Upper Arlington Elementary Room Parent Guidelines

Roles and Responsibilities -

Thank you for considering this important and gratifying role in your child’s life. This is one of the most meaningful ways to impact the entire classroom with your energy and enthusiasm for learning and fun! As a Room Parent and a member of the PTO there are several responsibilities including:

  • Classroom Communication – The Room Parent is the liaison between the PTO and your classroom families. You will be asked to send periodic emails from the PTO to the classroom families. Additionally, you may wish to send additional emails on behalf of the room parents to inform families of classroom specific information. For example, you may wish to send an initial email to introduce yourself, ask for a monetary donation and explain its use. Please know that you should only use this class email list to send emails from the PTO or to inform families of PTO sponsored or room specific activities. Personal emails from you or other members of the class should not be sent using this class list. If there are questions about what should or should not be sent, please contact the classroom teacher or principal.
  • Collecting Contact Information – Because you will be asked to communicate with your classroom families, there is a need for you to collect contact information from these families. Typically, the PTO provides Room Parents a standard sign up sheet to be displayed at parent information night. You may also choose to ask the teacher to send the Room Parent contact information in the classroom newsletter.
  • Classroom Parties – Four parties per year including Halloween, Winter, Valentine’s, End of the Year.
  • Class Baskets for Barrington Clown Around – Class baskets are put together for fundraising activities for Barrington Elementary. Informal and Contemporary grade levels collaborate to create themed baskets to be raffled at Clown Around. Two examples to collect basket items that have worked well in the past are as follows:
  • Sign Up Genius - Room parents have used the online tool Sign Up Genius to list items needed for the assigned themed basket. This sign up is sent to each family in that grade level.
  • Money Collection - Room parents ask all families to contribute funds at the beginning of the year to be utilized for the purchase of items for the basket.
  • Money Collection/Tracking - At the beginning of the year Room Parents collect an optional donation from classroom families to be used for Clown Around baskets and teacher gifts (see below). A recommended amount is $25-30per family. This can be split into $20-25 per family for teacher gifts and an additional $5 per family for Clown Around baskets. Room Parents are required to track money collections and items purchased. Keep all receipts and use a spreadsheet (like the one attached) to help you track donations and expenses.The Room Parent Coordinator will send this sample Excel sheet to you for your use.
  • Class Gifts – If Room Parents in the classroom collect voluntary donations, some of these donations would be used for teacher gifts such as Winter Break, End of Year and Birthdays.
  • Teacher Appreciation – A PTO committee coordinates a week to honor our teachers. Activities are planned each day by PTO Committee, in which you will be asked to participate. You will receive an email with the details and be asked to communicate that information with your classroom families. You will be asked to coordinate a meal for the teacher at the end of the week. It could be a gift card or a prepared meal (Sign Up Genius can be used to organize this option.)

Class Parties -

The goal of every party is to provide a safe and fun environment that includes every child in every snack and activity! That means that all food allergies, special needs and religious practices are considered and respected.

NEW THIS YEAR: About 3 weeks before each party, email the classroom teacher to remind him/her to take a few minutes in class to help the students decide which activities and food they would like the have for the upcoming party. Once the students have decided and the teacher has checked the foods for allergy concerns, the teacher will send the student-approved activity and food lists to the Room Parents. It is the Room Parent’s job to split up the activity supplies, food and drink items, and paper products to the 5-6 parent volunteers that signed up for the class party. All parent volunteers should be aware of the activities prior to the event to ensure a smooth party.

  • Themes – There are four recommended themes for our parties:
  • Harvest/Halloween/Fall – Examples of decorations and activities can include Pumpkins, Scarecrows, Harvest Time, and Fall Foliage.
  • Winter – Examples of approved secular decorations and activities include snow people (“Frosty”), Bells, Gingerbread, Snowflakes, Sleds, Mittens and Scarves, Hot Cocoa, Marshmallows and Icicles.
  • Valentine’s – Examples of decorations and activities include hearts, candy and greeting cards
  • End of Year – Examples of decorations and activities include summer, sunglasses, beach and beach balls.

**It is important to keep our parties secular to promote inclusion for all.**

  • Snacks – The teacher will provide a list of student-approved snacks prior to the party and parent volunteers for the party should purchase and bring these items on the day of the party.
  • Activities – The teacher will provide a list of student-approved activities/crafts prior to the party and parent volunteers for the party should purchase and bring these items on the day of the party.
  • NOTE -Teachers should know this, but one important thing to remember that games of chance (those that require no skill and rely solely on chance) are not allowed at classroom parties, i.e. Bingo. Be sure to provide alternate activities, and avoid requiring everyone to play. Often classroom parties are set up as stations to allow kids freedom to choose activities as needed.

Thank you for all that you do! Please reach out to Karen Nicholas at (room parent coordinator) if you have any questions or concerns.

Disclaimer: Upper Arlington PTO Presidents worked together to establish these basic guidelines for all Room Parents to ensure all Room Parents are informed of district-wide or school specific changes that have been made. These guidelines may be updated each year to reflect these changes.