K – 3 ROOM COORDINATORS
GENERAL GUIDELINES
2016-17
Thank you for agreeing to be a room parent for your child’s classroom. Your role is one of organization and serving as the liaison between your teacher and the classroom parents. Your responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: plan coordinate classroom parties, coordinate volunteers for classroom activities, acknowledge your teacher’s birthday, provide pictures for the yearbook, and plan a field day game.
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You are strongly encouraged to delegate to the other parents in your classroom.
However, you are ultimately responsible for the duties mentioned above.
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Your duties include:
§ Coordinate classroom needs with teacher
1. Contact your teacher and fellow grade level Room Parent Coordinators to determine your role as room coordinator. Needs vary by teacher and by grade level. Many grade levels work together to plan classroom activities as a whole for the entire grade level.
2. Determine if your teacher would like assistance with signing up volunteers for classroom helpers, mystery readers, or decorators for classroom doors and/or classroom bulletin boards.
§ Communicate with parents
1. After establishing your role with the teacher, contact the parents in your classroom with the volunteer opportunities. Mrs. Durbin will send you the parent emails of students in your classroom. Choose the method most suitable for you, sign-up genius, email, or paper sign-up form to organize the volunteer activities.
2. When communicating with parents be clear and concise in emails. Try to avoid redundant/duplicate messages.
3. MAKE SURE ALL PARENTS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO VOLUNTEER HAVE BEEN THROUGH PROTOCOL TRAINING. Work with the office staff to obtain this information. Any parent that is not current cannot be allowed to volunteer in the classroom. Please remind parents in your requests that they need Protocol Training.
4. Prior to any upcoming event, please provide email and/or telephone reminders to those who signed up.
5. Delegate, delegate, delegate
§ Monitor classroom funds
1. Be good stewards of your classroom money
2. Each classroom is allocated $4 per student from the book bill assessment to cover the expenses for classroom activities. This money should be used for these activities only. Please spend wisely as there are no extra funds available, and any unused funds will be returned to the PTO. So, “use it or lose it”.
3. PTO does not reimburse for sales tax so be sure to use our tax exempt number. Tax exempt forms are provided in your folder.
4. Parents needing reimbursement should submit a check request form along with all receipt(s) to the PTO Assistant Treasurer, Lisa Draper. (The form can be found in your folder or in the PTO Treasurer’s mailbox). Reimbursement request forms received by the 5th of the month will be paid on the 15th of the month, requests received by the 20th of the month will be paid by the end of the month.
5. You may contact Lisa Draper( ) for current classroom balances throughout the year.
§ Coordinate classroom activities
A. Classroom Parties
1. Grades K-3 Classroom Parties:
§ Fall Party – Monday, October 31
K-2 wear costumes; 3rd grade does not
§ Jesus’ Birthday Party -- Tuesday, December 20
§ Valentine Party -- Tuesday, February 14
2. Contact Susie Wignot, , our school nurse to obtain a list of classroom specific allergies. This needs to be done before any parties are planned.
3. Confirm the specific times of the parties with the teachers.
4. Each party should have: a craft, game and a snack for parties held during school hours. Due to our wellness program, please select healthy snacks. The focus of the party should not be the snack.
5. There are to be NO individual classroom or grade level end-of-year parties. This needs to be consistent and enforced by everyone. Field Day represents the end-of-year party and is consistent among all grade levels.
6. Any additional parties or events, such as teacher baby showers, need to be approved by Sister Maria Benedicta first. If approved, and if you are serving food, please be aware of all classroom specific allergies.
B. Other responsibilities
1. Recognition of your Teacher’s birthday
Acknowledge with a card only. Please no gifts, cakes, and no decorating of doors, etc. so we can be consistent across all grades and all teachers. Staff birthday lists are in your folder.
2. Yearbook
Yearbook relies solely on parent photo contributions. Please try to capture group and candid photos to ensure all students appear in the candid section of the yearbook and submit photos to the Yearbook Committee. If you have any questions, please contact:
K-4 Maureen DeBone
5-8 Karen Waller
3. Disability Awareness Week- October 3 -7, 2016
Committee will contact you to assist in coordinating volunteers. Grades K, 2, 8 only.
4. First Reconciliation Reception - Saturday, January 28, 2017
1st Grade hosts the cookie reception following First Reconciliation for the 2nd graders making this sacrament. The first grade room parents help coordinate this reception.
5. Faith Rally – Friday, February 3, 2017
We will be asked to help coordinate volunteers for the Faith Rally to assist with snack, activity/lesson, and relieve teachers for a lunch break. The volunteer needs will be broken into shifts and more details to follow.
6. Field Day- Wednesday, May 31, 2017
You will need to plan a game for Field Day and help find volunteers to staff it. Kindergarten holds a separate Field Day, Kindy 500, so Kindergarten Coordinators will work directly with their teachers to plan this event.
7. Moms of Our Lady Prayer Group
Jacquelyne Fagan coordinates the Moms of Our Lady Prayer Group at OLMC. Each week the group prays for a certain grade level at OLMC. Jacquelyne may reach out to you the week they are praying for your grade level and ask you to forward a note to invite the parents to attend the group for that week.
8. Teacher/Staff Christmas and End of Year gifts
Collections are coordinated through the efforts of the PTO. You do not need to collect any money from parents. The PTO collects donations for Teachers/Staff gifts and then purchases Scrip cards based upon Teacher/Staff preferences. The Scrip cards will be distributed to you to present to the teachers at both Christmas and End of the Year. Gift exchanges are not allowed among the children.
THANK YOU for accepting this leadership role. OLMC relies heavily on volunteers and your dedication and commitment are greatly appreciated.
Please contact if you have any questions. Have a blessed year.
Leah Payne
317-523-3277
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