Room ParentS 

Roles, Requirements & GUIDELINES

Being a Room Parent is a great way to get involved in the school. You will have the opportunity to get to know the school, your child’s teacher, other families and become a part of your child’s classroom community. Your involvement helps strengthen our children, our school and our community!

Room Parent Role 

• CLICK HERE for Sample Teacher Survey
• Facilitate communication between the teacher and families in the classroom.
• Distribute important reminders and messages to parents.
• Collect class funds and coordinate teacher gifts. CLICK HERE to use this sample letter to distribute to your class.  
• Assist with Hubbard Spring Fest by coordinating one gift basket, selling raffle tickets and coordinating volunteers from the class for the event.
• Request volunteers from class, as needed.
• Review ROOM PARENT OVERVIEW
• 2024-2025 Room Parent Orientation 

Room Parent Requirements

• Become a PTO Member by September 30, 2024*
• Complete a Background Check by September 30, 2024**
• Attend Room Parent Orientation Meeting. September 25, 2024 Immediately following PTO Meeting
• Attend PTO Meetings (Mandatory - One room parent per class).
• Send your class an email summary of the PTO meetings within one week of the meeting. All emails should have PTO Secretary, Natalie Ishkanian (natalie.ishkanian@gmail.com), copied on the email.  

 *If you are selected as a room parent and you have not become a PTO member and have not completed your background check, an alternate Room Parent may be selected.

**The Board of Education requires background checks on volunteers who are likely to be working with students, while not under the direct supervision of district staff. The Board of Education has contracted with the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) to provide this service. The application can be completed on your home computer in a few minutes at no cost. Furthermore, once you have done the background check it is good for five years, and it is valid for all schools within the district.  If you are uncertain about your background check status, please contact our Webmaster, Julie Rutigliano, julie.rutigliano@gmail.com

ROOM PARENT GUIDELINES

As a room parent, you are the liaison between parents and teachers. 

• Connect with the Teacher:  Upon selection, we will provide you with a class list and parent contact information. You should first email your teacher to introduce yourself. Then you can send an introduction letter to the class parents.
• Communications: Room parents will work closely with the teacher and email parents regarding events and activities, as needed.  Please make every effort to maintain a strong line of communication with your teacher. 
  • Send home an Introduction/Information email to the class.
  • Keep your class informed of upcoming PTO events and the highlights of PTO meetings.
  • Request Volunteers for events from your class when needed.

• Class Funds: Room parents will be responsible for collecting money from the class for those parents who would like to contribute.  You will collect in the fall for the holidays and then in the spring for an end of the year appreciation gift.  For the holiday class gift, $10 should be asked of each child.  If there is an aide in the classroom, you may collect $15 ($20 if there are 2 aides). For the end of the year gift, $10 should be asked of each child, with $5 additional per aide. Some people will send in extra and that is fine.

Please keep these guidelines in mind:

• Collection amount should be limited to $10 per child, per teacher plus $5 per aide (if applicable) for the holidays and $10 should be asked of each child, with $5 additional per aide for end of year gift.
• All children’s names should appear on the card, regardless of who has contributed.
• Seek parental input as to how gifts should be handled (i.e. class in December, individual gifts for end-of-year).
• You are responsible for the collection of money and purchasing the gift.  Keep accurate records of monies collected and spent. Be sure to share with the class what is being given/sent to the teacher and aides. It is best to share this before the gift is given.
• Try to use services like Venmo or PayPal to collect funds. Be sure to be transparent with your class families as to how funds will be used.

Thank you for taking the time to do this important and rewarding job for your child’s class.  It means so much to the children to have parents involved in the school, and it means so much to us to have your help and participation as members of the PTO!