Room Parent Program

• Early Childhood – One (1) per classroom
• Lower School – One (1) per classroom
• Middle School – Up to two (2) per grade

All parents/guardians interested in volunteering to be a Room Parent should sign up on the Room Parent Volunteer Form by Monday, August 11, 2025.

After potential volunteers have been identified, the Room Parent Coordinators, along with the support of the PA Executive Committee, will determine the Room Parents based on the following selection criteria:

• Priority will be given to parents who have not been Room Parents in the recent past.
• If a parent is a Room Parent for one child, they will not be selected as the Room Parent for another child (unless no one else is interested).
• If a parent is a Room Parent for one child, they will not be selected as the Room Parent for the same child the following year (unless no one else is interested).

After matching Room Parents with classes, the Room Parent Coordinators will present the proposed list of Room Parents to the PA Executive Committee and then to the Division Heads for approval.

The Room Parent Coordinators will notify all newly selected Room Parents via email with a confirmation request as soon as possible prior to the first day of school.

Once the Room Parents have been confirmed, the PA Executive Committee will notify the Early Childhood and Lower School teachers of their Room Parent(s) via email. The PA Executive Committee will also notify the Middle School deans about the Middle School Room Parents via email.

Regrets to parents who were not selected as Room Parents will be sent via email before the first day of school.

The newly selected Early Childhood and Lower School Division Room Parents will introduce themselves to their teacher(s) in person or via email as soon as possible at the beginning of the school year. Middle School Room Parents, please introduce yourselves in person or via email to your Middle School dean.

Room Parents will receive information from the Room Parent Coordinators prior to the start of school.

A Room Parent Kick-off Meeting will be held during the first two weeks of school. All Room Parents must attend, as important information will be shared. If this is not possible, at least one of the Room Parents per classroom must attend this meeting. A link to join the meeting will be sent in advance.

1. Work closely with the Parent Association by:

   1. Attending a mandatory in-person Room Parent kick-off meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 4, at 8:30 a.m. in the Cafeteria.

   2. For the 2025–2026 school year, the Parent Association will convene three scheduled meetings in place of monthly meetings. Attendance is expected at all meetings from Early Childhood and Lower School Room Parents. In addition, each Middle School grade should ensure that at least one Room Parent is present at every meeting.

   3. Communicating relevant Parent Association information, as communicated by the Room Parent Coordinators, to the Room Parent’s class.

   4. Following the guidance of the Parent Association and the Head of School with regard to activities and supportive efforts.
   5. Adhering to budgetary guidelines.
   6. Supporting Parent Association activities and helping to recruit volunteers.
       
2. Act as an ambassador to the classroom’s parents (grade’s parents in Middle School), introduce themselves via phone calls or email to new and returning parents, and help foster an ongoing sense of community.
    
3. Respect the wishes of the teachers in Early Childhood, Lower School, and Middle School Divisions in regard to classroom policies, procedures, etc.
    
4. Obtain a list of special events from the classroom teacher and recruit volunteers to provide assistance. For Middle School Room Parents, please contact your grade's dean. Note: It is not expected or desired for a Room Parent to be the primary materials provider or volunteer. When materials are requested by the teacher, it is suggested that the Room Parent assign or solicit volunteers to bring them. There are classroom budgets designed to cover costs of requested items. Parents can submit necessary forms for reimbursement.
    
5. When volunteers are needed, the Room Parent should make sure that all parents have an opportunity to participate. Volunteer sign-up websites, such as volunteerspot.com, which uses the “first come, first serve” method, should not be used as they do not give all parents the fair opportunity to volunteer. Room Parents should keep a shared spreadsheet or document to record parents who volunteer to encourage fairness. 
    
6. Room Parents at all grade levels will be asked to plan opportunities for parents and/or students to get better acquainted with one another. By January, please have planned at least one class activity and one class/grade level parent/guardian activity. Please receive date approval from Tony Johnson and/or David Recksieck in the Development Office to make sure it doesn’t conflict with a school event.
    
7. Room Parents will serve as the classroom liaison to the school's Annual Gala Committee. In this role, they may be asked to communicate event-related updates.
    
8. Be attentive to the rich diverse ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds represented in our classrooms by remaining mindful of meaningful holidays and traditions. Equally, remain considerate of the differing levels of time and financial flexibility among families, ensuring that all members of our school community feel seen, valued, and supported in their ability to participate.
    
9. Room Parents will not organize or solicit individual class or grade-wide gifts for holidays, baby showers, or other occasions as a means of showing appreciation for teachers, assistants, advisors, or the school. Appreciation efforts are coordinated at the school-wide level to ensure consistency and inclusivity.
    
10. Show sensitivity/awareness of special needs of children in the classroom when planning classroom activities or snacks/treats (i.e. food allergies).

In the event that a Room Parent consistently does not attend Parent Association meetings or fulfill their other obligations, the PA Executive committee, in conjunction with the Room Parent Coordinators, may replace the existing Room Parent(s).

Communication of Parent Association and classroom-specific information is one of the primary roles of the Room Parent. Please adhere to the following guidelines to ensure all parents receive timely and relevant information, receive streamlined Catherine Cook communications, and do not receive unnecessary duplication of messaging from other sources (i.e. The Cougar Times, teacher updates, etc.):

• Parent Association communications should be shared with your class/grade as instructed by the PA. This information is disseminated generally after a PA meeting or prior to an upcoming event. If the timing is appropriate, this information can be consolidated with classroom-specific communications.

• Room Parents are also authorized to send news and updates on behalf of a class or grade. Other parents may of course email their fellow parents, but only Room Parents may give official updates. Communication of classroom-specific information should take place on an “as needed” basis and in cooperation with the teacher. In the case of Middle School, grade-specific information should take place in cooperation with Nicole Roman. For example, if your teacher issues weekly updates, there is likely no need to reiterate 
  the same information to the class in a Room Parent communication.

• Communication of school-wide information is shared through the newsletter by the Development Office. In an effort to keep messaging clean and streamlined, Room Parent communications should not include school-wide information, unless otherwise instructed by the Parent Association.

• Parents may send emails to the following groups without checking with the Development Office:
  • Small groups of fellow parents
  • Parents in your child’s class/grade
  • Teachers/administrators on individual class’s behalf (i.e. inviting Ms. Wahl to see something happening in Ms. Goldberg’s class)

• If sending emails to any of the following groups, please coordinate with the Development Office, which will provide direction and/or distribution:
  • All Catherine Cook constituents
  • Any large subgroup of Catherine Cook constituents (all faculty/staff, all parents, all teachers, etc.)
  • An entire division (Early Childhood, Lower School, or Middle School)

• Please copy communications@ccookschool.org on all event-based class/grade communications for potential inclusion in the newsletter and other Catherine Cook communications.

• In order to make the various communications from Catherine Cook more consistent and recognizable, please include the following in the subject line of your communications to your class/grade:

Catherine Cook Class News | Teacher Name – Subject

For example: Catherine Cook Class News | Kruse – Supplies Needed for Art Project

• All website content is managed by the Development Office, so for any requests for content additions to the website (news items, calendar additions, web page updates, etc.) please reach out to communications@ccookschool.org.

• Events that are open to the community and/or public should be marketed! If you have an event that is open to the whole school or more, contact Director of Marketing and Communications Tony Johnson (tjohnson@ccookschool.org) to set forth a plan for marketing it, which can include (but is not limited to) announcements in the newsletter, news items on the website, eblasts, posters, and more.

• Please email the parents in your class/grade to introduce yourselves as co-Room Parent(s) by the end of the first week of school.

The Parent Association provides a limited, gradewide budget for use exclusively by Room Parents. This budget is intended to support teacher-requested supplies or treats for classroom parties or activities. Grade-level Room Parents should work together to decide how they'd like to use these funds throughout the school year.

Please submit a Parent Association Reimbursement Form with attached original receipt to the main office within 30 days of receipt. You will receive an email from PA Treasurer Alyssa Johnson when your reimbursement is ready for pickup in the Main Office.

When making purchases for school related items, please present to the retailer the school’s Tax-Exempt Form. This form can be requested from the PA Treasurer. Please note that the school will not reimburse you for taxes that appear on your receipt.

Should you have any questions about your budget or reimbursement, please direct them to Parent Association Treasurer Alyssa Johnson.