Classroom Coordinators (formally known as room parents) are a great resource to teachers and students! Every teacher will have different preferences for the involvement of their coordinators, as the coordinator please communicate with your teacher so you can understand their expectations. The following is the training and resources we provide, please email us if you have any additional questions. 
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​What does a classroom coordinator typically do? Here's a list of common responsibilities:
  1. Plan classroom parties
  2. Coordinate classroom volunteers
  3. Communicate information to families as needed regarding classroom parties and volunteer opportunities
  4. Organize teacher appreciation activities and gifts
  5. Respond to and organize assistance for requests by the teacher

Guidelines 
Parties
  • ​Classroom parties are allowed for Fall Celebration (October), Winter Holiday (December), Valentine's Day (February), and Year End (May). Parties are generally held in the last 45 minutes of class time.
  • Some teachers may want to assist in planning the parties, while others leave it to the classroom coordinator(s). Do whatever works best for you, the teacher and the class. 
  • For party activities some classes run smoothly with a center type format, you can do themed games and crafts. If you choose to show a movie, it must be G-rated, unless you have prior approval by the classroom teacher and administration. If you choose a craft, please plan on doing the clean-up and keep it inexpensive. All activities must have prior approval by the teacher.
  • Snacks must be store bought and kept sealed. No homemade items. Red sodas and juices are not allowed. Please be aware of any students with food allergies or sensitivities. Our campus is nut free, with the exception of the cafeteria, please plan snacks that are nut free. You can find a list of approved food at the bottom of the page with the "Safe Snacks" button.
  • No costumes are allowed for parties, a fun alternative could be to encourage students to wear party themed shirts.
  • There are usually many caregivers who are willing to purchase party items and volunteer at the party, it is your job to manage these responsibilities fairly. SignUp Genius is a great resource to collect party supplies/snacks and for volunteer signups. You generally don't want more than 5 volunteers at a party (yourself included), you could consider a rotation of volunteers if you have a lot of interest so everyone has a turn throughout the school year.
  • Managing the party fund can be done by collecting money from caregivers at the beginning of the year for all parties, or to collect donations before each party. Be sure to communicate that donations are optional. Some caregivers will prefer to donate items/snacks for parties and some will donate money directly to you for the parties. If you have any extra money for the party fund, consider giving it back to the families, using it for teacher appreciation gifts, or for classroom supplies.

​Volunteering
  • You must be volunteer trained to be on campus, check our resource to learn more about volunteering at Las Brisas.
  • Some teachers will want assistance managing a volunteer schedule, if this is the case you can use SignUp Genius to share with families so everyone can have an opportunity to volunteer. 

Communicating
  • ​We encourage class coordinators to create a class directory for communication throughout the year. You can do this digitally or send a form home on Take Home Tuesday. To make one digitally check out Google Forms, the personal option is a free resource and you can easily send a link of the form to your teacher to share with all families in the class (sample linked below). If you choose to send paper home with the students, be sure to mention the caregivers need to turn it back in so you can pick them up from your teacher. 
    • Be sure to ask for all caregivers consent to share contact information with other families in your class, some might prefer to share information with only the class coordinator.
    • It can also be helpful to inquire what level of involvement families would like to play in the parties throughout the year, this is a great way to get an idea of caregivers able to help and donate. 
  • When you are planning classroom parties, it is best to contact families 2-3 weeks prior to the party for donations and volunteers. This is best done with email or texting.
    • ​You can also consider asking the teacher to share any opportunities or sign-ups in their newsletter and/or if they use Class Dojo.
  • Some people also like to use Facebook to stay connected, if you would like to consider this option check with your teacher to see what they are comfortable with. ​ 
​Teacher Appreciation
  • The PTSA collects a list of favorite things from all Las Brisas Staff, this list is helpful for Holidays, Teacher Appreciation Week, and birthdays. We have the Favorite Things form available for staff to fill out digitally, please encourage your teacher to complete this form so we can share with everyone on our Staff Favorite Things page.
  • Teacher Appreciation Week is the first week of May every school year. It is your opportunity to coordinate gifts with caregivers and students. 

Food
All items being sold/served must follow DVUSD Nutrition rules for compliance:
  • All food served to students must be prepackaged and store-bought, no homemade food. Please check with your teacher for bakery items.
  • All classrooms are nut-free, including foods processed in a factory that also processes nut-containing foods. 
  • Fresh healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are always encouraged! However, if they are not whole, they must be commercially packed for safety reasons. This includes meat and cheese trays. Individually packed fruits, veggies, and snacks are a great idea too!
We encourage all Classroom Coordinators to ask your teacher and families about any food allergies or sensitivities before purchasing food for class parties. To learn more see the resources linked below.
Question? Contact Us