What is a Room Parent?

A Room Parent is the primary liaison between the teacher, the class families, and the PTA. This volunteer role is all about communication, organization, and helping to create a strong classroom community.

Room Parents work closely with both the teacher and the PTA Room Parent Coordinator to share important information, organize volunteers, and support classroom needs throughout the year. You’ll often be the first to know about upcoming PTA-sponsored events, classroom activities, and opportunities for parents to get involved and you help make sure that information reaches your class families quickly and clearly.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Communicate: Share updates from the teacher and PTA with your class via email. The PTA provides ready-to-send messages you can easily forward or personalize.

  • Organize: Set up sign-ups for donations or volunteers (often using tools like SignUpGenius) for things like school functions or class room activities (parties, projects, gifts)

  • Manage Class Funds: Coordinate contributions for teacher gifts (birthday, holidays, Teacher Appreciation Week) and communicate how those funds are used.

  • Support Fundraisers: Organize your class’s contribution to the annual PTA Auction basket and encourage participation in other fundraisers such as Apex and Penny Wars.

  • Promote Involvement: Help recruit volunteers for events and activities, ensuring your class stays engaged in the school community.

Time Commitment:
The role is flexible and can be done from home, though quick turnaround on sharing information is important. Room Parents are invited to attend a kickoff meeting at the start of the year and can reach out to the Room Parent Coordinator anytime for support.

Room Parents are a vital link between families, teachers, and the PTA because you are helping our events run smoothly, ensuring important messages are received, and building the strong, connected community that makes Banyan special.

If you are interested in becoming a room parent for your child’s class, please reach out to your teacher and they will get your info over to the PTA.

Email Templates:

Room Parent Intro Email (copy and paste into the body of your email):

SUBJECT: Hello From Your Room Parent for Mr/Mrs/Ms [TEACHER]

Hello Parents!

I am excited to introduce myself as the Room Parent for [TEACHERS NAME]'S class for the 2025-2026 school year! My name is [RP #1], and I’m the mom/dad/caregiver of [STUDENT]. I'm thrilled to support [TEACHERS NAME] and the class this year!

Throughout the year, I will assist [TEACHERS NAME] by keeping you informed about upcoming school and classroom events. There will be plenty of opportunities to get involved, whether by volunteering at events or donating items (**At the end of this email there is already an opportunity to volunteer for APEX**). Participation is completely optional, and you can be as involved as your schedule allows. Most of my communication will be through email, but if you prefer a hard copy of notices, please let me know, and I will include them in your child’s Friday Folder.

[OPTION 1] I would like to start a class fund to cover gifts for our teacher this year which are:

  • [TEACHERS NAME]'s birthday which is on [Enter date here]

  • A holiday gift

  • Teacher Appreciation Week

  • An end-of-year gift


[OPTION 2] Instead of doing a class fund, I will be collecting contributions as occasions come up. You’ll receive a message ahead of each event with details, and you can choose to contribute if you’d like. Gifts that we as a class would typically buy are:

  • [TEACHERS NAME]'s birthday which is on [Enter date here]

  • A holiday gift

  • Teacher Appreciation Week

  • An end-of-year gift

 **Please note that this is completely voluntary and you are not required to participate.**

Thank you for helping make this a great year for our students and for supporting [Teacher’s Name]’s classroom. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, ideas, or suggestions.

Warmly,
[RP #1]
E: [Email] | P: [Phone Number]

Template to send to business for auction item requests (copy and paste into the body of your email):

SUBJECT: Support Our Banyan Elementary School Auction

Dear [Recipient's Name/Business Name],

My name is [Your Name], and my child(ren) attend(s) Banyan Elementary School in Newbury Park. I’m reaching out on behalf of our school’s PTA to see if your business would consider supporting our upcoming Online Auction with a donation. Each year, we organize this event to raise funds for vital school programs, including art, music, physical education, and field trips, as well as to provide our teachers with much-needed classroom supplies.

I am representing [Teacher’s Name and Grade] class, and we are collecting items for our “[Theme]” basket. [Add a personal touch here - e.g., “As someone who loves attending live performances, I thought a gift certificate to your comedy club would make a fantastic addition to our basket!”]

We welcome donations of any kind, including gift certificates, merchandise, services, tickets, or classes. To participate, please complete the attached donation form and email it back to me. I am also happy to arrange for pickup if that is more convenient. We are hoping to receive all items by [DATE]. The auction will run online from [DATE].

Your donation will not only support our school but also receive recognition through our school’s communication channels, including emails and social media platforms (website, Facebook, Twitter), reaching hundreds of families and community members.

Banyan Elementary has been inspiring young minds in Newbury Park for over 50 years, helping children excel academically, develop social responsibility, and build lifelong memories. Your generosity will directly impact our students and their educational experience. Thank you for considering our request.

Warm regards,
[Your Full Name]
[Contact Information]

CLICK HERE FOR PDF VERSION OF THIS EMAIL WHICH IS ON OUR LETTERHEAD AND HAS OUR TAX ID INFO

HELPFUL LINKS

  • Sync your devices with our calendar to stay on top of all Banyan and CVUSD events!

  • SignUpGenius offers a central way to easily organize volunteer sign-ups for your classroom.