Developing Community Relations

As a room parent, you serve in a vital capacity as a communication link to the parents of the children in your classroom, your neighbors and the community as a whole. Several tasks that fall within this role include the following:

Welcoming New Ogden Families

• Answer questions.

• Provide information about Ogden’s PTC, and upcoming events sponsored by the school.

• Extend an invitation to participate within the structure of the school and the PTC.

• Refer all questions you can’t answer to the PTC President or Dr. Boudreau.

Reporting Volunteer Interest

• Report names of parents interested in volunteering to the appropriate PTC committee chairperson or the PTC volunteer coordinator.

Assisting PTC Hospitality Coordinators

• Assist PTC Hospitality Coordinators in welcoming new parents and introducing them to other parents.

Field Trips

Each grade level staff will be arranging curriculum-related field experiences within the district and school’s curriculum parameters and budgetary considerations for the given year. For the most part, staff will be soliciting parent volunteers on their own. However, they may ask the room parents to assist in this process. If so, this is within the realm of the room parent’s responsibilities.

Contacting Ogden Families / Class Gifts

One of the most important functions of the room parents is to understand and, when asked to,  conduct the tasks contained in the Emergency School Closing Procedures section of the School News pages of this website, if necessary.

Per district policy, class email and phone lists are only made available to authorized school and PTC personnel. Unauthorized distribution of class lists and student phone numbers and email addresses is strictly prohibited.

Room parents are responsible for communications to other class parents regarding class parties they are organizing, etc. Room Parents should use the online PTC email approval form (marking "Room Parent Communication")to ensure compliance with procedures.  In communicating with class parents, Room Parents are responsible for:

• Obtaining proper approvals for any communications from the school office and PTC President.
• Ensuring all classroom families are contacted. If using email, you must use the BCC function to ensure privacy, and must phone any families for which you do not have an email address or are not able to reach via email. If you are unsure of how to use the BCC function in your email system, please contact us.
• Ensuring any group gifts to teachers/aides are appropriate and that there is no specific contribution amount specified (ie families should be able to donate whatever amount seems right to them).
• Ensuring families understand that participation in group gifts is optional and that any group gifts will come from all students, regardless of participation.
• Ensuring all group gifts to teachers/aides have all children's names on the card, even though participation is optional.

Room Parent Tips

--Communicate with the classroom teacher regarding the foods & activities he/she prefers at class parties.

--Be thoughtful by notifying room parents of other classes at your grade level if you are planning something very special, to avoid possible hurt feelings.

--Reserve any special party space you'll need through the school office well in advance of your party.

--Try to contact all parents who fill out a party/field trip volunteer form no more than once for donations of time or supplies.

--Turn in all receipts for party expenditures to your liaison so you can be reimbursed. There is approximately $3/per child available for all parties, so budget appropriately. Do not ask parents for additional funds.

--The end of the year 6th grade party is funded separately from the holiday parties.

Staff Gifts

It is deeply appreciated whenever a parent and/or parent group would like to recognize a teacher for his or her efforts, however, school district policy (see below) must be followed when organizing group gifts and/or soliciting contributions for gifts.

Gift giving and contributions must always be optional.  Room parents are responsible for ensuring that group gifts to teachers/aides are appropriate and that there is no specific contribution amount specified (ie families should be able to donate whatever amount seems right to them). All group gifts to teachers / aides must have all children's names on the card, even though participation is optional.

See Telephoning / Use of Class Gifts for more information on communicating with parents about group gifts.

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District 102 Policy 5270 - Limitations on Accepting Gifts

Please click this link for the current policy limitations on gifts to staff.

Room Parent Liaison

One parent volunteer in each classroom is designated as the room parent liaison. Responsibilities include:

• Serving as the contact person for the teacher and PTC.

• Contacting the teacher to determine the classroom party dates, times and locations.*

• Organizing planning sessions at a convenient time to insure attendance by all room parents.*

• Managing class party funds.**

• Dividing classroom list according to family count as part of the school emergency calling tree.

*Keep in mind...These tasks can also be shared with other members of your room parent team.

**It is highly recommended that you reach a consensus with all your classroom room parents to determine how funds will be budgeted and disbursed for the year.

Class Parties

Room Parenting Top Ten

1. Test out crafts and games on your child before the party.

2. Watch the clock. Plan ahead on how much time you want to allot for each activity. Think of what you’ll do if you have extra time.

3. Take into consideration the mess factor when planning snacks and crafts. If necessary, cover the desks with plastic or newspaper to help with clean-up.

4. Try using a theme for your party if you need help generating ideas.

5. Have a contingency plan in place if your outdoor party is canceled due to bad weather.

6. Determine how you’ll divide the class into groups for stations or games before the party begins. One idea is to use name tags with different stickers.

7. Consider using classroom funds for a special food item or class memento instead of on small party favors that cause clutter at home.

8. Out of courtesy, contact the other room parents in your grade level if you’re planning something extra special.

9. As a classroom team, reach a consensus on how party funds will be budgeted and disbursed for the school year.

10. Don’t go it alone. You’ll think of the most creative and enjoyable activities if you share ideas and brainstorm as a group.

Taking Photos for the Yearbook

Oscar says, "We need your pictures for the 2011-2012 Yearbook!"

Yearbooks are a wonderful way to remember the great friends, good times and wonderful learning experiences during the school year. Plans for this year's Yearbook are underway! Along with school pictures and the many activity group photos, candid shots of Ogden students and teachers at various school functions are included. If you snapped pictures of Ogden students at these events, please send them to the yearbook committee for possible inclusion in the yearbook. Please know that sometimes as many as 4,000 pictures are submitted and only a small portion can be included…we’ll do our best to make sure everyone is there!

Submission requests and deadlines for each event will be included in the PTC newsletter. Here are some of the events - Sponsor Family Picnic, Halloween, Back-to-School, Immigration Day, Class Parties, Buddies, Art, Music...the list goes on!

Yearbook Picture Taking Hints and Submission Guidelines

• Pictures should be of Ogden students, teachers or staff at the school or attending a school function during the 2011-12 school year.
• Include as many faces as possible. Tell them it’s for the yearbook, get up close and show those smiles!
• Set your camera at the largest picture and highest/largest resolution (superfine) for taking pictures.
• Please do not send iphone/cell phone photos. Most resolutions are too low.
• Leave them at the original size and don’t re-touch.
• When you submit them, be sure to include event, names and teacher so we can identify all those happy faces!

Preferred methods for submitting pictures:

• Email to Ogdenyearbook.photos@picasaweb.com (jpeg preferred) You might need to send multiple emails due to file sizes

OK methods: (sometimes you just have too many!)

• Burned to CD - drop off in the Main Office in the “yearbook” basket.

• Special arrangements can be made to download the photos off your memory card if you need help.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Laurie Squire at laurie_squire@ameritech.net
Joanna Caiafa Lilly at joce1017@aol.com
Julie Paliatka at juliep@austinhighland.com

Guidelines for Teacher Gifts

At the Holidays and the end of the school year, some families like to join together and present their child's teacher with a gift from the class. Please note that participation in group gifts is entirely optional. And, although participation is optional, all group gifts must come from all students in the class regardless of their participation.

The VP Communications has access to all non-published email addresses and can send email to all families in your classroom.  This is an easy way to ensure that all requirements are met.  If you choose not to communicate with parents regarding class parties or gifts through our established email system, Room Parents are responsible for:

-- Obtaining proper approvals for any communications from the school office and PTC President.

-- Ensuring all classroom families are contacted. If using email, you must use the BCC function to ensure privacy, and must phone any families for which you do not have an email address or are not able to reach via email. If you are unsure of how to use the BCC function in your email system, please contact us.

-- Ensuring any group gifts to teachers/aides are appropriate and that there is no specific contribution amount specified (ie families should be able to donate whatever amount seems right to them).

-- Ensuring families understand that participation in group gifts is optional and that any group gifts will come from all students, regardless of participation.

-- Ensuring all group gifts to teachers/aides have all children's names on the card, even though participation is optional.

-- Ensuring that the following disclaimer is present in any Holiday email:

This donation from your family goes directly to your classroom teacher. The PTC additionally contributes to our wonderful Ogden teachers to show our appreciation during the holiday season.

Room Parent Volunteer Form

Room Parent sign-up is now closed.

Mark Your Calendar: The Room Parent meeting will be held on September 9 at 9:00am in the Ogden MPR. At this meeting you will get information about how the program runs, what to expect, and you will receive your classroom lists with contact information.