Anonymous
10/09/2011 20:27
Subject: Room Parent Duties
I was a room parent last year in MCPS - my son was in K. My only real duties were to organize Valentine's and December holiday party, collect $ for and purchase holiday and end-of-year gift...and that really was about it. Our PTA has a volunteer coordinator who solicits help with general school stuff and parents who want to volunteer in the classroom just e-mail the teacher directly. Very low-key!
Anonymous
10/09/2011 19:31
Subject: Room Parent Duties
Anonymous wrote:It may depend on the teachers but at our school room parents mainly help plan parties and organize field trip and other volunteers, as needed.
Our school encourages volunteering in the classrooms (any classroom - does not have to be your child's), cafeteria, morning and afternoon arrival/dismissal areas, and at recess. Some parents come daily.
Same goes for our school. The teacher sent out a calendar with the volunteer schedule at the beginning of the month.
Anonymous
10/08/2011 22:07
Subject: Re:Room Parent Duties
I think you should reach out to the teacher and ask her if she needs your help coordinating classroom volunteers, field trips or anything else. You may also need to help coordinate a class gift for the teacher. Check out http://www.roommomspot.com/teacher-meeting/ it has a great checklist for meeting with the teacher.
Anonymous
10/07/2011 16:25
Subject: Room Parent Duties
It may depend on the teachers but at our school room parents mainly help plan parties and organize field trip and other volunteers, as needed.
Our school encourages volunteering in the classrooms (any classroom - does not have to be your child's), cafeteria, morning and afternoon arrival/dismissal areas, and at recess. Some parents come daily.
Our school encourages volunteering in the classrooms (any classroom - does not have to be your child's), cafeteria, morning and afternoon arrival/dismissal areas, and at recess. Some parents come daily.
Anonymous
10/07/2011 13:46
Subject: Re:Room Parent Duties
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
I think it depends on the teacher. My son's K teacher split the job in two, and has two volunteers for each job: 2 room parents (in charge of parties) and 2 volunteer coordinators (in charge of coordinating daily volunteers to help in the classroom).
OP here, Are there really daily volunteers in the classroom? I am floored! In my 3 years at my child's school, no teacher has ever asked us to volunteer in the classroom. I know that you can if you want, but the teachers don't seem to go out of their way to ask. THe only thing the school really pushes the parents to volunteer for (besides the PTA stuff) is recess duty. And then, they really only push it on the K parents.
I'm the poster you quoted. Yep, daily volunteers. I looking forward to volunteering as my son came from a cooperative nursery school and is used to parents in the classroom. I've heard the volunteer does a variety of tasks-photocopying, collating, helping keep the peace as children work at different stations and the teacher works with children in small groups. I think it takes a confident and well-organized teacher to allow parents in the room on a daily basis.
And recess/lunch duty volunteers are always needed and appreciated at our school. I try to volunteer weekly for recess/lunch. I spend the 30 minute recess watching out for falls and fights, excusing children to go to the bathroom and water fountain, encouraging free play, etc. I spend the 30 minute lunch period opening food containers and drinks, cutting the tops off yogurt tubes & ketchup packets, handing out cutlery & napkins, etc. The time goes by quickly.
Are you at OTES?
Anonymous
10/05/2011 19:19
Subject: Re:Room Parent Duties
Anonymous wrote:
I think it depends on the teacher. My son's K teacher split the job in two, and has two volunteers for each job: 2 room parents (in charge of parties) and 2 volunteer coordinators (in charge of coordinating daily volunteers to help in the classroom).
OP here, Are there really daily volunteers in the classroom? I am floored! In my 3 years at my child's school, no teacher has ever asked us to volunteer in the classroom. I know that you can if you want, but the teachers don't seem to go out of their way to ask. THe only thing the school really pushes the parents to volunteer for (besides the PTA stuff) is recess duty. And then, they really only push it on the K parents.
I'm the poster you quoted. Yep, daily volunteers. I looking forward to volunteering as my son came from a cooperative nursery school and is used to parents in the classroom. I've heard the volunteer does a variety of tasks-photocopying, collating, helping keep the peace as children work at different stations and the teacher works with children in small groups. I think it takes a confident and well-organized teacher to allow parents in the room on a daily basis.
And recess/lunch duty volunteers are always needed and appreciated at our school. I try to volunteer weekly for recess/lunch. I spend the 30 minute recess watching out for falls and fights, excusing children to go to the bathroom and water fountain, encouraging free play, etc. I spend the 30 minute lunch period opening food containers and drinks, cutting the tops off yogurt tubes & ketchup packets, handing out cutlery & napkins, etc. The time goes by quickly.
Anonymous
10/05/2011 14:39
Subject: Re:Room Parent Duties
My son is in K in MCPS. There are no room parents, and no volunteers (at least, my two attempts to volunteer have both been ignored). Is my school an exception?
Anonymous
10/05/2011 14:10
Subject: Re:Room Parent Duties
Wow! Some schools still get Halloween and Valentive parties? Good for you!
Anonymous
10/03/2011 23:29
Subject: Room Parent Duties
At our school, the room parent roll is reduced to party planning as well.
In fact, the room parent's don't prepare a phone/contact list at all. So, we wait for the directory which usually comes out in November to get contact info (and to know for sure who is in our DC's class).
Someone else coordinates a social gathering for the parents in the grade -- yes, the entire grade, not the individual class. This event becomes a cattle call of 55-70 couples and usually doesn't happen until late Oct. or Nov. (Hardly helpful in facilitating getting to know each other). Strange. I guess each school has its own culture.
In fact, the room parent's don't prepare a phone/contact list at all. So, we wait for the directory which usually comes out in November to get contact info (and to know for sure who is in our DC's class).
Someone else coordinates a social gathering for the parents in the grade -- yes, the entire grade, not the individual class. This event becomes a cattle call of 55-70 couples and usually doesn't happen until late Oct. or Nov. (Hardly helpful in facilitating getting to know each other). Strange. I guess each school has its own culture.
Anonymous
10/03/2011 18:58
Subject: Re:Room Parent Duties
at our mcps elem school, the room parents prepare the "emergency phone list" (which can be a pita b/c you need to pursue the parents in the class to get all of their contact info/emails); collect the parents' $ contributions and deal with reimbursements from the fund; plan an off site "get to know you" party at the beginning of the year; plan the halloween and valentine's parties; plan the teacher's birthday and end of year gifts; recruit volunteers as requested by the teacher; forward admin emails to the parents in the class.
Anonymous
10/03/2011 16:15
Subject: Re:Room Parent Duties
Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on the teacher. My son's K teacher split the job in two, and has two volunteers for each job: 2 room parents (in charge of parties) and 2 volunteer coordinators (in charge of coordinating daily volunteers to help in the classroom).
OP here, Are there really daily volunteers in the classroom? I am floored! In my 3 years at my child's school, no teacher has ever asked us to volunteer in the classroom. I know that you can if you want, but the teachers don't seem to go out of their way to ask. THe only thing the school really pushes the parents to volunteer for (besides the PTA stuff) is recess duty. And then, they really only push it on the K parents.
Anonymous
10/03/2011 16:08
Subject: Re:Room Parent Duties
I think it depends on the teacher. My son's K teacher split the job in two, and has two volunteers for each job: 2 room parents (in charge of parties) and 2 volunteer coordinators (in charge of coordinating daily volunteers to help in the classroom).
Anonymous
10/03/2011 11:51
Subject: Re:Room Parent Duties
It varies depending on what your teacher needs and what you are able to do. I am a room parent, and the teacher has relied on me to rally classroom volunteers and supplies. At our school, room parents are also responsible for organizing the class gift to the teacher for her birthday, end of year and December holidays. We are also assigned a specials teacher or other staff member who we are responsible for on those occasions.
Anonymous
10/03/2011 11:22
Subject: Room Parent Duties
My child is in at an MCPS elementary school. I am the room parent and as far as I can tell, my only duties are to plan a Halloween and Valentines Day party and to forward emails to the parents in the class sent by the school admin and the PTA. This is what the room parent coordinator told us. I chatted with a mom with a child at another MCPS elem school last week and she was meeting with the 2 other room parents to "plan for the year" I was too embarassed to ask what this meant. My job doesn't seem to entail much planning so I am wondering what I am not doing that parents in other schools are. Can anyone share what their duties are?