Our school is putting together a Classroom Cre group this year. It was going to have 5 parents per grade level to plan parties, teacher birthdays, and volunteers to come into the classroom and help, liason for PTO info.. Along with this we will help teachers stock their classrooms with some supplies as budget allows. The problem is that we had 44 people sign up and we don\'t want anyone to be left out. Do you have any suggestions on how to structure this group, PLEASE!!!!

I'm not sure if I am on target, but this sounds like our Classroom Parent program. We have one Classroom Parent, or often it is more than one Co-Parent. This equals one or more for every class in our school (k-5). It is wonderful. They do all the things you mentioned with the exception of a pointed supplies stocking aspect. They have asked for supplies for the classroom as needed, but that is a classroom by classroom basis, and discussed with the teacher for what those specific needs are.

Our Parent Teacher group gives each classroom money for supplies at the beginning of every year, and we have fund raisers which ear mark all profit directly to classroom funding. Each time that fund reaches $25 per classroom, we cut the check to disperse.

Our classparents are important to the teachers, and if a class doesn't have anyone sign up in the beginning of the year (a form is in their paperwork for Open House) we recruit "nearby" parents from classes to cover them.

Does this help at all?

Catherine

You said you had 44 parents sign up and didn't want to leave anyone out; how many parents will it take to fill every spot? If you only have a few extra, can you can add a group leader for every two grades? Another suggestion is to choose parents by lottery, or you can rotate them half way through the year.

Our philosophy is the more the better when it comes to volunteers. Teachers can always use the extra help somehow. Maybe volunteers can rotate every other week, or extend your services to the librarian, art teachers, music teacher, and lunch room if there's too many for classrooms. Make a scheduled rotation so everyone gets to be everywhere. I would not ever want to turn a volunteer down, b/c then you won't get the help you'll need later!