All families are members of the Bellwether Family Association (BFA). This is a volunteer group that meets regularly throughout the year to facilitate the communications process between all aspects of The Bellwether School including the Board, School Co-Directors, teachers and families. They act as a sounding board or resource for decisions and ideas that impact the overall school community. Representatives from this group attend meetings of the Board of Directors in order to bring ideas and concerns to the Board from the family community.

We encourage families to become actively involved in Bellwether community life and we value the varied contributions that families make to support and strengthen our school. We believe that strong family-child-teacher relationships help provide an optimum schooling experience for everyone.

There are many ways to get involved. One of the first places to look is in the classroom itself. Parents might spend time playing with the children or lead a small group project. Whether a parent has a lot or a little bit of time to donate, whether a parent can help at school or from home, whether a parent can help during the day, in the evening or on weekends - Bellwether greatly values all of it!

In addition to involvement in the classroom, we rely on volunteers to support Bellwether as a whole. Volunteers play a fundamental role in activities, committees, and events for the enrichment and enjoyment of the entire school community. All of the volunteer opportunities at Bellwether ultimately benefit the students, the faculty, and/or the entire Bellwether community. This is true whether the activity directly supports a student, helps the administrative offices, or supports a special community building or fundraising event.

There is a required minimum of eight hours of community commitment for Bellwether families - although most community members are much more involved than that. Families may select in which aspect of the school experience they would like to participate. One way to contribute is by volunteering time on a particular committee (i.e., Library, Buildings & Grounds, Service Learning). All committees help keep our school running smoothly. Families may also volunteer time to planning one or our social events (i.e., overnight at Camp Abnaki, School-Wide Green-Up Day, Field Day). A third way is by helping with the detailed planning and organization of one of our three major events.

Bellwether is truly grateful for all its volunteers. So "thanks, and thanks." Without volunteers the school would not be able be able to accomplish nearly as much as it does.