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Room Parents & Social Hosts
Class Room Parents
Four (4) room parent volunteers help plan and execute three (3) classroom parties during the school year.
Halloween, Winter and End of Year parties
Room parents also help organize teacher gifts (typically around Winter Break and End of Year).
One (1) parent is the designated liaison between the room parents and the classroom teacher, and all four parents help coordinate the parties, take photos for the yearbook during parties (and other special classroom events), and help gather optional donations and coordinate purchase of teacher gifts/gift cards.
Being a room parent can be a relatively easy way to help support your child’s classroom and meet other parents. The time commitment is typically only a few hours of planning and prep for each party, participation in the hour-long party, and assistance coordinating and organizing teacher gifts.
Since the effort is divided among the four parents, your role may be require even less than that!
Planning the classroom parties:
Schedule
The Halloween party typically takes place school-wide on Halloween. (The 2023 party was held between 9-10 am, immediately following the Halloween Costume Parade).
The Winter party is typically held during the last week of school prior to winter break; the classroom teacher will typically offer potential times based on class activities and schedules. (No religious or holiday themes are included.)
The End-of-Year party is typically held the week before school ends for summer break; the classroom teacher will typically offer potential times based on class activities and schedules.
Party Format
Parties are typically about 1 hour long during the school day.
Room parents typically arrange for a few games, a craft activity or two, and a snack. Charitable activities may also be included (e.g. writing letters to children in the hospital, creating art or writing letters to seniors, etc.).
Students typically break into groups and rotate through the activities. Class-wide activities may also be incorporated, such as reading a themed story to the class of younger students, or playing a classroom game for older students.
Room parents should keep things simple to make set-up and clean-up easier in the limited amount of time available!
Budget
Each class receives a reimbursement of $50/party/class to help purchase items for the party, such as snacks, materials for crafts and games, decorations, small “gifts” for students, etc.
Room parents can get creative with on-hand supplies, re-used supplies from previous years, and decorations from home.
Social Hosts
A volunteer social host typically coordinates and hosts a social gathering at their home for parents and guardians of their child’s class and the teacher.
These events, typically held in the fall, are held as a way for parents to get to know other parents in their child’s class.
The role’s responsibilities are typically concluded in the fall once the party has been hosted, so it’s a great way to volunteer without a full-year commitment.
As a social host, you can:
Make it a potluck or BYO party and ask guests to bring a shareable appetizer or beverage, so everyone can contribute.
Coordinate with the other grade-level social hosts to host a combined party and share in hosting duties.
Hold the party at your home, a nearby park, a restaurant, or wherever is most convenient for the social host(s).
Parent social parties should be welcoming and inclusive to all parents in the class.
How to make the social even more fun:
Create a sign-up to allow folks to bring a small food item to contribute to the party.
Invite the teacher to attend; you may want to coordinate with the teacher to select a date they will be able to attend before scheduling the party.
Offer nametags and encourage individuals to put their own name and their child’s name on the nametag (and teacher name for combined parties).
For Kindergarten or First Grade parties, especially, consider an ice breaker that might help encourage conversations with new people, such as conversation topics by room, or “Who’s the famous person on my back?”
Utilize the $50/party reimbursement for each class to cover some food and supplies purchases (cups, plates, napkins, etc.) to help host the party.