As a Room Parent, you will be responsible for supporting the class teacher per her/his requests. Some of your responsibilities will include setting up for class holiday parties, arranging for parents to chaperone class field trips, and helping the teacher with various projects throughout the school year. You will also be responsible for collecting LVEPC dues, class party fund, teacher gifts and other contributions throughout the school year.
The Lead Room Parent should contact the teacher prior to Back to School Night. It is very important for you to know what your class teacher expects from you during the course of the school year. Ask specifically about what classroom parties, events and known classroom activities they have planned for the year ahead.
Thank you for volunteering to be your child’s Room Parent. If you should need anything more please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Co-Vice Presidents or Co-Presidents.
Back to School
Before Back to School Night:
- Send the following to each family in your class:
- Review Back to School Night Responsibilities
Gift Giving Guidelines
Sample Gift Giving Letter (PDF & Word)
Above is an LVEPC approved sample letter for you to use as a guideline when sending letters out to parents to collect money to purchase teacher gifts. Teacher gifts are given twice a year: in December, prior to the winter holiday recess, and again in June, at the end of the school year.
Collecting a class gift is a nice gesture and is sincerely appreciated by the teachers, but participation is not mandatory. The LVEPC has authorized Room Parents to ask for a donation of $20 per child in December, and again in June.
Parents’ Councils goal is to eliminate any confusion and unify the gift giving procedure.
Here are a few guidelines that we have found helpful in the past:
- Send the collection letter out to your class parents in the beginning of December and June.
- Send the collection letter to the classroom teacher requesting that they are sent home with each student in your class in their homework folders.
- Attach a return envelope addressed to the Room Parent responsible for collecting the funds with the collection letter, as well as the name of the child contributing.
- The gift should be presented to the Teacher by the Room Parents at the class winter holiday party in December and the class year-end party in June.
- ***Most important, any class gift that is presented is to be from the entire class. We suggest giving gift cards – credit card gift cards (e.g Visa, Mastercard, Amex) are the most versatile, so teachers can buy exactly what they want or need.
If the teacher has an assistant that you would also like to recognize, the customary average split should be 70% for the teacher and 30% for the assistant. Please remember that you are not allowed to ask for more than $20 per family, per gift.
Responsibilities & Guidelines
- Attend Back to School Night for your school. Collect LVEPC dues of $20 per family and a Class Party Fund contribution of $20 per student. The LVEPC will provide class lists for use in the collection of the LVEPC dues of $20 per family. These funds are to be returned to our Treasurer, Christine O’Mahony, per her instructions. Since LVEPC dues are a family donation, families that paid their $20 at the LVI Back to School Night do not need to pay again at AMP if they also have children at AMP. Please refer to the Back to School Night Guidelines on LVEPC.org.
- The $20.00 per student Class Party Fund contributions collected at Back to School Night should be divided up to cover the cost of parties, crafts and goodie bags throughout the school year. The Lead Parent dependent on responsibilities, may hold this money and share as needed, or divide it evenly amongst all class parents. Please exhaust the class party fund before reaching out and asking for further donations. If the teacher has included the parents of all children in the class, in a specific event, and the party needs exceed a standard class party, you may then ask the parents to bring items in.
Class Party opportunities, dates and times are decided by the teacher. In your early communication ask she/he what they have planned for the year ahead, they will not have exact dates/times but you will have an idea by month what is on the agenda and you will know when to check back to confirm details and then coordinate with the other class parents and volunteers. Most classes have four to five parties per year including Halloween, Winter Holiday, Valentine’s Day, Spring Holiday, and End-of-year (but there are some grade specific celebrations as well). It is very important to always ask the teacher if any students have food allergies. If there are students with allergies in the class, contact their parents before each party and make them aware so they will have an opportunity to send in a safe, special food for their child to enjoy. Avoid bringing known allergens into the classroom. Please refer to the Class Party Guidelines on LVEPC.org.
- As a Room Parent, you will arrange parent chaperones for class trips and schedule for parents to volunteer time for class specials and/or other school functions. Please make sure Class List Contact Information sheets are set out and visible at your Back to School Night, so that you will have all the information you need to set up a class email distribution and reach out when necessary. Many teachers have their own sign-up sheets. It is very important that the Lead Parent review procedures for Back to School Night with your class teacher prior to the event and then communicates this info to the other class Room Parents. Let your teacher know that you will be putting out a contact sheet and will share with her/him the completed list, either by email and/or a photo copy.
- Room Parents collect money from the class to buy a December Holiday Gift and a End of the Year Gift for the teachers and their assistants. Room Parents collect $20 from families wishing to contribute. An LVEPC approved form letter is available on the LVEPC.org site and will be emailed as a reminder one month prior to when the gift should be presented. Please remember that any class gift that is given is to be from the entire class. If a teacher has an assistant that you would also like to present with a gift, the customary average split should be 70% for the teacher and 30% for the assistant. You may not ask for more than $20 per collection. Please refer to the Gift Guidelines on LVEPC.org for more information.
- It is the Lead Room Parents responsibility to contact the parents of any new student that joins your class. Welcome them and ask if they have any questions. Inform them about our monthly LVEPC meetings. Make the other students and parents aware that a new student has entered the class. This is a very important gesture in making a new family feel welcome and part of our school community.
- All Room Parents are encouraged to attend the monthly Parents’ Council meetings to hear pertinent speakers, relevant information regarding our children, and their school and details about upcoming PC events Board of Education meetings provide very useful information about our district at large and we recommend going when possible, they are attended by members of the PC Board and a summary highlighting those topics most relevant to Locust Valley Elementary are posted on LVEPC.org. As a Room Parent, you are the liaison between Parents’ Council and the parents in your class and will be responsible for relaying information and recruiting volunteers as needed. LVEPC meeting dates are listed on the district calendar and reminders will be emailed prior.
- As a Room Parent you must chair at least one LVEPC sponsored event. If you are not already signed up, please contact either Vice President for an overview on committees that are still in need of chairs and co-chairs.
- If any Room Parent is unable to continue her/his role, please contact us so we can find a replacement.
It should be the goal of every Room Parent to support and assist the class teacher, coordinate and communicate with the parents and take every opportunity to add JOY to our children’s school experience!
Every child feels special when their parent is helping with his or her class. We very much appreciate you volunteering your time and energy – THANK YOU!!
LVEPC Co-Presidents & LVEPC Co-Vice Presidents