Microsoft Word - 2.0.2018-19 GATOR RUN ROOM PARENT GUIDELINES.docx

Gator Run Elementary Room Parent Program Guidelines

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year! We are excited about all the awesome

things that are happening at Gator Run and so grateful that you have chosen to

volunteer. We hope you find this packet helpful in planning and implementing

your role as Room Parent.

A Room Parent primary role is to communicates information

between the teacher and the parents of the students.

Here are some examples of the responsibilities a Room Parent will perform:

• Coordinate classroom volunteers

• Organize classroom celebrations (Winter Party and End of Year Party)

• Collection and coordination of teacher and aide gifts (Winter Holiday, End

of Year and Birthday)

• Recruit classroom volunteers for school-wide events (Field Day,

Classroom Parties, Multicultural Festival, etc.)

• Upload pictures from class events for the school Yearbook (personally or

appoint a volunteer to be the Class Photographer)

• Do your best throughout the year to be fair and give all parents the

opportunity to be included in as many classroom activities as possible

The classroom teacher may ask you to do more than these tasks.

COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY TO BEING A SUCCESSFUL ROOM PARENT!

Your first assignments as a Room Parent are as follows:

1. Meet with your teacher as soon as possible!

2. Go to www.gatorrunpta.info – on the home page there is a Room Parent

tab. Here you will find a pre-approved “Room Parent Introduction letter”

Please add your name, phone number and email address and send this

home to all the parents to introduce yourself and your Co-Room Parent.

3. Mark your calendar with your teacher’s birthday. The collection form

for teacher’s birthdays can be found at wwwGatorRunPTA.info

Please Note:

All volunteers are required to complete the Broward County Public School Volunteer

Application online at www.browardschools.com/getinvolved

Here are some guidelines about other aspects of your Room

Parent Responsibilities

I. Volunteering

a. All 2018-2019 volunteers will need a new start badge and will need

to register at www.browardschools.com/getinvolved. Please note

star badges from last year are no longer valid.

b. All volunteers must check in at the front office and log in indicating

where you will be on campus, receive the STAR badge, and wear this

badge visibly while on school grounds. You must return your STAR

badge upon exiting the school.

c. You are asked to keep track of the time spent volunteering for Gator

Run while at home (e.g. preparing for a party, shopping for supplies,

cutting paper for a teacher’s project, etc.). Please record these hours

on the “Off Site Hours” form and turn in according to announced

deadlines.

II. Forms & Letters

a. All letters that you need to distribute to your class have been

pre-approved by our administration. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ANY

CHANGES.

b. All forms and letters can be found on the Room Parent page on the

PTA website at www.GatorRunPTA.info.

III. Contacting Parents

a. Keep in touch with your teacher to find out if any students are

added or removed from your class.

b. Teachers must be copied on any email that Room Parents send to

parents in the class regarding classroom activities.

c. Parent emails are to be used to distribute Gator Run information

ONLY. Please inform us, if at any time, you become aware that the

parent email system is being used to distribute information not

related to Gator Run.

IV. Parties

a. Two parties are allowed: The Winter Party, which is in December,

and the End of Year Party, which is usually the last week of school

in June.

b. Send the pre-approved party letter to the classroom parents a few

weeks before the party. No changes can be made to these letters.

c. It is the responsibility of the Room Parent to collect all donated

money and supplies, contact parent volunteers, order food and

assist at the party.

d. Remember that only store bought food is allowed at any school

celebration. Homemade food is not allowed. Additionally, the use

of any electronic cooking device is not allowed.

e. Pizza or other delivery: If a delivery of any kind has been made for

the classroom, it is your responsibility to assure that the Front

Office is provided with notice and that payment and tip is provided

in an envelope with the name of the company, the teacher’s name

& grade and volunteer contact name.

Example:

Jimbo’s Pizza $23.00

Mrs. Class 5

grade

Contact: Volunteer name and phone number

f. There is a limit to the number of parents allowed at each party.

Ask your teacher for this information before contacting your

parents. Please do your best throughout the year to include all

parents who wish to be involved in parties. The number of

volunteers for each event is set by Administration – not the

PTA.

g. Sign up Genius is a great website to ask for classroom volunteers

and donations.

V. Teacher Gifts

a. In the pre-approved Winter Party and End of Year Party letters, a

portion of donated funds are designated for the “teacher gifts”.

You must give the teacher the cash you receive or a gift card. All

funds collected for gifts must be used for this purpose, not for

party supplies or food.

b. Please note the teacher’s (and aide’s) birthday on the label in your

folder. There is a pre-approved letter for collecting money for

birthdays. These, like the other forms, cannot be modified. If your

teacher or aide has a birthday between June & August, be sure to

discuss your teacher’s preference about what day during the school

year he/she would like to recognize a summer birthday. All

teachers may opt to celebrate their birthday at any point in the

school year, regardless of when their actual birthday occurs.

Please remember that:

The teachers would like you to schedule any meetings you have with them in

advance, either by e-mailing them, calling them or by sending in a note with

your child. All the teachers very much appreciate your time and effort and they

are looking forward to meeting and working with you.

Communication is crucial to the success of the Room Parent. Keep in

contact with your teacher and let him/her know you are available. There may be

things the teacher will call on you to help with, or he/she may need you to

make requests for donations for class projects. Check-in with the teacher and

follow up often.

You shouldn’t do or provide everything yourself. It is very important that you

give other parents an opportunity to be involved. It is vital that no parent feels

left out of an opportunity to benefit the classroom.

The names, telephone numbers and email addresses of your parents are strictly

confidential. They are to be used only for the Room Parent Program.

Please remember that when working with students all information pertaining to

those students is confidential and not to be discussed outside of the classroom.

Also, when volunteering please silence your cell phones and refrain from

talking on cell phones and texting while in the classroom.

If you, for any reason, become unable to fulfill your obligations as Room Parent,

please let me know as soon as possible. It is encouraged that Room Parents

stay informed by going to the PTA General Meetings and by checking our

website at www.gatorrunpta.info.

We are here to help and want to do whatever we can to make this a positive

experience for you, the children in your classroom and your teacher.

Paula Michaelides

305 926-8601

Michaelides_paula@yahoo.com

THANK YOU and HAVE FUN!

COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY TO BEING A SUCCESSFUL ROOM

PARENT!