Tentative​​dates​​for​​classroom​​parties-​(Times​​TBA)

​​Halloween​​10/31

Holiday​​12/22

Last​​day​​of​​school​​(TBD)

Lead​​room​​parent​​duties​​-

Communication​​between​​teacher​​and​​class-​​send​​letters/emails​​when​​needed

Organize​​class​​gift​​-​​for​​teacher/​​classroom​​assistant/​​lunch​​or​​recess​​aide(gift​​cards​​are​​a​​favorite) Send​​reminders​​to​​parents​​when​​needed

Helping​​hand​​duties-

Organizing​​parties

Prep​​activities

Having​​materials​​handy

Timeline-

September-

1.Be​​an​​active​​member​​of​​the​​PTA.​ This​​​mean​​paying​​your​​yearly​ $10​​​dues.

2.Send​​a​​letter​​or​​email ​to​​​all​​families​​in​ your​​​class.​​This​​letter​​should ​include​​​your ​​name/​​the helping​​hands​​names/​​tentative​​dates​​of​​parties​​and​​your​​contact​​information.​​You​​should​​also ask​​who​​is​​interested​​in​​helping​​at​​classroom​​parties​​and​​which​​parties​​they​​are​​available​​for. Helping​​at​​parties​​is​​not​​just​​attending​​but​​maybe​​purchasing​​supplies,​​donating​​a​​craft,​​or​​just sharing​​a​​fun​​idea/activity.​Please​​encourage​​and​​give​​the​​opportunity​​for​​all​​parents​​to​​beinvolved.​​Even​​those​​who​​did​​not​​sign​​up​​on​​the​​signup​​genius​​should​​be​​given​​theopportunity​​to​​attend​​parties.

3.Keep​​a​​list​​of​​the ​parties​​​and​​what​​parents​ want​​​to​​help​​for​​each ​party.​​​Remember ​​only​​3 parents​​at​​a​​party​​at​​a​​time.

a.Have​​an​​exceeding​​number​ of​​​parents​​who​​want​ to​​​help?​​Great!​​Add​​them​​to​​a​​waiting list.​​Emergencies​​come​​up​​someone​​may​​not​​be​​able​​to​​attend.​​If​​this​​is​​the​​case​​pull from​​your​​waiting​​list.

4.Contact​​the​​classroom​​teacher​​and​​helping​​hands.

a.The​​teacher​​gets​​last​​say ​on​​​any​​and​​all​ activities.​​​It’s​​important​​to​​keep ​him​​​or ​​her​​in the​​loop.​​Communication​​is​​key.​​They​​know​​the​​students​​and​​what​​their​​strengths​​and weaknesses​​are.​Contact​​the​​teacher​​as​​soon​​as​​possible​​to​​introduce​​yourself.

5.3​​weeks​​or​​more​​before​​a​​party-

a.Contact​​your​​helping​​hands​ and​​​room​​parents​​that​ have​​​signed​​up​​for​​that​​party.​​Only​​3 parents​​allowed.​​Time​​to​​brainstorm.​ ​Share​​those​​great​​ideas​​with​​each​​other​​and​​start the​​planning​​process.

b.Organize​​class​​gift​​(Holiday​​and​ End​​​of​​Year​​parties​​only)

i.Send​​out​​letters​​and​​ask​​families​ for​​​an​​“optional”​ monetary​​​donation ​​(a suggested​​amount​​of​​$10)​ ​to​​go​​towards​​the​​class​​gift​​(usually​​a​​gift​​card).​​Don’t forget​​the​​lunchroom​​aide​​and​​classroom​​assistant​​(if​​the​​class​​has​​one).​ ​Be sure​​to​​give​​a​​deadline.

6.2​​weeks​​before-

a.Finalize​​your​​ideas.​​Remember​​to​​contact​​the​ teacher​​​and​​let​​them​​know​ your​​​action plan.​​All​​activities​​must​​be​​approved​​by​​the​​classroom​​teacher.

b.Remember​​to​​choose​​age​ appropriate​​​activities.​​If​​you​ choose​​​to​​do​​a​​craft,​​it’s​​always​​a good​​idea​​to​​prep​​the​​craft​​before​​the​​party.​​Crafts​​can​​be​​fun​​but​​remember​​that​​not​​all children​​are​​“crafty”​​or​​enjoy​​crafts.​​The​​kids​​are​​in​​their​​seats​​all​​day​​long.​​Get​​them​​up. Maybe​​plan​​a​​game​​instead​​or​​freeze​​dance.

c.There​​is​​no​​need​​to ​spend​​​a​​ton​​of​ money.​​​In​​the​​past​​some ​room​​​parents ​​have​​asked for​​donation​​to​​go​​towards​​a​​craft​​or​​supplies​​for​​the​​parties.​​This​​can​​be​​a​​good​​idea​​but sometimes​​room-parents​​don’t​​get​​the​​response​​they​​are​​looking​​for.​​There​​are​​plenty of​​FREE​​activities.​​Hello​​Pinterest!

7. ​1​​week​​before-​​or​​sooner!

a.Email​ ​​with​​the​​list​​of ​all​​​of​​those​​attending ​​the party.

b.Reminders​​about​​class​​gift​​to​​go​​out​ (​Holiday​​and​​End​​of​​Year​ parties​​​only)

8.The​​day​​of​​the​​party-

a.Come​​to​​the​​school​​at​​the​ time​​​decided​​by​​administration.​No ​​earlier.

b.Check​​in​​at​​the​​PTA ​​table.​​Only​​those​​on ​the​​​list​​will​​be​ permitted​​​into​ the​​​classrooms. c. Please​​do​​not​​bring​​children​​with​​you.

d.Have​​all​​of​​your​​supplies​​with​​you.

e.Most​​importantly​​HAVE​​FUN!​​The​​kids ​look​​​forward​​to​​seeing ​​you

Things​​to​​remember

No​​food-not​​even​​for​​the​​crafts

Take​​lots​​of​​pictures​​and​​send​​them​​to​​the​​yearbook​​committee!

Question/Comments

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