualify for the labeled lost and found, items must be clearly and legibly tagged with the student's first and last name. If we cannot read it or it doesn't have the first and last name, the item will go to the unlabeled uniform lost and found.
You can label your child's possessions with a Sharpie, Mable's labels, or by similar means. Items in the labeled uniform lost and found will be kept until the end of the school year. After that, they are donated or sold by the PTO at the used uniform sale.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact ccauniformswap@gmail.com.
Why are you asking for my Carpool number? How do I get a Carpool number?
Carpool numbers are used to summarize a family's volunteer hours. A carpool number is assigned to each family at CCA regardless of how a child is actually picked up from school. Even those who ride a daycare bus, stay for YMCA Aftercare, walk or use F-Pass are assigned a number.
If you notice that a SignUp does NOT ask for your carpool number, please notify ccacommunityinvolvement@gmail.com so that we can correct the SignUp.
I don't know my carpool number. How can I find out?
Carpool tags are distributed at Meet the Teacher each year. If you didn't pick yours up, please call the front desk at (919) - 653 - 5000.
I Signed up - now what?
Thank you! Once you've signed up there is nothing left to do until the day you volunteer. When that day arrives, please arrive at least 10 minutes ahead of your volunteer time in order to have plenty of time to park and get your security badge from the front desk. Please don’t forget to check-in for your volunteer spot to make sure you get credit for your hours. Checking in with the front desk is NOT the same as checking in on SignUp.com!
How do I check in for volunteer spots?
Once you arrive to CCA for your spot, you can Checkin via the reminder email sent to you from signup.
If you did not receive the reminder email, you can also CheckIn using your personal mobile device via CHECK BACK LATER LINK NEEDS UPDATING. Please enter your name at the search bar at the top of the signup page. It will return with a list of opportunities you have signed up for. Please check the circle next to the opportunity you are currently attending and hit check-in. Please do not check in for opportunities that have not yet occurred. Forgot to do so? Not a problem, you can go back and check-in when you remember.
Life happened and I can't make my volunteer spot - how do I cancel?
Please log into the SignUp and cancel your spot. To see specifics on how to do this, see this article.
In addition, please be courteous and contact the person that is expecting you*. In addition, please try to fill your spot by posting on the Cardinal Charter Academy Families Facebook page for general school opportunities or your "Class of" or specific classroom page if the opportunities are grade/class specific.
*If you do not know who to contact, please email ccacommunityinvolvement@gmail.com.
Where do I park when volunteering?
You are welcome to park in the parking spaces in front of school.
If your volunteer time coincides with morning carpool, please proceed through the carpool loop as usual, park in the F-Pass area parking spots at the back of the school. Use sidewalk and walk to the front office to check-in.
If your volunteer time is toward the end of the school day, be cognizant that you may get blocked in by carpool traffic if you stay past 2:30 PM. If that's the case, you should park in the F-Pass area parking or wait until after carpool is over before leaving. Please do NOT park in the surrounding office parking lots.
How are my volunteer hours recorded?
Volunteers are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of your volunteer hour record. All hours and in-kind donations must be logged via a SignUp where the organizer is a CCA administrator. When you SignUp for a spot via SignUp.com, your hours are automatically recorded. When you arrive to school to volunteer you must also CheckIn to verify your attendance at your spot, otherwise your assignment will be deleted.
If a SignUp does not exist for the activity you are completing, please contact the person who requested your assistance to have him/her record those hours.
When dropping off in-kind donations, be sure to fill out a "CCA Donation Drop-off Info Form" to ensure your hours are properly credited and delivered to the intended recipient. Copies of this form can be found at the front desk and on the Documents page of this website. Please make sure to fill out the entire form.
If you are asked to sign up for a volunteer activity at CCA via SignUpGenius or any other method besides SignUp.com, please notify the Community Involvement Team so we can ensure the person making the request is aware of volunteer reporting requirements.
What about home hours?
All volunteer hours must be logged via a SignUp where the organizer is a CCA administrator. If you are asked to assist in projects in a method that does not include a SignUp.com SignUp (personal request, classroom newsletter, Facebook post, etc.) please ensure that the person making the request records your hours into SignUp.com. If you need training or assistance with this, you are welcome to contact the Community Involvement Team.
I'm a room parent - how do I record my hours?
As a room parent, you are able to record your own hours in your classroom's SignUp.com account. You will be trained on how to do so in your room parent training. If you have questions or need help, please contact our Room Parent Coordinator at ccaroomparents@gmail.com.
Can I record my own volunteer hours?
No. Despite the fact that the mobile version of the SignUp.com website has the ability to "add hours" these will not be counted towards your volunteer requirement. The Community Involvement team does not have visibility into these hours. Your hours must be logged via a SignUp where the organizer is a CCA administrator.
I have an F-Pass with several other families. How will you identify my volunteer hours?
Even if you are an F-Pass family, you still have your own individual carpool number. Please use that number when using Sign-Up.com so that we can make sure your hours are being credited to your family. If you need help remembering your carpool number, please contact the front desk.
How can I determine how many volunteer hours I've completed to date?
Each volunteer is able to check their own volunteer hours via their SignUp.com profile. Ideally, each person will use a single email address when signing up for volunteer spots. This will allow the volunteer a comprehensive view into their personal hours.
If more than one person volunteers within a family, the hours can be summed across the various profiles.
Reports of cumulative hours will also be emailed from the Community Involvement Team after the end of each quarter.
I used more than one email address to SignUp. How do I correct this?
See How do I update my personal information on a SignUp? for step by step instructions on correcting your data on SignUp.
I'm missing volunteer hours on my on my SignUp.com profile. How do I get credit for them?
Before reaching out to anyone:
Ensure that all of your volunteer hours are logged under the same email address. If you find that you have recorded hours under more than one email, please see the article How do I update my personal information on a SignUp? to correct your email address on the SignUps with the incorrect information.
Did you SignUp? In nearly every situation, there should be a SignUp before you show up to volunteer. You must Signup and CheckIn when you arrive to the event for your hours to be recorded.
If that doesn't resolve the issue, reach out to the person responsible for requesting your assistance to have them log your hours.
NOTE: ccacommunityinvolvement@gmail.com is the "organizer" on most of the SignUps but is NOT your primary contact to resolve your missing hours. Please reach out to your room/class parent for anything classroom related.
Can my children who don't attend CCA come with me when I volunteer?
In most cases, no. Children who do not attend CCA should not be in the school building while school is in session. There are certain activities that occur outside of regular school hours where children are permitted. However, the children should remain under the direct supervision of the volunteer and should not distract from the volunteer's task at hand.
Can I get volunteer hours for items I donate to the school or my classroom?
Volunteer hours are granted for items purchased in support of the school. The hours granted are calculated based on the monetary value of the item donated: $20 per hour ($1 = 3 minutes).
When dropping off in-kind donations, be sure to fill out a "CCA Donation Drop-off Info Form" to ensure your hours are properly credited and delivered to the intended recipient.
If you are asked to donate items NOT associated with a SignUp.com wishlist or other CCA SignUp (Amazon.com wishlist, SignUp Genius, etc.) please reach out to the person with the request to ensure that there is a corresponding SignUp. If it is not registered in SignUp, it is not counted.
Do my donations to the CCA Fun Run count towards my volunteer requirement?
No. Donations to the CCA Fun Run are tax deductible donations and therefore do not count towards your volunteer hour requirement.
Do Parent-Teacher conferences count towards my volunteer hours?
No
I donated something to my student’s classroom but I do not see what reflected in my hours? What should I do?
For items donated to a classroom, your first point of contact should always be your room parent. Before you reach out, first make sure the item you donated was requested by the teacher or the room parent. Hours are only given for items that are requested. Hours are not given for gifts to the teacher, food sent in for a child’s birthday etc. If it was a requested item, then please reach out to your room parent with the item(s) purchased, the total cost (a picture of the receipt would be helpful but not required), your name and carpool number. Remember that hours are only given for donations signed up for via SignUp. If your student’s classroom is asking for donations via other methods like Amazon Wishlists, SignUp Genius etc. please reach out to ccacommunityinvolvement@gmail.com and let them know.
I have a full-time job and cannot be at school during school hours, how can I fulfill my suggested volunteer hours?
We are empathetic to the challenges faced by full-time working parents in fulfilling their volunteer hours when your work schedule doesn't allow. Here are some ideas for ways to get volunteer hours outside of the regular school day:
Morning carpool volunteering begins at 7:30 and you are done shortly after 8, but 60 minutes of volunteer time is offered.
Several other volunteer opportunities can also be done before school begins. Check out the Volunteer page of this website for details.
There are several evening events over the course of the year such as Uniform Recycle Sale, Basketball Games, PTO Family Nights etc. Add your name to the "evening hours" interest on the PTO Interest Form and we can give you a heads up once those SignUps go live.
Many of the outside of school opportunities are found via PTO committees. Indicate your skills and interests on PTO Interest Form and the PTO chairs will reach out to you when they have a need.
Attendance in person or online at PTO meetings offer one hour of volunteer time for attending. You must signup either online or in person. Specific volunteer needs are announced at each meeting.
The Uniform Recycle Sale is held 6:15pm-7pm prior to PTO meetings. You earn one hour of volunteer time (please arrive at 6pm) for working the Uniform Recycle Sale.
If your job allows for PTO on specific days, you can complete a large chunk of hours by volunteering for a field trip. Field trip volunteers are required to be volunteer certified through our Volunteer Training Program and background approved through our Background Approval process.
On any given day, if PTO is an option, there are volunteer opportunities for carpool duty.
Reach out to your teacher for ideas. There may be projects you can complete for them at home. Cutting, laminating, booklet assembly are common items that they may be able to send home with your student.
All donations or project supplies requested by your teacher count towards volunteer hours with a ratio of $20 per hour. Credit hours are only given for items listed in the SignUp program.
Is there an after school care program at the school?
Yes. After School Care is offered at CCA by YMCA. They primarily use the cafeteria, gym and outdoor space to move, do activities and play. Back entrance near the soccer field is used for Rides Out. Pick-up ends at 6PM. Click HERE for additional information.
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