Ada Merritt K-8 Center
Room Parent Program
Dear Parents,
Thank s to all parents/guardians who have already volunteered to be a Home Room Parent!
As you know, each teacher needs a parent or a team of parents from the classroom to help out with small tasks that are very time consuming and take away time from teaching. We as parents can always help them, either at our own place of work, at home, or at the school premises.
One very important and crucial task is to be the communicator between teacher and parents, and the PTA. It is so much easier for the PTA and teachers to send any communication to the homeroom parent for its distribution to the classroom directory.
It will be very wise to work in teams. Sometimes things can get a little overwhelming, and as a team you can divide the tasks amongst you, maybe get other volunteer parents to help out in case of need, and things will flow smoother.
Below you will find a short description about your role:
• Sorting paperwork/class work/artwork, etc.
• Filing
• Making copies
• Laminating
• Classroom decoration
• Classroom directory:
the room parent must prepare a list including every child’s name, parents’ names, address, primary telephone number and e-mail addresses. It may include the child’s date of birth only for congratulatory purposes (it is advised to check with the parents in your classroom how they feel about this subject). This directory should be accessible to every parent in the classroom in order to keep the lines of communication open; parents should have the freedom to communicate with their child’s teacher on an individual basis as needed, or with other parents working together on a specific task.
• E-Mail communications:
to avoid repetitive e-mails that only overload inboxes, if you are working in teams, only one parent should be assigned to be the “room parent communicator’. In other words, you should assign this role of forwarding e-mails from the PTA or any of its committees to only one parent.
• Chaperoning on field trips:
remember you must have clearance from the School Board. Forms are available in the main office. Chaperoning is a team effort, so it makes sense to work as a team with parents that have clearance for this type of event.
• Commitment:
While this is a voluntary assignment, it is important to have a level of commitment and responsibility. We all want to help out, and we are all very busy, and yes, things happen that change our lives and schedules. However, if anything should happen and you can’t continue with the commitment, please pass the torch to another parent, or let your team know. The only ones that are affected by the adults’ lack of responsibility are the children because they miss out on the communication tread and sometimes their classroom participation in events is not as organized as another classroom with coordinated homeroom parents.
Thank you all for your participation, I am sure this is going to be another great year. As the Room Parent Coordinator for this year I plan to do my best to keep an accurate and updated directory for the school, to help keep the lines of communication open, and to assist the new parents who want to dive in to this important and wonderful job.
Gabriela Hemmerde-Vecco
Room Parent Program Coordinator
(305) 582-4644
mgabriela@bellsouth.net
EASY STEPS TO BE A ROOM PARENT
Step 1: Contact the teacher to find out if she has already assigned a room parent. If not, ask the teacher how you go about volunteering for the role of room parent.
Step 2: Meet with the teacher once he has confirmed that you are the room parent to discuss how he/she prefers you to work. Some teachers have very specific expectations regarding party planning, donations and volunteer solicitation and other room parent functions, while others prefer to delegate every single detail to the room parent.
Step 3: Ask the teacher if it's OK to send a memo to each family introducing yourself and requesting contact information, including email addresses. Some teachers will have a form that they use for this purpose. Others will welcome your willingness to write your own memo. Once written, distribute the memo via the student's school-to-home folders.
Step 4: Collect contact information forms from the parents, and set up an e-mail group list for the class. Include the teacher on the group list so she is kept in the loop. Sending out information seeking donations and volunteers for parties and field trips is much more efficient using e-mail. For those families who do not provide an email address, send the teacher a list of the family names, and ask her to send a printed copy of the email home with those students. Always include your phone number in the email for those families so they can contact you easily.
Step 5: Send out an email to the class group list about 3 to 4 weeks before an event. Include a specific list of the items you need donated as well as the number of volunteers you need to help at the party. Print a copy of this email once you have sent it. Beside each item, note the name of the family who has agreed to donate the item or volunteer.
Step 6: Remind the group by sending out a reminder email a few days before the event. Include the list of items to be donated and the name of the family that agreed to provide the item. Also, include the list of people who agreed to volunteer at the event. Specify when the items are due in the classroom as well as when and where volunteers should plan to meet.
Step 7: Remain professional at all times. Do not release any family's contact information to anyone at any time, and do not gossip about the teacher, students or families regardless of what inside information you may be privy to in your role as a room parent. DO NOT USE the parent’s email to send any information which is not related to school issues (I.E. jokes, chain e-mails, soliciting e-mails, etc)
