ABC's for Room Moms

Room Party Basics | Room Mom Questions | Who Pays For What?
Room Party Check List | 7 Ways to Say Thanks

Room Mom Forms
Teacher Info Form | Introduction Letter to Parents

Room Mom Survival Guide and Class Party Planner
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The following article - thanks to: Everything Elementary

WHAT IS A ROOM MOM?

• A room mom is someone who volunteers to assist the teacher. The extent of parental involvement varies from teacher to teacher, so one year you may be very involved, and the next you may find yourself with very little work to do.
• The primary purpose of a room mom is to host the classroom parties.
• Most teachers also rely on parent helpers to cut, make copies, organize work folders, help with centers, assist with field trips, help on cooking days, and organize book orders.

WHAT IS A "HEAD" ROOM MOM?

• She generally works directly with the teacher to organize parent volunteers and relay information to the other room mothers. (See our Room Mom's Questions for a Teacher.)
• On occasion, two head room moms will be selected. One will organize the parties, and the other will organize all the other tasks.
• She typically collects and disburses the money.
• She recruits volunteers for specific events, and assigns the commitments for the coming school year.
• She sends out two letters to parents during the first month or two of school after conferring with the teacher. The first letter should be a "Recruiting" tool, and the second letter should be a " Thanks for Committing To…" tool. This is quite possibly the most time consuming task for a head room mother, but well worth the effort.

WHAT DOES A CLASSROOM PARTY INVOLVE?

• Classroom parties take place during the school day. They are usually one hour in length, and involve games, crafts, snacks, and favors . Each class has its own party, and all the activities should be age appropriate. The parents are the "hosts" of the party, although the teacher will always attend the party.
• The most common parties among pre-school and elementary-aged children are:
  • Halloween
  • Christmas
  • Valentine's Day
  • End of the Year Celebration
  Other potential parties for the classroom are:
  • Thanksgiving Feast
  • St. Patrick's Day
  • 100th Day of School
  • Spring/Easter
  • Cinco De Mayo
  • Mother's Tea
  • Dad's Night
  • Grandparent's Day
  • Earth Day
• Every teacher has different expectations. Some teachers will give you a party plan, laying out all the details for you to execute. Others will await the party as anxiously as the children to see what fun you have prepared for them!

HOW CAN I BE MOST EFFECTIVE?

• Respect the teacher's wishes. Just because "Mrs. Smith did it this way last year", don't expect all teachers to be alike in their needs.
• Be as organized as possible at the beginning of the school year, and you will find that all the other parents will sign up to help more, and follow through with the commitments they have made to help.
• Send out recruiting and commitment letters as soon as possible. Seeing a commitment on paper is so helpful.
• Ask one parent to "Chair" each different party. That gives others the chance to be involved, and doesn't put undue burden (financial or time) on one individual.
• For each party, fill out our Room Party Checklist, and send one copy to each volunteer on the list two weeks prior to the party. The party "chair" can then follow up with a phone call a few days before the party. Never assume that everyone will just show up as planned!
• Organize a binder or folder to gather the class list, parent list, notes from the teacher, filled-out "recruiting" forms, Room Party Checklists, and any other correspondence.
• Practice your delegating skills and most of all, take the time to enjoy seeing your child in his/her classroom!

Also see:
Room Party Basics
Room Moms Questions for the Teacher
Who Pays For What?
Room Party Check List
7 Ways to Say Thanks