About Us | Staff Overview

Rogers Park Montessori School

Volunteer

Membership Responsibilities

Participation and Fundraising Support
Rogers Park Montessori School is a not-for-profit Illinois corporation governed by members elected to the Board of Directors. By enrolling your child at our school, you become a member of the corporation. Membership carries with it two basic responsibilities: participation and fundraising support.

Participation
As an RPMS parent, your participation is needed and expected in activities such as fundraising, which support the school, and events such as parent information nights, which help us develop a broader view of our children and a common language through Montessori.

Each year, the staff presents a schedule of activities for parents. This includes a variety of parent education programs, social events and an evening for parents to visit the classroom with their child. Beginning in October, the classrooms are opened for scheduled observation visits. Children and parents alike enjoy and profit from sharing a day together at school. By participating in these types of activities, parents find their individual conferences with their child’s teacher more meaningful, and their appreciation of their child’s activities enhanced.

At the foundation of our organization are the volunteer services of our members. Parents may work with specific committees or on special projects, join the Board of Directors, or work on fundraising events. Parents who wish to give their support to RPMS through direct work in the program may volunteer as Room Parents, and work with the teachers on classroom events. We ask that each parent volunteer 10 hours of their time per year (20 hours for a two parent family). Please fill out Service Volunteer Cards as you volunteer. A box is located at each site.

In order to coordinate participation, each family is required to complete a Parent Service Sheet as part of the registration process. On this sheet, parents may indicate their areas of interest and skill and choose the ways in which they are willing to participate in the life of the organization.

Fundraising Support
The school’s fundraising efforts help to finance the replacement of aging classroom materials, provide funds to expand and enhance current programs, and support the school’s strategic plan. We count on these funds to ensure we can meet our ongoing commitment to quality education. Fundraising must be a primary focus in order to achieve our goals.

RPMS suggests a commitment from each family to pay a one time per family Building Fee Fund in the amount $2000.00 in support of our fundraising efforts. In addition, families are required to contribute at least $500.00 to our annual fund. This commitment may be fulfilled with a single payment or in installments, or by contributing at our spring silent auction. As part of the enrollment process each year, each family is expected to complete a Annual Fund form specifying the family’s contribution commitment and the way in which payment will be made.

The Board of Directors and Administration of Rogers Park Montessori School put a great deal of thought into what we should reasonably expect from parents as members of the corporation, and what we wish to gain through their participation. While we strive to keep tuition as low as possible, we must maintain and improve classroom materials, keep our facility operable and in good condition, maintain a dedicated and excellent staff, and plan for the future. Parent participation and fundraising support make all this possible.