Room Mom, classroom coordinator, head mom in charge, the one with all the answers. Maybe you had a grueling battle and came out as the Mom on top. Or, maybe, you were the sole parent volunteer. Whatever the case may be, here are helpful tips on how a terrific Room Mom Introduction Letter will set you up for success with the rest of the classroom parents. Depending on the school district and the age of the students, the Room Mom often plays a vital role in helping the teacher coordinate needed parent volunteers or parent donations for projects or celebrations throughout the school year.
Creating a Class List
Read More: Moral Development And Why “Heartschooling” Is The New And Improved Homeschooling
Pro Tip: Check with your school on their policy of sharing emails. Most schools give out a media opt-in form at the beginning of the year. This is something that can be included in your Room Mom Introduction Letter.
Room Mom Introduction Letter
After you have established your class list and emails, you will want to introduce yourself as Room Mom. Keep your Room Mom Introduction Letter short and sweet. Start by saying who you are and who your child is. Often we only know parents as “so-and-so’s Mom or Dad.” We’ve included an awesome and detailed Room Mom Introduction Letter for you to use as a template when writing your own letter, that you can download below.
Create Unanimous Class Surveys
Want to get your class parents’ opinion? Some prefer commenting unanimously. Making a quick survey can help to get some easy feedback without flooding your inbox. Your class parents can take them within seconds. Google Docs will easily graph the results in a pie chart, letting you know exactly what was the favorite of the class. You can let the classroom parents know in your Room Mom Introduction Letter to expect a few short surveys from you each semester.
- Sample Questions:
- Would you like to participate in a class gift?
- How much would you be willing to contribute?
- Do you have any specific gift ideas?
- Would you like to help with any activities?
- What type of activities would you like to see done this year?
Keeping Track of Money
It is highly likely one of your tasks as Room Mom will involve receiving and keeping track of money. Luckily with new technology, there are a lot of apps that help with collecting money. Venmo and Paypal are two of the most widely known. They are easily downloadable to your phone or computer and linked to your bank account. For PayPal give out your email address associated with the account. Venmo you will need either your username or phone number.
Read More: Chores For Money: 3 Key Tips for Paying Kids Allowance
Using Google Sheets you can create an Excel sheet that allows you to keep track of who gave you what. Use the sum function to add up all the money you have collected. This is a simple way to track who donated what for a classroom holiday party or a teacher gift.
Creating Sign Ups
Another likely task of any room parent is asking for donations or volunteers for the class. Some parents work full-time and prefer to contribute monetarily, while others prefer to volunteer their time. Whatever their preference, SignUp
Schools typically require parents to have background checks before being allowed to volunteer. Make sure to check with your school if you or anyone else working with the students need to get a background check.
Calendar Collaboration
Are there several parents working together as Room Parents? Or are you splitting up parties? Doodle is an app that helps meet up with several different parties easily. We’ve all been in that forever-long group text with back-and-forth messages about schedules and more that result in everyone being confused at the end. Doodle takes all the confusion out of scheduling by putting everyone’s availability in one easy-to-read calendar.
Class Gifts
Another part of the Room Mom’s responsibilities is classroom gifts for the teacher for her birthday, the holidays, and the end of the school year. As the room mom, you will be collecting money and organizing class gifts. Use all the tips above for apps and how to organize along with these tips on gifting.
Keep It Simple – Don’t overdo it with monogram bags, clothing, coffee cups, or other knick-knacks. As well as we may think we know our teachers, we still may get their taste wrong. Plus, as much as we think we are being unique with our
Gift Cards are Best – Allowing the teacher to pick what she wants via a gift card is what teachers really want. This allows the teacher to use the money as she chooses. Maybe you get one to her favorite clothing store, restaurant, or
Creating a Teacher Survey
The best way to ensure teachers get what they want, either as a class gift or as needed school supplies or snacks throughout the year, is to create a teacher favorite survey. Here you will ask for their input and use this to help guide you and other parents when purchasing gifts for the teacher personally and for the classroom throughout the year.
Read More: 10 Tips for Choosing the Best Schools For Your Child
You will want to know about big and small items. Send it out as PDF or .doc that can be typed on by the teacher and emailed out to classroom parents. Encourage the teacher to list everything on her classroom wish list, you never know when a parent just might work in that industry and be able to fulfill that wish for the teacher and students.
- Birthday (you don’t need the year)
- Favorite sports
- Favorite sports team
- Favorite places to shop
- Favorite Restaurants – casual and fine dining
- Favorite Activities
- Favorite snacks
- Favorite beverages
- What do you enjoy doing with your family?
- What do you enjoy doing just for yourself?
- Initials for Monogram
- Wishlist for your classroom
How do you introduce yourself as a room parent?
As a Room Mom, we have the responsibility to make sure all students in the room receive the support and guidance they need. From organizing parent-teacher communication to organizing events, a room mom plays an important role in the school. When introducing yourself to parents, you should include information about your qualifications, experience, and expectations in the Room Mom Introduction Letter.
What is the description of a Room Mom?
A Room Mom is responsible for providing support to your child’s teacher(s) and for helping to create a positive and supportive environment for your child’s classmates and for the teachers. She is expected to organize activities, help with classroom management, and take on tasks such as providing snacks, setting up supplies, and helping out with field trips.
What should be included in a Room Mom Introduction Letter to parents?
When writing a room mom introduction letter to introduce yourself to the school community as Room Mom, you should include information about yourself, your experience as a Room Mom, and why you would be a great fit for the position. You should also include any previous volunteer experience, and any special skills that you may possess that would be helpful to the school.
Being a Room Mom can be a great opportunity for you and your child. It can be a chance for you to get more involved with your child’s school and get to know their peers and teachers. It provides your child with a sense of security, knowing that his parent is involved in his school experience. You also get to know other parents in your child’s grade and develop friendships, while reinforcing the importance of education in your child’s life. Simply put, being a Room Mom can be fun!
Photo Credit: Unsplash, Pexels.
WANT TO READ MORE?
Check out this article on the Benefits of Spanish Immersion Programs.
CONNECT WITH DAILY MOM
NEWSLETTER: DAILY READS IN YOUR INBOX
Sign up to receive our picks for the best things to do, see and buy so you can relax and focus on more important tasks! Let us help you be the best version of yourself you can be!