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Classroom Coordinators...
The sense of community and belonging is a huge part of what makes the Alternative model special within the OCDSB. In fact, community is woven throughout the 7 alternative tenets (e.g., cooperation and teamwork; multi-age groupings; family and community-centered school environment).
We know from reputable media sources and many research studies that the sense of community, a healthy sense of belonging, and community engagement are harder than ever to foster. This is impacting schools in addition to many other aspects of society. Parents/caregivers are stretched thin from lingering pandemic stresses, life becoming less affordable, the pull of social media, the demands of jobs, etc.
At Churchill, we look for ways to actively build community and a sense of belonging among families as we see this as a very important aspect of our children’s school experience.
A key way that we build community at a parent/caregiver level is through the classroom coordinator role.
What is a classroom coordinator and why are they important?
The classroom coordinator role is described in our school council constitution. Here’s the official description:
Class Coordinators and the CASC Coordinator of Class Coordinators: The primary goal of Class Coordinators is to build community and facilitate communication among families at Churchill Alternative. Class coordinators do NOT need to be elected Council members. Their responsibilities are as follows:
Create and maintain a list of family contacts voluntarily shared among parents/guardians of their particular class.
Periodically share information from CASC through the family contact list to the families in that class.
Each in their own way, build connections among families in the class.
Discuss the role with the classroom teacher to see if they have other ideas.
Class coordinators can also play other roles based on the needs of the class and classroom teacher (e.g., helping to coordinate classroom volunteers). There can be co-class coordinators if parents want to share the role in a class.
Note: It is very helpful to identify someone who will act as the CASC Coordinator for the class coordinators. This person helps coordinators get started in their role at the beginning of the year, shares past practices, answers any questions, and checks in periodically throughout the year.
However, we use the role description loosely!
Family contact list:
At a minimum, the classroom coordinator is responsible for creating and maintaining a family contact list for their class. The family contact list is created during the first few weeks of school and includes the names of the students, parents/caregivers, and siblings and also the contact information for the parents/caregivers. Families opt into this by adding their own information. We find most families want to sign up once they know about it.
Why are the family contact lists helpful?
They allow classroom coordinators (and our school council through the coordinators) to contact families directly.
They allow the classroom coordinators to organize events and initiatives… more on that below!
Probably most powerfully, they allow parents/guardians to build community themselves. Do you know the names of the other learners in your child’s class? Do you know the names of their parents? What if you wanted to arrange playdates? The family lists give parents/caregivers the ability to reach out to other families and coordinate among themselves… a big piece of building community!
In the past few years, some of the classes have not only created a family contact list but they’ve also created a WhatsApp group. While this doesn’t work for all families (as not all are on WhatsApp), it can be a pretty powerful community-building tool.
Coordinating occasional get togethers…
Not all class coordinators do this, but depending on interest, some class coordinators will organize non-official get togethers among families in their class. This can be as simple as an after-school play in the park or an easy hike on the weekend where all families are invited. It’s a great way for parents/caregivers to meet each other and it’s also a wonderful way for newer families to become integrated into the community.
Coordinating class gifts…
Again, not all class coordinators do this and it is NOT expected! (We realize that class coordinators have different pressures/demands on their time!) However, we’ve found that some classes really enjoy doing a group card and gift for their teachers/ECEs/EAs in December and June. It ends up being pretty meaningful when each family shares a message and photo and those who want/are able contribute to a gift certificate. We have a very simple and easy way to run this initiative and it’s made VERY clear that there is no pressure for families to contribute financially. Everyone is welcome to participate in the card. Lots of appreciation is shown from the staff AND parents/caregivers alike.
Supporting the classroom teacher…
Finally, sometimes the classroom coordinator will support the class in other ways depending on what the teacher finds most helpful for their class that year. One such example would be organizing parent volunteers for regular buddy reading through a simple google sign up form with follow-up reminders. Again, class coordinators are not expected to do this. However, if they want to help out in this way and the teacher would appreciate the help, they can be a great voice for encouraging family volunteering in the classroom as they themselves are a parent/caregiver volunteer.
Final thoughts…
Given the description above, the idea of being a classroom coordinator might feel daunting buuuuuut the role can be whatever someone is willing to do. AND…. the role can be shared among multiple parents. It also helps that we have one member of CASC that checks in with the classroom coordinators, passes on information from CASC, and is a sounding board for any questions or support they may need.
We are very grateful to those parents who take on this role each year to help build community at Churchill!
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