What does “investment” in the Center mean?

As a parent, there can be no one more committed to the quality of your child’s early social and educational experience. You have a special role at Rainbow Chimes that only you can fill.

It is a well-known fact that you will only find quality education in programs where parents are actively involved. This is true from the time a child is enrolled in an early childhood education program right through to their graduation from college. It is very important, for the long-term benefits to your child and the viability of Rainbow Chimes’ programs, for parents to become vested in the Center.

Rainbow Chimes is not a co-op school, and parents are not assigned a minimum number of work hours each year. However, we do expect all parents enrolled at the Center to be full partners in supporting our mission, as part of their enrollment agreement with RCI.

Our Investiture Booklet describes many dozens of fun and meaningful ways that parents may invest even a minimal amount of time and/or resources. Parents may choose any open assignment based on their skills, interests, or Center need. Many parents start out with an easy, one-time-only activity and enjoy it so much that they get involved in other ways, too!

Since 1980, we have been blessed with many, many parents who have committed consistent effort and their own resources to make Rainbow Chimes a high quality program, and we gratefully acknowledge this vital gift of concern and action.

Facility - Help on the Inside

Carpenter: Are you good with a hammer? From time to time we need additional shelving or cabinets in various nooks and crannies, or a countertop support repaired, and an interior (corridor) window installed.

Children's Art/Framer/Display Designer: Here's a fun way to showcase your talent and promote the children's artwork, too! We need certain artwork permanently framed and mounted, and a special set of interchangeable frames made for on-going display in our Art Gallery.

Electrician: Don't be shocked, but we need a few new outlets/switches installed, and good advice on how to label our fuse boxes. Licensed assistance only, please!

Furniture Refurbisher: If you love to refinish antiques, you'll enjoy the chance to sand off our older classroom cubbies and put a new coat of polyurethane on. These can be taken home to work on, if you like.

Health & Safety Inspectors: A team of three eagle-eyed and thoughtful people are needed to scrutinize the Center facility four times a year for various hazards or potential health concerns, and provide solutions as needed.

Painters: Two or three people per classroom are needed to make minor patches and repaint the walls on a weekend or evenings. We have a great power-roller and will supply the paint.

Plumber: When we need to wash our troubles right down the drain, you might just be able to help. Though rarely needed, sometimes we do need to unclog a pipe, fix a sink sprayer, or install a dishwasher, etc.

Quilter: One or more volunteers are needed to provide the materials for and create fire-retardant, child-oriented wall hangings to decorate the walls of the classrooms and nurseries. Work at your leisure or host a quilting party!

Seasonal Decorators: Do you have an eye for fun and beauty? Can you locate and put together crafts for the four seasons? Join a team of four to plan, make or acquire, and decorate the Center four times a year.

Weaver: Build a special loom from a set of plans, to be put in Center Place. During the year children, families, staff, and visitors will be invited to add their colorful strands as they go by. This project is an integral part of our Peacemaker Curriculum.

Facility - Help on the Outside,Too

Fall & Spring Cleanup Crew: Twice a year, this team of twelve or more spruces up the building and grounds, and sets up the Family/Staff Picnic Area. All parents are invited to join this effort, which culminates in a family-fun work party.

Shutter Painters: Our shutters faded in the sun! We'd like to make them blue again, but need four people who can commit to this job before it gets cold outside!

Gardeners: A cadre of six artistic earth-lovers will meet with our landscaper to plan and plant those special, safe touches to the playgrounds, courtyards and gardens that will delight the eye and provide opportunities to learn about Nature, including raised flower and vegetable beds, and a Butterfly Garden.

Playground Design/Build Team: A creative construction-oriented team is needed to plan and build the next phases of the AdventurePark Playground, for the preschool and school-aged children. The Trikin' Track and Sport Court need frame-forms made and a philanthropic connection to an asphalt company will keep us "in the black." The Sandlot, Amphitheatre, and Creation Station must be built with plastic wood. This is the area of greatest need at the Center.

Playground Rakers: Twice a year, the special shredded wood fibers under the play equipment needs to be fluff-raked to retain its durability and safety efficacy. This is an easy job that can be done at the rakers' convenience.

Labyrinth Maker/Keepers: A professional labyrinth designer-volunteer already eager to put our team of eight to work on the creation of this awesome addition to our grounds. It must be designed for parent and child to walk together, with low-maintenance moss berms and ground herbs for scent. Please help!

Technology - Help in Myriad Ways

Alumni Database: Do you have database skills? We need to organize a mailing list of all RCI alumni, by year. Database must be set up so that staff and volunteers can easily enter information that is merge-able and exportable to other applications.

Computer Techies: We have repaired our old Macs for the last time, and now need two or three helpers to set up some recently donated PC computers (Windows 95 and 98) for classroom (and Lobby sign-in) use. If you have compatible age-appropriate software to give away, we'll byte!

Computer Software Trainer: Are you proficient in Windows and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, Outlook)? From time to time our staff need additional training and the benefit of someone else's expertise in order to use the software most efficiently.

Equipment Eagle: We need a knowledgeable person with the ability to snag the best-donated computers, peripherals, and software for our kids! These can be gently-used, but at least Pentium II quality, please.

Graphic Designer: Do you have oodles of doodles and clip art? We need to build a super graphics library and have a sensible storage solution on our computer network for it. Software donations are welcome!

Security Consultant: We'd like to enhance our security system with additional cameras that can record, and install another set of electronic door strikes with programmable codes. We need a consultant to spec these two projects out, help us acquire the equipment through full or partial donation, and to install the new safeguards. We also need help to do an annual security assessment of our facility and procedures.

Videographer: Have you ever created a virtual tour? Do you have a digital camcorder? We need to make a digital video of the Center and its programs to use when we apply for grants and other funding, as well as for staff training.

Video/Sound System Specialist: If you're a professional techie with such capabilities, we need to plan and phase in a complete Projection-TV.

Program - Enrichment in the Classrooms

Artists-in-Residence/Choral Director & Ass't: Some children just love to sing! To give them additional opportunities to be challenged for fun, we seek a choral director and assistant to organize a developmentally-appropriate program for extra-curricular enrichment center-wide, as well as rehearsing our special Children's Chorus.

Artists-in-Residence/Dancer: Likewise, children are encouraged to use creative movement as a joyous activity. If you are inspired to teach in this manner, we welcome you to our classrooms to work with staff on special age-appropriate movement/dance activities and routines.

Artists-in-Residence/Fine & Cultural Arts: From time to time, we need the expertise of gifted individuals who will help us to prepare for seasonal events; thematically decorate; create background sets, posters and montages; and support artistic endeavors of other Artists-in-Residence.

Arts & Treasures Collector: We use lots of real materials in our classrooms- paper & collage materials for art creations, blocks of scrap wood for woodworking, dress-up clothes and unbreakable dishes, multi-cultural items, and unusual "white elephants" that would be interesting props in the classroom. If you like to scout out garage sales, and can organize collection procedures for this stuff, we need you!

Classroom Helpers: Once every-other-month, at any time it's convenient for you during the day (even nap time) come spend as much time as you like (minimum two hours) in the classroom of your choice, assisting the Teachers. This is a special chance to see your child in action with his peers!

Nutritionist: If you know lots about nutrition and long to teach in your spare time, come in once a month to talk to children about good eating habits, and consult with the cook on menus.

Occupations Specialists: Children need good role models to emulate! If you work in any of the helping professions-i.e., fireman, police officer, doctor, dentist, etc., please consider sharing your wonderful stories with children.

Outdoor Education Crew (equipment manager / activities manager): Staff members who are seeking additional physical education experience should consider this one! We need to organize and implement an enriched outdoor curriculum that will use new equipment and coordinate additional age-appropriate learning activities and games for the children.

Storyteller: If you love to tell stories to children, this is for you. You need to be available for an hour during the day twice a month, and be willing to "dress-up" to tell the tale.

Prop Manager: This is a fun task that inspires spontaneous creative representation in children! Put together age-appropriate theme baskets and prop boxes filled with the accoutrements needed by a child-sized police officer, firefighter, construction worker, zoo-keeper, etc., or make baskets for a pretend medical office, or hair salon, etc.

Program - Enhancement throughout the Center

Birthday Book Club Coordinator: Using a Center-provided list of names and suggested books, get in touch with parents once a month to ask them to donate an inscribed book in their child's name, to their own classroom or the StoryBook Library, on his/her birthday.

Clothing Drive Coordinator: Rainbow Chimes promotes a Community Clothing Drive every January as part of its Peacemaker Curriculum. If you can coordinate this event, you will make all the necessary arrangements with the community charity, notify parents to participate, and set up the collection point in the Center.

Cultural Diversity Advisor: We are seeking someone who will meet and coordinate with faculty and staff to ensure that children are gaining the benefits of diverse materials, ideas and activities that promote respect for differences, but are used to emphasize the many ways we are all alike.

E-Mail Updater: Contact all RCI families to confirm and/or update their current e-mail address (once per semester) for purposes of ensuring our email distribution list is kept accurate (and confidential!).

Family Recipes & Coupons Collector: This is a simple job that needs consistent attention. Collect family- favorite recipes to share with the other parents, and organize an active coupon exchange.

Food Drive Coordinator: We hold a Community Food Drive every October as part of our Peacemaker Curriculum. If you can coordinate this event, you will make all the necessary arrangements with the community charity, notify parents to participate, and set up the collection point.

Kindness Tree Coordinator: We need a thoughtful person to set up our December Kindness Tree with simple decorations and suggested ways that people can be kind to one another. Children and families select one of the activities to do or share, and can replace it with their success story when it's done.

Hospitality Hosts/Hostesses: Are you gracious and friendly? During special events (day or evening), we often need greeters and servers to assist our guests, prepare food platters, give tours of the Center, and answer questions about our many activities.

Immunization Survey Assistant: Is record-keeping your thing? Do statistics turn you on? Then come work with Center staff in early Fall to check immunization records for our annual report to NYS.

Inspiration / Quotations: Here's an easy task, but it must be tended to early every day! Post our daily motivational quote from an existing file, and create additional decorated inspiration for parents and teachers from the world's great secular thinkers.

Kitchen Helper: Variety is the spice of life! From time to time, the cook will need assistance to prepare a special meal or food for a special event, or may need the day off. Come help stir the pots!

Librarians: Can you sort and catalogue? Bring your laptops and Access skills, and help us to get our Lending & Resource Libraries in order, and to ask distributors for book donations. Periodically, check children's books for repair or replacement.

Music Librarian: If you'd like to help us give children a wide music experience, this is the job for you! Inventory our music library, solicit donations of tapes and CDs, and make archival copies. Collect articles about children's music or reviews of tapes and CDs and maintain in a binder in the music library.

Newsletter Staff/Columnist: If you love to write from a parent's or teacher's humorous point of view, please apply for your own monthly column in the Rainbow Times.

Nurse Assistant: Our part-time nurse needs an on-site helper to check children's health records and keep an inventory of needed health & safety supplies. The Nurse Assistant may also be part of the Center's Health & Safety Inspection Team.

Parent Interviewers: We need parents to speak with other parents to help us create our family database and Directory / Yearbook. If you are friendly yet discreet, this telephone job is for you!

Photographers/Photo Contest/Photo Day: Are you intrepid with the shutter? Our school photographers will work with the Chronicler-Historian to document special events, and spearhead the Family/Staff Photo Contest every Summer.

Procurers/Save the Day Suppliers: Procure free paper and paint, books, videos, toys and learning materials. Gently-used or donated new from companies is best!

Publicity Specialist: Are you an expert at getting the word out? We want to create a press kit and need personal contacts at the local and business media broadcasters and publications. Help us to showcase and promote our activities for the public!

Rapid Response Network: Things are always happening in a busy school like ours! Be part of a network of "on-call" volunteers for special or last minute assignments.

Researcher/Shoppers / Organizers / Goods & Services: Sometimes we need to find something unusual, track down an elusive item, or pick the best-rated doohicky at the best price (or free). Finding it and getting it to us might just be your idea of fun!

Staff Appreciation Team: Four times a year, this team of four arranges and provides recognition for staff in various special ways, enlisting help from other parents and faculty as needed.

Seamstress/Tailors: You wouldn't believe how often we wished for people who could make body pillow covers, window valances /curtains, costumes and doll clothes. We need you all sew much!

Staff Birthdays: Every month, we recognize staff birthdays with a cake at each Center site. We need a staff member who will commit to getting the list of honorees and getting the cakes to the various sites.

Toy Drive Coordinator: Rainbow Chimes sponsors a Toy Drive every November for needy children in our community. If you can coordinate this event, you will make all the necessary arrangements with the community charity, notify parents to participate, and set up the collection point.

Toy Exchange Chairperson: Once a year, we need someone to sponsor a Family Toy Exchange in Center Place, where gently used, non-violent toys can be donated, and every child who participates may pick one toy to take home. Extras can be donated to the Center. This is a great way to inspire altruism in children and reduce your clutter at home, too!

Translator/Interpreter: Are you bi-lingual? A few of our families speak a language other than English as their primary language. We need your help to ensure that accurate information is conveyed at Parent-Teacher Conferences, and to let the family know what's going on at the Center. Let us know what languages besides English you are fluent in, to see if this job is a good match for you.

Travel Agent: If arranging family-oriented, fun vacations is your favorite way to go, this could be your job! We're looking for someone to organize budget-conscious options in family trips-both local day trips and regional weekend getaways-for interested RCI families to go on together. We're told that excursions like these often become the best-remembered trips in a lifetime, so let's find out!

Volunteer's Tea or Dinner: Our volunteers deserve gracious recognition and praise at an annual event to honor them. We seek a creative person to orchestrate all the parts of this special affair, to be held in early July each year.

Fundraising - Many Hands Make Light Work!

***Every school is dependent upon the energy and commitment of parents and staff to meet fundraising goals over the course of the year. Even if you are not heading up one of these committees or events, we need your support to promote them. In addition, every family must participate (by helping and/or attending) in our two main annual events: Fall-Teddy Bear Ball, and Spring-Children's Health Fair.***

Art Workshop Coordinator & Team: This is a fun-filled experience for you and your family! Sign up to assist the Associate Director to turn a Saturday in April into a creative, multi-arts experience for RCI children, families and staff.

Book Fair Coordinators: This is an easy help-out event that happens twice a year for a week in the late afternoon! A team of two or more arranges for the delivery of books and oversees the sales on a schedule they arrange between themselves.

Carnival Coordinator: This fun, food and games event is held one weekday at the end of Summer and is open to the community. Classrooms each prepare an activity booth to share.

Children's Health Fair Director & Team: A planning team of eight health-minded / human resource people will create this extraordinary community event aimed to raise awareness of children's health issues and available services. ALL families and staff must participate in and/or attend this affair, which is one of RCI's two major events each year.

Family Picnic Chairperson: This is a lovely event that is fun to organize! Help us secure a site, and coordinate with the Family Reps, parents, and a staff member liaison to produce the picnic, games and entertainment.

Fashion Show Coordinator: Do you like to keep up with current fashion trends? Arrange for our parents and children to participate in and attend an annual fashion event. Let's do this one in style!

Gift Basket Raffle Coordinator: Here's a terrific challenge for someone with the skills to work with a team to locate and put together the donated items for our thematic Gift Basket Raffles.

Holiday Boutique: Two people are all it takes to make this easy but special annual event for the children, so that they can "shop" for family members' holiday gifts. Pick out the items, set them up, and assist the children to make their choices.

Lottery Coordinator: This is FUN and EASY! You would create a master calendar, and each copy will have a unique number on it to be matched to the NYS daily-lottery drawing. Various money prizes are awarded each day, up to $100. Calendars are sold to parents, staff, and community in the late Fall for the next year. It's fun and really helps the Center!

Pancake Breakfast Champions: This perfect beginning to our Arts Workshop Day in April warms the hearts and tummies of all participants! Put together a team of "tasteful" parents to cook and clean up the Pancake Breakfast.

Penny Wars Coordinator: We need a person to set up and oversee this truly FUN fundraiser! Parents put pennies into their own class jug (they add up) but put silver change into the competing classrooms' jugs (subtracts from their total). Paper money is a plus and can put a classroom over the top to claim their prize!

Seasonal Plant Sales Team: Got a green thumb? We need a cadre of four or more to get together to plan, acquire and sell mums, poinsettias, flowers, and plants three times a year.

Tag Sale Chairperson: This is a once a year, multi-family event that helps you to turn trash to treasure for kids. You would coordinate the setup/takedown of the day of the event as you choose (weekday afternoon or weekend) with the parents who join your team.

Teddy Bear Ball Director & Team: This will be our Gala Event of the Year for families and community! We need planners to brainstorm and implement this "formal" child-oriented event, along with raffle prize finders and ad solicitors for our journal. This is one of our two major events for the year, and ALL parents and staff are required to participate and/or attend!

Leadership Roles - For Extraordinary People

25th Anniversary/Reunion Committee: In September 2005, Rainbow Chimes will celebrate its 25th Anniversary. We'd like to have a reunion of children and families who have attended Rainbow Chimes in the past, and need help to organize and publicize this special event.

Alumni Liaison: As we build our alumni database, we will need help for our alumni-oriented projects, including a reunion at our 25th Anniversary (listed above), mailing labels and getting alumni updates.

Ambassador: From time to time, RCI needs a super representative at community events to help man booths, speak on our behalf, or help make personal connections to other potential helpers or donors.

Archivist/Chronicler-Historian: Do you like to research and document events from the past? Then you might like to help us to portray our history through sorting and cataloguing our written records from past to present.

Archivist/Scrapbook Maven: Let us say "Thanks for the memories!" The treasured accounts and pictures of our children, families, and staff should be preserved and made fun to recollect. If your passion is scrap booking, we have pictorial memories galore to organize and display!

Archivist/Yearbook Editor: Do you like to categorize and arrange photos and captions? This special project needs an artistic organizer to plan, lay out, and prepare our yearbook for in-house printing.

Corporate Liaison: From time to time, major corporations decide to sponsor Center events, provide quality grants, purchase back-up care slots, or open an RCI satellite. Liaisons who work for these companies are very instrumental in creating win-win situations for RCI and the corporation/employees.

Endowment Chancellor: We seek advisors with particular fund development expertise to assist us to build our Legacy Fund.

Family Room Reps & Coordinator: These special people go above & beyond as family liaisons to ensure that the Center runs smoothly for the benefit of every child in the Center. Reps attend monthly meetings and usually work on one or more Center projects. They are truly wonder-workers and help us make quality happen throughout the Center.

Family Workshop Planner: This person will survey parents about their workshop interests, interview potential speakers, and manage the seminar.

Health Advisor: A health care professional, usually a doctor, is asked to take on this special role as an occasional advisor.

Legislative Advocate: Sometimes, we need a strong person to actively stump for legislation that affects children's and families' lives. This person might also coordinate a letter-writing campaign from parents/community.

Staff Involvement Committee: This committee, made up of representative staff from all sites, meets with the directors on an at-least monthly basis to brainstorm quality ideas and to troubleshoot issues of concern. This is an active, on-going commitment for at least a year.

Scholarship Committee: This group will take responsibility for raising $2,000. per year, to be awarded as scholarships to a Rainbow Chimes alumni and an employee's child, as they begin their college career. This committee reviews the award criteria, and does the preliminary judging of the applicants' essays.

Staff Newsletter Editor & Writers: We need a team of at least three to interview, collect, author and edit articles about and of interest to staff and compile them for a monthly publication.

Volunteer Coordinator: If you like to organize people and inspire them to do their best, we need you! Much of this work can be done by telephone. Assist our community with joining the Rainbow Chimes family.