ROOM PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND GUIDELINES – GRADES K-7

Please read the following information thoroughly.

Yourprimary room parent responsibilities are as follows (The sections that follow contain more details about each of the responsibilities.):

1)Write a letter introducing yourself to the class.

2)Create a contact list(with students' and parents' names, email addresses, and phone numbers) for your class in order to informparents aboutclass and PTA activities.

4)Organize daily snacks for the class if your teacher requests this.

3) Plan three classroom celebration parties for your assigned class or solicit parent volunteers to plan 3 class parties (Middle school classes have grade-wide dances instead of a class party.).

a.Winter Party (December 15th,2:30-3:30)

b.Spring Party (February 14th2:30-3:30)

c.End of the Year Party (June 7th2:30-3:30)

5)Encourage parents to register for the parent email list on the Collinswood website, join the PTA, and be involved with PTA events.

6)Register with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as a volunteer and encourage parents in the class to do the same. This is a requirement for parents who will spend time in the classroomor attend field trips. It is quick and easy and can be done at Click “Register to Volunteer” once you reach this page.

7)Organize classroom specific teacher appreciation events (acknowledging teacher’s birthday by having kids make cards, inform parents about teacher appreciation week and perhaps make a class gift, etc.).

First letter to class:

The letter you write introducing yourself to the class should request that parents provide contact information (email and phone number), inform parents about snack needs (if applicable), encourage parents to register their email on the Collinswood website so that they can receive school announcements and PTA updates, and encourage parents to register as a volunteer with CMS. We have a sample letter on the PTA website under the “room parents” link on the left column.

Contact information for students in the class:

Please note that you must keep lists containing parents’ names, addresses, and telephone numbers confidential. Parents' information must not be given to outside vendors or used to advertise or solicit anything outside of PTA approved activities.Since email is the quickest and easiest way to contact parents, we suggest trying to get as many parents’ email addresses as possible.

Snacks:

Not all teachers may want parents to provide snacks for the entire class; however, most K-2 teachers feel that their students need a snack to get through the long school day and rely on the room parent to coordinate snacks. Teachers in some of the upper grades may request that children to bring in their own snacks. Please speak with your teacher to see if s/he wants you to arrange snacks for the class. If your teacher requests that you coordinate snacks, we have created a letter which you can use to send to parents assigning them a certain day to bring in snacks. Typical snacks are a pretzels, goldfish, fruit, breakfast bars, etc. Obviously, the healthier snack, the better.

Class parties for Grades K-5:

Please take note of the three parties and their themes. They should not be of a religious nature in order to be respectful of the religious and cultural differences of all the children and families represented at Collinswood. This means that the Winter Party should not have a Christmas (Santa Claus, reindeer, Christmas tree) or Chanukah (menorah, dreidel) craft. Also read and review the “Classroom Celebration Guidelines” as well as “Food in the Classroom” in the Parent-Student Handbook (p.17-18). PLEASE remember to ask your teacher if there are any allergies in the room so that students are not left out on the day of the celebration and that the health of each child is safeguarded.

There are many ideas for things that you can do during the classroom celebration. I would encourage you to check with your teacher first. He/she might have preferences and know best what their students enjoy. Please communicate with the teacher what you are planning before the party arrives. Some suggestions for your party are:

  • Read a book related to the time of year
  • An age appropriate and short craft project
  • Food and drink
  • Party games (this can be done in stations or as a large group)
  • Sing songs
  • Learn a dance
  • Play a group game like BINGO or Hot Potato
  • Distribute goodie bags at the end of the hour

There are many good books at the public library that provide seasonal stories, craft and game ideas. A good catalog source for inexpensive craft kits and goodie bag stuffers is Oriental Trading Company, Inc. (1-800-228-2269 or

Lastly, when planning your party, please consult with the room parents from the other classrooms in your grade (A contact list has been provided and is also on the PTA website.). It is important that all the classes have roughly equivalent parties because the students talk to each other and compare their party experiences. It would not be fair for one class in the same grade to have a party that is substantially more extravagant than another.

The following is a suggested timeline for planning your parties:

  • Two weeks in advance of the party – Contact your teacher and discuss the activities and snacks for the party. Also, ensure that you know what role theteacher plans to play during the party. For example, will the teacher lead thecraft project or does he/she expect the room parent to do this?
  • Ten days/One week in advance of the party - Notify parents of the party and tell them how they canhelp. It is best to use the sample letters in your Room Parent Folder because they havealready been approved by the office. You can ask for money or ask parents to contribute snacks, drinks or craft supplies. Remember, if you choose to write your own letter you must follow the rules (see below) regarding notifications to parents. And if you ask for money, you must follow the procedures in the section below.
  • Day of party – Make sure you have several parents who plan to come early to set up and several who are willing to stay for the whole party and clean up afterwards. Parties can only last for the allotted time so that teachers can continue to instruct students during the day.

Parties for Grades 6 and 7

Grades 6 and 7 do not have class parties; instead, they have grade-wide dances which are planned by the students. Please ask your teacher what type of assistance he/she would like with the party. In the past, room parents have sent out letters asking parents to send in snacks and other items for the dances. The timeline outlined in the above section may be applicable for middle school parties as well.

Collecting money for parties:

Another important aspect of organizing the parties is collecting the money. What you plan for the party will determine the amount you need to collect. However, whatever you plan, the school has requested that we do not ask families to give more than $5.

The teachers can not collect or account for any of the monies collected. Please staple an envelope with your name to the notification you send home and ask that parents return any monies by sending the envelope to school. The teacher will collect them and send them home with your child or however you choose to arrange it. Please note that money should not stay in the classroom overnight.

Notifications/Letters to parents:

ANY note that you distribute needs to be in both languages and most importantly MUST be approved (This includes letter of introduction, letters about parties, letters about snacks, etc.). If you need help translating, please let me know and I can try to connect you with someone who can help; however, it would be best if you could find a bilingual parent in your class who can help you with this. Once you have your note translated, please email it to Aida Torres at . She will check the translation and let you know when you receive approval. This is a most important step so that when office staff receives calls from parents with questions, they are able to help.

In closing, if you have not already done so, I encourage you to contact your child’s teacher and learn how you can best support him/her. Depending on the time and energy that you have available, there are a variety of ways that you may be able to provide assistance to your child’s teacher.

Teacher Gifts

A room parent may choose to coordinate an “end of year” gift for a teacher from the class. This is not required but you may do so if you would like. If you ask for money from the parents make it clear that participation is optional, but no

more than $5.Have any communication approved by Ms. Torres prior to distribution. Follow the money collection procedures detailed above.

Other ideas

In the past, some classes have gotten together outside of school (at a playground or some other place), and developed class websites. Please remember you must obtain approval for whatever you do as room parent, even if the activity does not take place in Collinswood. Please contact Principal Grant if you plan on doing any activities outside of those outlined in this letter. It is important that she be aware of and approve all of your plans.

Thank you again for your willingness to be a room parent this year!