Class parents facilitate communication between parents and the teacher, school administration, and/or parent-teacher organization (PTO), and supports the teacher in needs that may arise.

Typical Tasks for Classroom Parents

The responsibilities of a class parent vary from school to school, from teacher to teacher and grade to grade.

If you are considering becoming a class parent, these are some things a room parent may be asked to do:

• Meet with the teacher to discuss the role he or she would like the room parent to play.

• Send home a letter with children in order to collect the names and phone numbers of all the parents in the class. Some schools may provide this information.

• Attend and/or organize activities for “Back-to-School Night.”

• Post events to a classroom blog or website.

• Recruit other parents to help in the duty of room parents, e.g., start a telephone chain or maintain an email database. (Finding a co-room parent can make the job a lot easier!)

• Meet with other room parents and/or the school’s room parent organizer on a regular or occasional basis.

• Attend all or most of the meetings of the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) or similar organization.

• Organize class parties and enrichment opportunities. This may include planning, shopping for, and hosting the event.

• Call or email parents to obtain donations of supplies for the classroom and/or events (i.e., boxes of tissues the classroom or cupcakes for class parties).

• Collect donations for and purchase gifts for the teacher for special occasions. These might include holidays (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and/or Teacher Appreciation Day), his or her birthday, the end of the school year and other special events such as a baby or wedding shower, get well, etc.

• Call or email parents to line up chaperones for field trips.

• Find volunteers to help in the classroom, if needed.

• Send out reminders—via email, phone or notes that go home with the kids—about upcoming events, meetings, field trips, fundraising, and needs for donations or volunteers.

• Act as a resource by answering questions for parents new to the school or class.

• Solicit donations for the school or class from local businesses or other people besides the parents of kids in the class.

CLASS PARENTS & CLASS SUPPORT

Ettalong P&C is trialing the coordination of a ‘Class Parent’ program. 

The idea is that each year, every class will allocate a Class Parent/s whose role it is to communicate important class notices, seek volunteers for excursions and events and coordinate class playdates. 

CLASS PARENT / TEACHER LIAISON ROLE

Being a Class Parent / Teacher Liaison is an important and rewarding role that helps foster community spirit and cooperation between the school and P&C. It is a great way to get to know other parents and your child’s teacher. You’ll also be supported by the Class Parent Coordinator and through communications with your fellow Class Parents.

Responsibilities

• Communication with the Class Parent Coordinator & other class parents via a Class Parent WhatsApp group

• Set up a WhatsApp group for your class to send important updates & reminders

• Support P&C events and fundraising activities by encouraging volunteer support from your class (more information below)

• Liaise with your class teacher to communicate opportunities for other parents to get involved in class specific activities (more information below)

• Organise class playdates/social activities with your class/year (suggested)

• Organise teacher’s end of year present (suggested)

The P&C encourages two class parents to share the role to minimise the workload, especially when it comes to the major fundraising events.  If you’re sharing the role, it’s requested that just one parent becomes the direct liaison with the teacher/school.

P&C Support - Fundraising, organising volunteers & canteen days.

The P & C organises one major fundraising event each year and other community events from time to time. These are most successful if the majority of the school community attends and participates in some capacity. It will be very helpful if Class Parent/Teacher Liaisons assist the P&C to engage and involve the families in their child’s class with fundraising initiatives, eg organise volunteers and encourage attendance at functions.  Most fundraising activities are lots of fun and another way to get to know other families at school!

• Each year group is allocated a minor P&C event to support through volunteers and we would like Class Parent/Teacher Liaisons to help encourage volunteers for these events. 

• Each class is encouraged to organise a Canteen Day once or twice a year (or as often as you like). The Liaison or another keen parent can seek volunteers.

Liaising with class teacher

Class Parents may be asked by the teacher to communicate with the parents in your class regarding school events (e.g. NIDA costumes, volunteers for excursions) or parent literacy group volunteers.  This will be different for each class and dependant on the teachers needs and specific events that are being held that year.  It is expected that the Class Parent helps support these requests for helpers.

Social activities

Class Parent/Teacher Liaisons often organise gatherings such as a parents’ night out for the class, a get-to-know-you play in the park/picnic in Term 1, and perhaps if a child is leaving the school or a new child starts – a play at the park etc.  Sometimes year groups of Class Parent/Teacher Liaisons organise whole year events at the start and end of the year.  This is entirely up to each class parent.

These e-mails can remove the bcc policy only for those parents who have opted to share their details with the entire class.

TO LEARN HOW TO GET VOLUNTEER SPOTS FOR AN EVENT OR ACTIVITY SET UP ONLINE, CLICK HERE

Teacher’s end of year present

At the end of the year, Class Parent/Teacher Liaisons customarily organise a collection (about $10 – 20) from each child in the class and buy a class present for the teacher.

Every parent or guardian must comply with the P & C’s Email Code of Conduct (link). Contact details obtained via the class lists must not be disseminated or used for purposes other than the purposes set out in the P & C’s Email Code of Conduct without permission from the individuals concerned.  All class e-mails must be sent via bcc with the only exception being the organisation of social activities, however, any parents who have opted not to share their information must remain on bcc for all communications.

If you have any questions please contact the Class Parent/Teacher Liaison Coordinator.