Thinking of Being a Room Parent? You Can Totally Do It...
There are Room Parent veterans. And then there's everyone else. If you're perusing this post, you likely fall into the latter category. Welcome! It's not that scary, I promise. Whether you have a newly minted Kindergartner, or a seasoned Antolini go-er, you may have a few questions or a little curiosity about what the position entails and if it's something you can add to your likely already long list of "to-dos".
PTO Room Parent Responsibilities
Room parents are the main link between the teacher, the PTO, and the parents of your child’s classroom. We make every attempt to have 2 Room Parents per classroom. So the below tasks can be split between two parents. Here are a few of the things you'll be asked to coordinate: • Coordinating classroom volunteers as needed for class parties and assisting during National Teacher Appreciation Week, Field Day, etc.
• Coordinating classroom volunteers as needed for teacher requests. These will likely vary based on the teacher and the needs of the classroom. This can include help with projects, bulletin boards, photocopying/collating. • Organizing teacher gifts which are mostly presented at holiday time, Teacher Appreciation Week, and the end of the year. (**You can always survey the class to see if everyone wishes to send in a gift separately or contribute to a group gift. We will supply you with a template letter asking for parent contributions.)
• We encourage you to attend PTO meetings. It's a great way to meet people, make friends and support each other in all that we do. Meetings are held the second Monday of every month and are typically one hour. If you can't attend, it's not a deal breaker- we post the minutes on our website.
The PTO is Here to Help
We provide Room Parents with a packet that includes templates for: Welcome Letter, Party Planning Letter, Gift Donation Request, and Teacher Survey.
We are always available as a resource and support. You can find answers to common questions, information about events, and PTO meeting minutes on our website. Remind and Facebook are also great resources for information and updates. Of course, an old fashioned email can also do the trick!
So You Think You're Ready?
