Department of Defense Education Activity

Zama MS/HS: Get Involved


Parent Involvement

Research demonstrates that parent involvement is essential for student success. Although you may not become involved in all committees and support organizations in the school, we encourage the following activities for your parental support:

  • Join the school parent/teacher association (PTA) and participate in meetings and activities.
  • Have lunch at school with your child regularly.
  • Volunteer in your child's classroom.
  • Establish a daily study time at home (even when there's no homework).
  • Participate in the Continuous School Improvement (CSI) efforts at your child's school.
  • Keep informed of school events and activities by reading school newsletters and your child's classroom newsletter.
  • Communicate frequently with your child's teacher.
  • Prepare for and participate in parent-teacher conferences.
  • Ensure your child has a well-balanced breakfast and comes to school with completed homework, lunch money and school supplies.

Visitors

For the protection of students and staff, all visitors must report to the school’s front office immediately upon arriving at the school.  A visitor is any person (to include parents, sponsors, and legal guardians) not enrolled or assigned to the school requesting entry to the building.

Visitors must provide authorized identification to gain access to the DoDEA school.  The visitor will be issued a visitor badge that must be displayed above the waist while on DoDEA school property.  The school administrator has the final determination on visitors authorized to be at the school.  While on DoDEA school property, visitors may go only to the approved area indicated as their destination when signing in at the school’s front office. Any change to the designated location must be approved by the school’s front office before the visitor can access a different location within the school.  When leaving the school, visitors must sign out and return the visitor's badge to the school’s front office. 

Classroom Observations

Parents are welcome to visit the school and classrooms to observe the school’s programs for brief periods of time that do not interfere with instruction. Approval by the school administrator is required for this type of visitation.

Learn more about volunteering at your school's Get Involved page.

Get Involved

Get Involved Icon for Handbook

Be a Volunteer!

Volunteers are always needed and are a part of the total school program. They assist in the classrooms, office, special subject and resource rooms, and educational support areas. If a parent is volunteering in a classroom, we ask that you please make alternative arrangements for siblings. They are not allowed in the room during the instructional day. We encourage active participation by parents in their child's education and while, younger children are precious, they may be distracting to students in the classroom. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for your support. Check with you child's teacher for specific opportunities and to complete any necessary forms in addition to the ones below.

DoDEA Policy requires that prospective and current school volunteers shall be subject to a standardized application process that includes completion of an application form and standardized background checks. Volunteer applications are available in the school office or linked below. Please allow 5 business days for processing of all volunteer request forms. There are many volunteer opportunities for parents eager to get involved with their students education or for other interested community members. 

Thank You for Volunteering!

Before you do, please fill out the required forms and turn them in to your local volunteer office.

Background Check DD2981
To require each employee, DoD contractor, family child care provider, adult family member of a family child care provider, and specified volunteers of a DoD C&Y program to undergo a background check and to annually self-report changes to his or her criminal history.
 
DA 5018R Client Consent Statement
ADAPCP Client's Consent Statement for Release of Treatment Information
 
DD2793 Volunteer Agreement Form - Blank
Volunteer agreement fillable form and agreement.
 
Volunteers DoDEA Operational Guidance
DoDEA Operational Guidance for Volunteers - There are many volunteer opportunities for interested community members and/or parents to get involved with their students education through DoD sanctioned programs.

School Advisory Committees

DoDEA school administrators, in partnership with sponsors/family members, students, and military leaders, promote communication through the establishment of advisory committees to address issues (school initiatives, procedures and policies) locally. This is a system-wide way for parents to get involved in their child’s local school. Consult your child’s school to learn more about school advisory committees.

Learn more about SAC's at your school's Get Involved page.

Related DoDEA Policies & Regulations

1342.15: Educational Advisory Committees and Councils
1358.01: School Boards, Advisory Committees, and Dependents Education Council

DoDEA School Advisory Committees

Being a DoDEA school advisory committee member is a serious responsibility but one that offers significant rewards - including the opportunity to actively participate in the process of educating our children.

However, unlike the school advisory committees in the Local Education Authority (LEA), DoDEA school advisory committees act purely in an advisory capacity, providing input to the Superintendent and administrators in the areas of: school policies affecting students and parents, administrative procedures affecting students, and instructional and educational resources within the school. The DoDEA school district superintendent makes final decisions on matters affecting the school district.

Find out more about DoDEA Pacific Region school advisory committees.

Contact Your SAC

SAC meetings are open to the public. Parents are welcome and encouraged to contact their local school to learn more.

What does the SAC address?

YES NO
  • School policies & administrative procedures.
  • Instructional programs.
  • Allocation of resources.
  • Student standards of conduct.
  • Base-related topics that impact students.
  • Personnel practices or policies.
  • Compensation.
  • Employee grievance.
  • Internal management of DoDEA.
  • Fund Raising.

If you have topics you would like to be seen or addressed in the SAC Meetings, please send agenda topics to respective SAC email address.

Parent Teacher Organization

The PTO is a group of parents and teachers working together for a better school environment by providing both financial and volunteer support for our school programs. The PTO supports a variety of teams, clubs, classes and activities at ZMHS. The PTO board consists of the following positions: President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. There is also a need for committee positions such as volunteer coordinator, social media support, publicity and others. It you have a desire to benefit your community by volunteering with the ZMHS PTO, please contact the PTO at .

ZMHS PTO Objectives

The ZMHS PTO is a non-profit, non-partisan, and non-sectarian organization. It cooperates with the school to support the improvement of education in ways that will not interfere with the education of students or the mission of the school and does not seek to control school policies. Specific objectives include:

  • Providing a medium for exchange of information among parents, teachers, and other interested groups.
  • Encouraging and developing programs and activities, which serve to enhance the quality of student education.
  • Identifying and promoting opportunities for students to secure the highest advantage in their academic, physical, and social growth.
  • Encouraging and maintaining a working dialogue between members, the local educational school system, the local government, and the community at-large on matters affecting the general welfare and education of students.

Membership is open to all parents and legal guardians of students attending the school as well as school staff. Contact the school for membership information.

*THIS IS A NON-FEDERAL ENTITY. IT IS NOT PART OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OR ANY OF ITS COMPONENTS AND IT HAS NO GOVERNMENTAL STATUS*

Contact Our PTA/PTO

PTO Meeting Minutes

PTO Facebook

The PTO has a closed Facebook page for members. To view the page just click the graphic below.

Visit the PTO Facebook Page

The Treasure Trove

The ZMHS PTO operates a volunteer-run thrift store.  The store is located on the SHA (Sagamihara Housing Area) base, building 311-A (across the street from Arnn Elementary school bus loading area and next to the new Girl Scout hut).  All proceeds go directly back into supporting ZMHS programs and events

For more information visit the Trojan Trove Facebook Page

TrojanTroveLogo2021

2021-22 PTO Forms

PTO Membership Application

Request for Funds Application