Outline of Room Rep Responsibilities/Guidelines

Craig Elementary

Room Rep Handbook

Responsibilities and Guidelines

2009 – 2010

Georgia PTA Outline of Room Rep Responsibilities/Guidelines

 The purpose of the Room Representative is to serve as the closest link between our local PTA and its members and to assist the teacher with classroom events.

 Room Reps should have a thorough understanding of the Policies of the PTA and of our local projects/programs, and be able to communicate these to other PTA members. Please refer to your 2009/2010 PTA Handbook/Calendar for more detailed information regarding the programs and events sponsored by the PTA.

 Room Reps function as a committee according to the PTA’s local unit bylaws with the Volunteer Coordinators Cari Johanson (770-979-8535) and LaTrenda Wilson (770-676- 7916) representing them on the executive board. Room Reps must be current members of the Craig PTA.

 This year, there will be a Grade Level Representative who will assist in the communication between the PTA Board and the individual Room Reps. You will be contacted by your Grade Level Representative personally after the Room Rep meeting.

 Our goal this year is to improve communication between Room Reps and the PTA Board. Contact the Grade Level Representative or Volunteer Coordinator with any questions or concerns. Please keep your teacher and the Grade Level Representative/Volunteer Coordinator up to date on changes in your phone number and/or email address. Also, if you cannot finish out the year as Room Rep and a replacement cannot be found, you should contact us so that we can help you.

 Be sure to sign IN and OUT on the Visitor/Volunteer Log Sheet at Pam Perry’s desk in the front lobby. This procedure is required for everyone on school property. Be sure to check the appropriate column for volunteer or visitor and fill out all the information requested.

 Everyone on school property must identify themselves at all times by wearing a “VOLUNTEER” or “VISITOR” sticker with their name displayed. These procedures are for the safety and well being of our children.

 All volunteer hours are tabulated and this information will be utilized when completing PTA State Committee Reports, which are due in late February.  Among the suggested duties for Room Reps are the winter break party, end of year party, field trips, teacher appreciation and other PTA/classroom functions such as Red Ribbon Week, Art Show, field days, book fair, etc. The Room Rep is responsible for recruiting help when needed for these events, which may require contacting class parents either by phone or by sending home a note.

 All correspondence sent home with students MUST be pre-approved by Mrs. Wright.

 A meeting should be scheduled as soon as possible with your teacher and all Room Reps to discuss activities for the year, possible ideas for parties, classroom policies, teacher expectations, special events, etc. (See Room Rep Responsibilities below).

 We recommend that Room Reps from each class compose a short letter to parents introducing yourselves (a sample letter has been included). Provide the parents with your phone number(s) because that keeps you accessible to them. Make copies of the letter and ask your teacher if she/he could send one home with each child. NOTE: The Sample Letter included in this guidebook has been pre-approved by the Principal. If you draft your own letter, you must submit it to Mrs. Wright for approval.

 A $15 donation for class parties and teacher gifts was collected on Registration Day. You will be given a list of who donated for your class and a check for the total amount collected. For parents who did not donate on Registration day, you may give them the opportunity to do so in your introductory letter. Also, attached to this guide is a Monies Received Form. This will help you keep track of how much you receive and how and what you spend. The Monies Received From should be distributed to your parents at the end of the year so they can be informed as to how their class donation was spent. A copy of this form should be turned into the PTA Treasurer.

 Teacher Appreciation Week will be May 3-7, 2010. Please choose only one day during that week to honor your individual teacher(s).

 You may be contacted by a PTA committee chairperson requesting assistance in recruiting volunteers for special PTA events, i.e. Red Ribbon Week, Fall Social, Bingo Night, etc. BASIC ROOM REP RESPONSIBILITIES:

Class Parties There are only two parties per year – Winter Break and End of Year. A party in this case is defined as a snack, beverage and a special activity. The “two parties” rule will be strictly enforced. You are responsible for checking with your teacher before each party, then planning, carrying out, and cleaning up after the party. NOTE: In order to protect our carpeting, only clear beverages are allowed to be served at class parties.

Field Trips Each grade level takes a field trip during the year, and as Room Rep, you may be asked to chaperone or secure volunteers.

Classroom Help This may be a day or two per week in the classroom or small projects at home such as assisting with bulletin boards, cutting paper/felt, or sending in a special treat for a holiday or event. You may also be asked to organize other parent classroom volunteers. Not all teachers ask for classroom help, but you should be aware that your teacher might. If you do help in the classroom, please make plans to leave younger siblings at home since this is a special time for you to be part of your child’s class. Please pass this advice along to other parent volunteers. SAMPLE LETTER FROM ROOM REPS

TO: Parents – (TEACHER/GRADE)

FROM: (ROOM REP NAMES)

SUBJECT: Introduction of Room Reps

The school year has gotten off to a smooth start and (TEACHER’S NAME) has many special activities planned for our children. (ROOM REP NAMES) will be Room Reps for your child’s class this year.

At registration, some parents signed up to assist in classroom events. Because of the rush of activity at registration, some of you who might otherwise have been willing to help might have been missed. Please call ______or ______to get on our list of helpers. Please be assured that all phone numbers we receive will remain confidential.

There will be two classroom parties this year – Winter Break and the End of Year Party. You will receive more information regarding specific information at a later date. At the parties, most of the help we will need will be in the form of food and beverage contributions as well as party helpers. Other activities where you may be called to assist are field trips, field day, or sending in a special treat for a holiday. Also, we will serve as a link between our classrooms, school related events, and the PTA. We will occasionally contact you by telephone to keep you informed of school and PTA happenings. As we need help during the year, we will call you or send notes home with your child.

A one time donation of $15 per student for class parties and teacher gifts was collected on Registration Day. If you did not participate at that time you may send in your $15 now. (This money should cover all room rep expenses. Outline what the funds will be used for, e.g. class holiday gift, teacher appreciation week, party supplies, teacher birthday.)

Please feel free to call us with creative party ideas or suggestions. We welcome your comments. We hope that by all working together, we can ensure a fun, successful year in ______grade for our children. Thanks in advance for your help! Monies Received Form

Teacher ______Grade _____

Room Rep ______

$ ______collected from ______parents/students

$ ______spent on winter break party $ ______spent on end of year party $ ______spent on teacher gifts $ ______spent on ______$ ______spent on ______

$ ______Total Spent as of ______

Craig Elementary 2009/2010 School Year Ms. / Mr. ______List of “My Favorite Things”

Please fill out this form so that your class and parents may know more about the things you enjoy.