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Step 1
Contact the teacher early in the year to find out if she has already assigned a room parent. If not, ask the teacher how you go about volunteering for the role of room parent.
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Step 2
Meet with the teacher once he has confirmed that you are the room parent to discuss how he prefers you to work. Some teachers have very specific expectations regarding party planning, donations and volunteer solicitation and other room parent functions, while others prefer to delegate every single detail to the room parent.
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Step 3
Ask the teacher if it's OK to send a memo to each family introducing yourself and requesting contact information, including email addresses. Some teachers will have a form that they use for this purpose. Others will welcome your willingness to write your own memo. Once written, distribute the memo via the student's school-to-home folders.
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Step 4
Collect contact information forms from the parents, and set up an e-mail group list for the class. Include the teacher on the group list so she is kept in the loop. Sending out information seeking donations and volunteers for parties and field trips is much more efficient using e-mail. For those families who do not provide an email address, send the teacher a list of the family names, and ask her to send a printed copy of the email home with those students. Always include your phone number in the email for those families so they can contact you easily.
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Step 5
Send out an email to the class group list about 3 to 4 weeks before an event. Include a specific list of the items you need donated as well as the number of volunteers you need to help at the party. Print a copy of this email once you have sent it. Beside each item, note the name of the family who has agreed to donate the item or volunteer.
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Step 6
Remind the group by sending out a reminder email a few days before the event. Include the list of items to be donated and the name of the family that agreed to provide the item. Also, include the list of people who agreed to volunteer at the event. Specify when the items are due in the classroom as well as when and where volunteers should plan to meet.
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Step 7
Remain professional at all times. Do not release any family's contact information to anyone at any time, and do not gossip about the teacher, students or families regardless of what inside information you may be privy to in your role as a room parent.












Comments
jamiearuma said
on 8/5/2008 This is a great blog posting with tips on being a room parent. http://blog.qlubb.com/2008/08/to-room-parent-or-to-not-room-parent.html
WriteDae said
on 6/12/2008 EXCELLENT!!!!! ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT. I am trying desperately to start a Room Parent Program at my daughter's school and I searched Yahoo and saw this, not knowing that it was eHow. I'm a memeber too and I started to read your article and was like OH MY GOODNESS. This is so good. I was actually thinking about writing an article on RP and I still may do so. Thank you so much and Araceli your info was top dog too. Peace to you both.
Dae
Araceli said
on 11/18/2007 As a 3x room parent, I have found that free tools on the Internet can make the whole process easier.
1) email distribution lists like Yahoo and Google groups are great for announcements
2) online sign-up sheets like Qlubb.com are great for organizing events and delegating tasks