What should I do if school is delayed or canceled?

School Delays: If the opening of school is delayed and your assignment time falls during the delay period, the assignment is canceled. If your assignment time is after the delayed start time, please use your discretion during inclement weather and call the school to cancel if you don’t believe it is safe for you to travel.

School Closings: Please refer to the school calendar for a list of the holidays, vacation periods and Teacher Professional Development days so that you will know the days that schools are closed. If school is closed for those reasons or due to inclement weather, all volunteer assignments are canceled.

2026-01-08T09:38:01-05:00January 8, 2026|

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

FacebookXRedditLinkedInWhatsAppTumblrPinterestVkXingEmail

Volunteer Opportunities

Just one hour a week can make a difference in the life of a young student. Volunteers encourage students and inspire them to reach their potential.

Thank you for your interest! We are currently in need of Read Aloud Volunteers at all participating schools, and we are always accepting applications for our other programs. Please click the Sign Up Now button below to let us know the program(s) and school(s) you are interested in volunteering for. Visit the Forms page to complete a Volunteer Application and CORI form to get started or contact us to see if your current CORI is still valid.

Latest News from SSV

Volunteer Spotlight

Role(s): Read Aloud Volunteer

School/program: Indian Orchard Elementary

Sue Gilbert has served as a longtime educator in the Springfield Public School District. Over the years, she has worked at Washington Elementary, Homer Street, Balliet, and, most recently, Indian Orchard Elementary School. Sue retired at the end of the 2024-2025 school year, but her passion for helping students succeed motivated her to return to Indian Orchard this school year as a retiree callback.

A vital part of the Indian Orchard school community, Sue looks forward to participating in the Read Aloud Program each month. When she recognized a growing need for readers at Indian Orchard, she went above and beyond — encouraging members of her church, First Church of Christ in Longmeadow, MA, to step up and help fill the gap. In addition to her many responsibilities, Sue loves volunteering for the Read Aloud program.

“I keep coming back — again and again and again. It’s so rewarding. I still love what I do, and as long as I can keep doing it, I’m going to do it.”

For Sue, the most meaningful part of the Read Aloud program is the connection students build with their volunteers.

“They get the feeling that somebody cares enough to come in,” she shares. “The kids are so excited — they become connected to their person.”

Volunteers are often invited back into classrooms to assist with projects or support teachers in other ways, extending the impact beyond story time. As a former English Language Arts Instructional Leadership Specialist, Sue also deeply values the literacy impact of the program.

“I think literacy is such a huge piece of education,” she says. “Having another person coming in and reaching [the students] is so great.”

Sue’s impact within the Springfield Public Schools is immeasurable. Her dedication and commitment to students shines through each time she shows up, and through her leadership, advocacy, and example, she has inspired others to do the same.

To have a reader assigned to every Pre-K through grade five classroom across the district, SSV would need approximately 630 volunteers annually — a goal that is difficult to meet. Of those 630 classrooms, 32 are at Indian Orchard, one of the largest elementary schools in the district. Thanks to Sue’s dedication and outreach, 24 of those classrooms were filled, ensuring more students had the opportunity to experience the joy of being read to by a special guest.

Thank you, Sue — and thank you to First Church of Christ in Longmeadow — for your care, generosity, and continued commitment to Springfield’s students and Springfield School Volunteers.

Read More

“Thank you very much. I just wanted to say that helping in our schools has truly been a life changing event for me. I should be paying them for letting me help.”

– Don Dorn, Jr., Volunteer at Samuel Bowles School

Don Dorn, Jr., Volunteer at Samuel Bowles School

“I have been participating in the Read Aloud Program for the past 10 years and had planned to make this my last year, but my experience was so heartwarming and I loved every minute of [it.] I am anxious to return next month.”

– Marjorie Hurst, Volunteer

Marjorie Hurst, Volunteer

Join Our Mailing List

Stay informed about news, events and opportunities.

Springfield School Volunteers

1550 Main Street, 3rd Floor
Springfield, MA 01103
413.787.7100 Ext. 55697

One hour a week CAN make a difference

Frequently Asked Questions
All FAQs →

© Springfield School Volunteers. All rights reserved.

413.787.7100 Ext. 55697  |  volunteer@springfieldpublicschools.com

Go to Top