Does your school have Class Reps?

[mckenzie]

Have you always have them or has it evolved since you have been at the school?
What roles do they perform?

We are thinking of trying to introduce them at our school although apparently this has been tried unsuccessfully in the past (must be way in the past, before my time and I've been there 5 years).

I've been asked to try and put together a letter to go out to parents asking for volunteers and I'm looking for any feedback please, positive or negative, to help me word the letter.

Does anyone have a role description that their school uses perhaps?

TIA

My DD's old school used to have them, not in her current school. Though it is useful it is also a bit of a pain, why does everyone need to know everyone else's contact details anyway? Giving your email address so that notices can be sent to you is one thing, but I really didn't see the point in everyone in the class knowing everybody's addresses, phone numbers and even the DC's dates of birth (so that they knew when each others birthdays were, if they wanted to send a card or something).

thank you - that is really helpful. I'm off to amend my letter

Just seen this - our school has form reps but they are separate from PTA (we call it something else)
So form reps do contact lists for the class (info supplied by the school if parents give permission, which everyone does), plus coffee mornings and pub nights. Also welcoming new families and answering their questions. Collecting money for teachers presents.
PTA-equivelent do the xmas fair, summer fete, charity things etc..

The only involvement form reps have in PTA is informing the class (usually via email) of these events.

Some people do both.

I hate PTA type things, where there are committees. But I enjoy being form rep, and wouldn't volunteer if it meant I had to run a stall or anything. But I email requests for volunteer for stalls, which seems to work.

Not sure this is very helpful for your letter. Just be aware that if you put too much into class rep job, new people won't volunteer, and it'll just be more work for those of you who do.

thanks chechpoint - it's a good point about too much 'work'. I've made the 'job spec' very general and light.
Fingers crossed we get some positive replies

dc's school have them - one per class. They organise socials, coffee mornings, rotas and a stall for fair (all usually jointly with classes in same year), collections for teacher gifts, attend meeting with head/deputy head once a term and feedback issues, circulate parents contact list, meet and greet new parents, provide a telephone tree system for messages such as return time on trips ie. school phones rep who phone another who phones another....

Don't forget to outline how many hours it will entail and the practical duties... nothing like giving people a good job description - that way nobody is under any mis apprehensions about what you are asking, and your volunteers will be better suited to the job.