The role of a class parent is explained here.

Serving as your child’s class parent is a great way to get to know your teacher, stay in touch with what’s happening in class regarding curriculum units and themes, and become an instant part of our active school community.

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Communications

Communication between a class parent and the other parents can be achieved through: face to face conversations, telephone calls and messages, written notes, and email.

We need class parents to:

• Serve as a liaison with teachers. Check in with your teachers on a regular basis to see if they need help in the classroom, finding reading buddies, locating chaperones for class trips, gathering resources or supplies related to unit themes.

For example, a classroom doing a unit about the rainforest might need books about animals. A class parent could call all the other parents for that class/grade and see what books they have that they may be willing to loan. A classroom studying their community might want visits from neighborhood police, firemen etc.


• Remind other parents of children in the same class about school wide meetings and events. A class parent always check the backpack notices that are sent on Fridays for notes, and periodically calls parents to remind of them of TCSCO meetings, classroom happenings, grade level events (bake sales, trips), and whole school events. Such school-wide events include the Spaghetti dinner, school performances, Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, Family Fun Nights, Car Washes, Field Day and more. (See the TCCS Website: http://www.tccsnj.org for a full list of events.)


• Communicate with TCSCO officers about classroom achievements/successes. This is how the officers stay informed about what is happening in the individual classrooms on every grade level. The Parent Peeper, our quarterly school newsletter for parents, is open for submissions from class parents about things that are happening in particular classrooms, reports from field trips, etc.

Fundraisers

We need class parents to:

• Stay informed about our fundraisers and encourage participation.
• Solicit help when needed to staff a fundraising event, or provide gift baskets or donated items for a fundraising event, and
• Come up with new and exciting ideas for future fundraisers.

Membership Drive & Teacher Wish Lists

Class parents should play a lead role in both of these efforts. We need each class parent to:

• Manage the membership drive for their class. The TCSCO suggests that every family make a token donation of $5 at the beginning of the year. We are asking class parents to contact every family who has not yet made a donation to send one in to the TCSCO treasurer.
• Coordinate your teacher’s wish list process. Ask your child’s teacher to spend $100 on items needed for the classroom. Remind the teacher to keep receipts. Collect these receipts and fill out a reimbursement form (located in the TCSCO box) so that the teacher can be reimbursed.

Grade Level Trips

At the end of each year, the classes from each grade level (Ks, 1-2s, 3-4s, 5-6s, 7-8s) take a special trip. For example:

• The 5-6s go to Frost Valley for a 3-day, 2-night overnight where they learn about teamwork, cooperation and environmental studies.
• The 7-8s have gone on 3-day, 2 night overnights to Philadelphia, Boston or Montreal.

The TCSCO helps to fund these trips.

• The younger grades also go on special trips, including trips to the Botanical Gardens, cultural events including plays and concerts, and more.li>
  

The TCSCO funds these trips, and there is a budget for each grade. Class parents need to talk with the other parents and the teachers to come up with plans for these trips.

School Wide Events

There are a variety of school-wide vents for which the TCSCO calls upon clas parents for input, help and work. These include the Spaghetti Dinner, Sports Night, Field Day, Spring Fling and Silent Auction and more.

We typically ask class parents to gather particular supplies, help staff the event, collect small donations, make or donate gifts or a gift basket, cook, clean up, plan and manage the events. Usually, we have a committee for each event But we often need additional people to help run things. For each event, expect a call from the Parent Coordinator or someone on the TCSCO Board asking you to call your parents for a particular reason.

Photographs and Publications

A Yearbook Committee will be working each year to create a wonderful yearbook. You may be asked to take photos for submission to the yearbook, which all children receive on the last day of school.

Phone Chain / Snow Chain

Before the winter arrives, it’s best to talk with your other class parents about how to organize a phone chain within your classroom/homeroom. Usually, class parents divide up the list at the beginning of the year. When we need to initiate an all-school phone chain (to remind parents of an upcoming event or of a school closing for a snow day) you will already know how many people and which people you’ll need to call.

More Questions?

Please contact the Parent Coordinator or any of the TCSCO Board members if you have any additional questions. And once again, thanks for your time.