Class Parent Handbook
2013-2014
Your Class Parent Coordinators: Rachel Fisher, eskinfish@gmail.com
September 2013
Dear Class Parent,
Thank you so much for volunteering as class parent for your child’s classroom! This is a
wonderful opportunity for you to make this school year extra special for your child and their
classmates.
This handbook is designed as a guide to help you through the year. Enclosed you will find a list
of your responsibilities as well as a description of what they entail. Also, you will find sample
letters and flyers that you may use.
As a Class Parent, you are one of the most important links between the PTA and the parent
community. PLEASE make every effort to have at least one Class Parent per class attend the
general PTA meetings during the school year. The PTA Calendar of Events can be found at the
end of the Class Parent Handbook.
You can keep abreast of any news and updates on our PTA website at sethboyden.com.
Thank you again for volunteering your time as a class parent. You are a critical asset for the
teacher, the classroom, and the school. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way.
Rachel
How It Works
Classrooms generally have 3 class parents, one of which will be the Class Captain. Below is a
list of activities that the class captain is responsible for.
Class Captain Responsibilities:
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Liaison with the PTA and with the teacher.
Meet or email with the teacher to assess volunteer needs at the beginning of the school
year and periodically after that.
Coordinate tasks with other class parents, including preparation of flyers and letters.
Obtain class list from the Class Parent Coordinator and share with other class parents.
Establish class email distribution list and (if necessary) phone chain.
Update class list when children either join or leave the class based on information received
from the teacher and/or Class Parent Coordinator.
Follow up with other class parents, teacher, and PTA for effective coverage and maximum
participation.
NOTE: THE CLASS LIST IS A CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT. IT MUST BE USED ONLY FOR
CONTACTING PARENTS FOR CLASS/SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND NOT FOR ANY OTHER
PURPOSE. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SCHOOL DIRECTORY.
(this disclaimer should be on every email to the class distribution list)
In the beginning of the school year, the Class Captain should meet or email with the teacher
to discuss:
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How often she/he will need volunteers for class activities.
How many class events and parties the teacher expects to have during the school year and
what level of involvement she/he expects from the parents.
Whether the teacher will be planning activities in the gardens.
If there are any children from non-English speaking families and in which language they
prefer to communicate.
Whether there are any children with special diet restrictions or other medical conditions in
the classroom, which need to be taken into consideration when planning events.
Reinforcing suggestions for healthy treats/snacks.
NOTE: For children with special diet restrictions, it might be a good idea to speak with their
parents at the beginning of the year to let them know about parties so that they can decide
how they wish to handle the food situation.
After meeting or emailing with the teacher, the Class Captain should delegate tasks to other
class parents based on what they have expressed an interest in. Other Class Parent
Responsibilities/Jobs include:
1. Volunteer Coordinator: Recruit and coordinate volunteers for class activities.
2. Treasurer: Collect money for teacher gifts and project/party supplies when
necessary.
3. Email/Phone Call Coordinator: Send emails/make phone calls to parents of class
children to inform them about specific PTA/school events. Please do not just rely on
emails, as not all parents will have access or check regularly. Communication
preference should be collected early in the year.
4. Party & Social Coordinator: Plan and coordinate class parties and plans a
weeknight/weekend social event for families (optional).
5. Garden Coordinator. Plan garden or outdoor activities with the teacher, organize
and recruit volunteers for gardening activities.
6. Photo/Publicity Coordinator: Take photos and/or video of class events and activities.
Work with PTA Yearbook Coordinator. (OPTIONAL)
The Treasurer, Volunteer Coordinator, and Email/Phone Call Coordinator jobs should be done
by one of the Class Parents and can be consolidated. If necessary, the other jobs can be
delegated to other parents in the class who have expressed an interest in them.
Class Parent Checklist
Beginning of the School Year
Class Captain
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Meets or emails with the teacher to discuss teacher needs, class calendar of events, and
Back to School Night class parent introduction and Parent/Guardian Volunteer Form
Sends out an Introductory Letter to Parents/Guardians (example attached)
Introduces self and other Class Parents at Back to School Night
Circulates Parent/Guardian Sign Up and Volunteer Sheet at Back to School night and
through backpacks (example attached)
Distributes CONFIDENTIAL Class List and Volunteer sheet information to other class parents
Communicates with Volunteer Coordinator and Party and Social Coordinator to satisfy
teacher’s requests for class events that occur early in the year
Establishes schedule for representation at PTA general meetings
Email/Phone Call Coordinator
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Creates class email distribution list (include disclaimer at bottom of every email)
Helps collect info for student directory. Follows up with parents/guardians via letters and
phone calls to populate missing data
Collects communications and language preference data
Volunteer Coordinator and Party and Social Coordinator
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Gets information from Class Captain to facilitate planning of class and PTA events that
occur early in the school year. Some teachers may be able to let you know in advance what
class activities/events will take place throughout the entire school year. If this is the case,
you may devise a sign-up sheet for specific events asking for the number of volunteers and
supplies needed specified by the teacher. This sheet can be used at Back to School Night.
If there is parent interest, Party and Social Coordinator begins planning a
weeknight/weekend class social (optional)
Garden Coordinator
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Meets or emails with teacher to discuss teacher’s goals for the garden in the upcoming year
Coordinates with Garden Committee
Rest of the Year
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Assists teacher with class projects and activities as needed
Solicits feedback/needs/ideas and represents class to PTA and vice-versa
Emails or calls families for PTA/school events as needed
Plans and organizes parties in consultation with teacher
Collects money for parties, projects and teacher gifts
Volunteer Coordinator
Using the class list and the volunteer list compiled at the beginning of the year, the Volunteer
Coordinator should contact parents to volunteer for class activities as needed. Try to give
everyone a chance to volunteer. Your phone call may make the difference.
Please try to contact parents at least a week in advance of any activity.
NOTE: THE CLASS LIST IS A CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT. IT MUST BE USED ONLY FOR
CONTACTING PARENTS FOR CLASS/SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND NOT FOR ANY OTHER
PURPOSE.
Garden Coordinator
The Garden Coordinator should be in touch with the teacher and Garden Committee to help
plan and organize garden activities as needed. This may include offering suggestions, buying
seeds or plants, creating a garden sign, recruiting parent volunteers, and overseeing planting
or other activities with students in the garden. The Garden Coordinator is also responsible for
overseeing the weeding and watering of the garden bed.
Tools are located in the locked garden shed. The combination for the lock is 3-12-5. Water is
located near the ground to the left of the tool shed. It is behind a wood panel door and the
hose is located on the ground near the shed.
Before beginning garden activities, please check with Garden maven Maggie Tuohy at
maggie@2efamily.com or 973-762-3758 for guidance and assistance.
Class Party Coordinator
Every teacher has different ideas about class parties. Some teachers will have several class
parties each year, some just one or two. Most teachers will have an idea of what activities they
want to include, however a few will want you to plan the whole thing.
A few weeks before the party, contact the teacher and go over the specific needs for the
planned party. Once you know the requirements, contact parents to volunteer their time
and/or food and drinks. The volunteer list compiled at the beginning of the school year should
be a good place to start when contacting parents/guardians. In addition, please try to contact
parents/guardians who have not had the chance to attend any class activities or parties before.
If parents/guardians are to be invited to attend the party as guests, please contact them either
by email, phone, or flyer.
Holiday Parties: When planning holiday parties in the past, teachers and class parents have
focused on multicultural themes or general winter themes in order to make it an inclusive
event for all children to enjoy.
Photo/Publicity Coordinator
Classes often give photo albums or DVDs of class events and activities to their teacher as an
end of the year gift. If you will be doing this, you will need to regularly take photos and/or
video, or collect them from other parents in the class.
Photos are also needed for the school yearbook. Photos and story ideas are occasionally
needed for the school newsletter and school publicity. Photos and descriptions of garden
activities are needed for the gardening section on the school website.
For the newsletter and the website, email any photos, story ideas, or project descriptions to Tia
Swanson at tiaswanson9@hotmail.com.
Teacher Gifts
Classes generally give teachers gifts two to three times per year - before the winter holidays,
during Teacher Appreciation Week (in May), and at the end of the school year. Gifts can consist
of gift cards, cards, flowers, pictures that the children have drawn, cards or other artwork that
the children have created, photo albums of class activities, DVDs of class activities, etc.
If you will be collecting money for a gift, send out a flyer at least three weeks in advance,
requesting the money as it takes some time to receive it back. A sample gift money request is
provided in the appendix. In the past, these requests have usually ranged from $5 to $10 per
gift. Please consult with the class parents in your class in order to decide what amount to
request. All requests must state clearly that it is voluntary to contribute towards the gift.
Also, if your class has a student teacher or an aide, please consider including something for
them as well.
New Families
If a new child joins your child’s class during the school year you will be informed by the teacher
or Class Parent Coordinator and given their name and phone number. The Class Captain
should call the new family to welcome them, let them know who the class parents are, and tell
them about volunteer opportunities and upcoming class events.
Non-English Speaking Parents
Please collect language preference information from the families in your class and pass along
that information to Rachel at eskinfish@gmail.com. We will be making efforts to translate key
materials throughout the year.
Class Flyers & Letters
As a courtesy, show all prospective flyers and letters to the teacher for comments and revisions.
In addition, all flyers and letters that are sent to students and their families need to be
approved by the Principal. There are sample flyers in the Appendix, which have already been
approved by the principal. For all other flyers, please email a copy to our school secretary,
Marianne Faugno at mfaugno@somsd.k12.nj.us and ask her to show it to Mr. Quiles for his
approval. Flyers should be emailed to Marianne Faugno and cc’d to Mr. Quiles.
See “Seth Boyden PTA Copy Protocol” section in this handbook for making copies.
Weekend Family Social
If there is interest among the families in the class, class parents can organize a weekend social
to give parents/guardians and their children the chance to get to know each other. It could be
a potluck barbecue at someone’s house, a potluck brunch at a parent’s house, a picnic at a
park, or something else that your class chooses.
If you would like to reserve a spot in a town park for a picnic, call the Maplewood Recreation
Department at 763-4202 or the South Orange Recreation Department at 378-7754. Permits for
school groups are free.
Fundraising
Each grade level has been assigned one of the major events for the year (e.g., Harvest Festival).
The events are for the entire community, but the grade level assigned to lead/”sponsor” the
event will spearhead the planning, coordinating, and executing. Class Parents will be asked to
take a major role in this. You will not need to do all of the work, but the PTA will ask you to
help recruit volunteers.
Special Note to Class Parents:
One thing that makes Seth Boyden so special is the community feel of the school. To that end,
the PTA is making an effort to increase the involvement of those families who have not been as
engaged in the past (1 school, 100%!). Class Parents play an important role in this.
1) We are asking class parents to make an extra effort to give all parents/guardians in the
class a chance to participate. Don’t make any assumptions about who can be available.
Always ask everyone! A personal ask is the best approach.
2) To try and get a broader parent base, please use the class list to contact
parents/guardians for all volunteer opportunities. Grandparents, aunts/uncles, and adult
siblings may be able to participate when parents are not available. When you call
parents/guardians for volunteer help, go through the class list in rotation.
Nuts and Bolts
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Any questions should be directed to your Class Parent Coordinator or PTA coordinator for a
PTA sponsored school event.
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Always put your name, number and email on all class communications so parents/guardians
have a way to contact you.
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Give parents/guardians the opportunity to participate by giving them ample notification.
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Be aware of any student allergies. If there are any food allergies, please notify
parents/guardians prior to parties.
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Any checks written to the school should be addressed to the Seth Boyden PTA.
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Confidentiality – It is an important obligation to protect each student’s right to privacy.
Information or observations about individual children are to be kept strictly confidential.
Discuss any specific problems or questions that arise only with the student’s teacher.
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During the school year, you will have to send out flyers. Please see “Seth Boyden PTA Copy
Protocol” on the following page.
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Please show respect and care when in the Main Office conducting business. Do not use cell
phones. Be sure to ask permission prior to using the copier. Make appointments to see Mr.
Quiles or Ms. Horn, whenever possible. Take conversations outside of the office so as not to
distract the staff and students.
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Encourage parents to recognize and show appreciation to teachers beyond Teachers
Appreciation Week. A quick email, note, or card goes a long way to encourage the faculty
and staff!
If you are unable to continue the role as the Class Parent for any reason, please contact
your Class Parent Coordinator so that they can ensure that a replacement is found.
SETH BOYDEN
PTA Copy Protocol
For copies of approved classroom flyers*:
1) For copies of 25 or less, please bring the material to be copied to the Main Office.
Please ask Marianne or Catherine whether or not it’s a good time to have copies
made. Marianne or Catherine will make the copies. Please limit the use of these
copiers to between 10am-2pm. Copiers may NOT be used by parents. Copying will
NOT be allowed before 9:15 am or from 2:50 p.m.-3:45 p.m. Even during allowed
hours, teachers & staff copying needs take priority. Please understand, your copies
may be put to the side until we are able to accommodate the request.
2) Go to the Board of Education office (525 Academy Street) and use their copier. You
must call or email in advance to reserve time. Contact Sharon Rago at (973) 7625600 ext. 1801 or srago@somsd.k12.nj.us. Our school’s PTA code is 8896. You can
use whatever paper they have, there is colored paper in the cabinet.
*
Be sure to have all flyers/letters/newsletters, etc. approved by Mr. Quiles. Submit to
Marianne Faugno in the Main Office and allow at least 2-3 days for approval. Flyers
should be emailed to Marianne Faugno and cc’d to Mr. Quiles.
 All publicity photos for the website or press with images of our students are not
permitted without the permission listed on the publicity release forms from
parents/guardians. Check the main office on the permission status of the children in
photos/videos, etc.
Sample Letters
and Flyers
Note: These flyers have already been pre-approved by the Principal. If you use them as is or
make minor changes, there is no need to have them approved again. If you make any
significant changes or create a new flyer, you must get approval from the Principal.
(Date)
Dear Families,
We are writing this letter to introduce ourselves as this year’s class parents for (teacher name)
class.
During the course of the school year, we will be contacting you from time to time to ask your
help with various projects, trips, and events that are being planned for the children. We would
like to include every parent or guardian who wishes to help, so if you don’t hear from us soon
enough, please feel free to give us a call, email us, or send us a note through your child’s
folder.
Also, please find attached a list of events and activities so that you can mark your calendars
now for a fun and successful school year.
We hope that you will contact us with any questions or suggestions you may have. Thank you
in advance for your help. We are looking forward to a great year for the kids!
Sincerely,
(Class Captain Name)
Parent of (Child’s Name)
(Phone Number)
(Email)
(Class Parent Name)
Parent of (Child’s Name)
(Phone Number)
(Email)
(Class Parent Name)
Parent of (Child’s Name)
(Phone Number)
(Email)
Parent/Guardian List/Volunteer Form
(to be distributed at Back to School Night and through backpacks)
Child’s Name _____________________________________________________________________________
Parent or Guardian 1 _____________________________________________________________________
Email ______________________________________________________________________________________
Home Phone ______________________________ Cell Phone __________________________________
I/we prefer to be contacted by:
email
home phone
cell
text
note in backpack
Parent or Guardian 2 _____________________________________________________________________
Email ______________________________________________________________________________________
Home Phone ______________________________ Cell Phone __________________________________
I/we prefer to be contacted by:
email
home phone
cell
text
note in backpack
Parent or Guardian 3 _____________________________________________________________________
Email ______________________________________________________________________________________
Home Phone ______________________________ Cell Phone __________________________________
I/we prefer to be contacted by:
email
home phone
I/we would prefer (when possible) communications in
cell
text
Haitian-Creole
note in backpack
French
Spanish
Please check if you would NOT like to share your contact info with other families in the class
Please check activities you or another family member are interested in participating in:
_____ providing snacks for class parties and events
_____ coming in to help with class parties
_____ helping with garden activities
_____ helping with class projects
_____ reading to the class
_____ taking photos and/or video of class parties and events
_____ accompanying field trips
_____ planning an out-of-school social event for the class families
_____ anywhere I might be needed
Remember! Other family members (grandparents, older siblings, aunts, uncles, etc.) are
welcome to help out as well!! THANKS!
Sample Gift Letter
(Date)
Dear Parents /Guardians,
To show our appreciation for (teacher name) during the winter holidays we will be giving
(teacher name) a gift. We are planning to buy (teacher name) (fill in with gift – e.g., gift
certificate and card) .
If you would like to contribute to the gift, please send your donation in the enclosed envelope
in your child’s folder. The suggested donation is $20, but feel free to give more or less. Please
send your donation in by (date) so that we will have time to purchase the gift(s) in time for the
winter party.
We will be presenting the gift and card to (teacher’s name) during the holiday party on (date.)
Thank you in advance for your donations!
(Class Parent Name)
Parent of
(Telephone Number)
(Email Address)
(Class Parent Name)
Parent of
(Telephone Number)
(Email Address)
Sample Holiday Party Volunteer Letter
(Date)
Dear Parents / Guardians,
We are planning a Winter Holiday Party for our class!
Our celebration is planned for (Day of Week/Date) from (Time to Time.)
Parents will be providing the food, drinks and helping hands for the party. If you can come in
and help out or would like to provide food for the party, please return this sheet in your child’s
folder or call (name) by (date.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Parent/Guardian Name:
Child’s Name:
Phone Number:
___ I can come in and help out in the classroom
___ I would like to send in food or supplies:
Foods and supplies needed:
___ Healthy snack
___ Juice or juice boxes
___ Plates, Cups, and Napkins
Thank you in advance for your time and donations!
(Class Parent Name)
(Telephone Number)
(Email Address)
(Class Parent Name)
(Telephone Number)
(Email Address)
Class Parent Calendar Checklist
September
1) Back to School Night: introduce yourselves, distribute and collect volunteer forms
2) Meet or email with teacher about what he/she will need from you throughout the year
3) Create/obtain class list.
4) Email entire class to introduce yourselves (for those who missed Back to School night).
5)
October
1) ask the teacher and garden coordinator about helping with taking the class to the garden.
2) ask the teacher about Halloween plans and help organize event
November
1) ask the teacher about Thanksgiving plans and help organize event
December
1) collect $ for teacher holiday gift
2) ask the teacher about holiday volunteering (reading books, visiting class) and/or winter
celebration and help to organize
3) purchase and give teacher holiday gift.
March
1) ask the teacher and garden coordinator about taking the class to the garden
May
1) collect $ for Teacher Appreciation gift and end of the year gift.
2) purchase and give teacher appreciation gift
June
1) ask teacher about end of the year celebrations and help organize
2) purchase and give end of the year teacher gift