Online Sign Up Blog by VolunteerSpot

I Support My School My Way | Day 8

Welcome to Day EIGHT of
I Support My School... My Way, VolunteerSpot's back-to-school campaign and Sweepstakes celebrating parent involvement in schools!

We have two terrific bloggers sharing their stories THEIR way today.

(And a whole lot more over the next few weeks.)

 

Please meet:

Lela Davidson of After the Bubbly

  Lela wrote a book entitled Blacklisted from the PTA, and so she seems to be an unlikely user of VolunteerSpot's online signup sheets.

But wait...

"Because I spend enough time devoted to my children already I’m a reluctant participant in any of your clipboard-worthy activities. However, I will be a dutiful worker bee. That’s right, after you ask me two or three times I will be happy to work a shift or bake a cake or whatever else it is that chips away at the greater good. I will show up with a smile and I won’t even spend the entire time talking smack about the other PTA parents. Not the whole time, anyway."

Read more about how Lela supports her school, at least when the volunteer position doesn't have "field" or "monitor" in the title...

Follow Lela on Twitter @leladavidson.

***

Andrea Fellman of SavvySassyMoms.com

Andrea is facing a dilemma that many parents share at the beginning of the school year: Should she volunteer to be her son's room mom?

"You see, I was my daughter’s room Mom when she was in Kindergarten two years ago and I kinda feel like I should do it for my son too.  I’m an organizer by nature, love to plan parties, research themes, crafts, make the flyers, e-mail, get everyone involved and excited.  I realize that the room Mom can sometimes be annoying, but what’s more annoying is a Room Mom that sucks."

We love her suggestion that:

"Not everyone has the time to do everything and no one should feel pressure to do it all (at least not by themselves).  So maybe I will ask if there can be Co-Room Mom?  Divide and Conquer!?"

Read the rest of Andrea's post, and find out what decision she came to at SavvySassyMoms.com

Follow Andrea on Twitter: @SavvySassyMom

Click to see all the {awesome} Parent Voices in the I Support My School... My Way series!

**

VolunteerSpot's FREE online signup sheets make it easy to organize parents and signup to help for just about anything: classroom helpers, snack schedules, carnivals, library volunteers, parent-teacher conferences and more.... No more 'Reply-All' email chains or clipboard sign up sheets! Please share with your room mom, teachers and parent leaders…

   

 Enter Now

You could WIN $500 in school supplies for your favorite school!

 

I Support My School My Way | Day 7

Welcome to Day SEVEN of
I Support My School... My Way, VolunteerSpot's back-to-school campaign and Sweepstakes celebrating parent involvement in schools!

We have a two terrific voices today, awesome parent volunteers.

(And a whole lot more over the next few weeks.)

Please meet:

Fred Goodall of MochaDad.com

 

Fred supports his school by volunteering in the classroom. For him it's a priceless experience:

"Each year, I volunteer for the same thing – Mystery Reader. While reading to a class may not seem like a high-profile volunteer activity, I’ve come to realize that it is an important one.

If you don’t believe me, just ask the frazzled teachers who have thanked me for reading to the class and giving them a few minutes of down time. Or you can ask the students who crowd around my feet and smile with delight as I make funny voices and flail around as I read the book. You can even ask my son who beams with pride as he listens to stories that I’ve read to him scores of times as if he’s never heard them before."

Read more about how Fred supports his school and see how he "treasures these special moments".

Follow Fred on Twitter @MochaDad.

 

Please meet: 

Pauline Karwowski of ClassyChaos.com  

Pauline is a lunch mom regular! 

"Only a handful volunteer opportunities included the words "siblings welcomed" and that's how I found myself eating lunch with my children in the school cafeteria for the last four years."

She's got it going on! "Spending time with my children, interacting with their community and helping out at our school is a winning equation."

Read more about how "siblings welcomed" opened the door for this proud parent's legacy of school service.

And follow Pauline on Twitter at @OHMommy

 

***

VolunteerSpot's FREE online signup sheets make it easy to organize parents and signup to help for just about anything: classroom helpers, snack schedules, carnivals, library volunteers, parent-teacher conferences and more.... No more 'Reply-All' email chains or clipboard sign up sheets! Please share with your room mom, teachers and parent leaders…

   

 Enter Now

You could WIN $500 in school supplies for your favorite school!

 

10 Twitter Tips for Savvy Schools and PTAs

Twitter for School-Parent Groups

 
This is our third post in a series on building active school-parent communities using social media. Last week we shared great power tips for using facebook to engage parents. Today, we take on 140 Characters...Twitter!

One of the key goals of PTA is to cultivate involved and informed parents who understand the challenges schools face and become part of the solution. Twitter provides a real-time opportunity to engage parents and build community. If you're totally new to Twitter, please checkout these Twitter Basics. 

 

10 Twitter Power Tips!

1. Personalize your group’s Twitter account.

 Keep your Twitter handle as short and simple as possible - Twitter messages are limited to 140 characters and your Twitter handle counts. E.g. East Fielding High School becomes @EFHS or @EFHSPTA. {In the example below, @CedarElem would save 6 characters and still be very recognizable.}

Add a recognizable avatar (icon) such as the school mascot.

2. Invite parents to 'follow' your school on Twitter.

 Once you've established a Twitter account for your school/parent-group, promote it in your school newsletter and website. Ask your parents to show their school sprit by following the school account on Twitter!  Here's a terrific downloadable  Twitter Information Handout for you to customize with your school account information courtesy of Teach Mama.

  Add a ‘Follow Me’ button on your school website. 

Post large signs with the Twitter address {and facebook address} at school events like football games, carnivals, and Open House.

 

 

3. Assign a parent liaison to tweet for your PTA/school.

Ideally this is someone who spends a good deal of time on Twitter already for fun or for work.

 

4. Ask parents to "Text to Follow" your Twitter account to receive important updates.

Parents can receive Tweets on their phone even if they haven’t signed up for Twitter. For example, let’s say you want to get Tweets from West Hills Elementary (@WHillsElem). Just text ‘follow WHillsElem’ to 40404 in the US.  

Text to follow can be used by schools to alert parents of important information like bus delays and bad weather cancellations. Teachers with class Twitter accounts can notify parents of homework assignments and class happenings.

 

5. Follow parents and students back.

When someone from your school community follows your Twitter account, follow back. It’s a terrific way to keep a pulse on what’s happening in the community and you may pick up great feedback and ideas for the school or parent-group in the process.

 

6. Tweet school announcements but be mindful of privacy.

Twitter is a very public platform. It’s a great place to announce school events, school board meetings, share news and awards, and publicly recognize teachers and volunteers. Be mindful NOT to tweet sensitive information like locations of field trips, student names and photos, etc.

 

7. Make calls for volunteers and donations specific and actionable.

When asking for volunteers, use a VolunteerSpot signup link so volunteers make a formal commitment, e.g.:  

We need helping hands to paint the stadium concessions stands on Saturday – please sign up! <link> #GetUrHotDogsHere! #GoReds!

We've almost hit r Spring Fundraiser Goal - please contribute 2day and help us buy 4 more interactive white boards! <link>

 

8. Follow local news and community groups.

This helps you keep up-to-date of important happenings (like weather, traffic alerts and community events), and provides good content to share with your community by re-tweeting (RT).

 

9. Be authentic and relevant.

Build your community by interacting with your parents online. Ask questions, share relevant content on parenting and education topics and have fun! (Always check a link before re-tweeting it from someone else and always give credit! EE.g. ‘via @PTAeditor’ or Thx @SchoolFamily!)

 

10. Remember, not all parents are on Twitter.

Use this community tool as supplemental communication for your school/parent group. Don't assume announcements are received or make big decisions based on the feedback of your school's Twitter followers.

***

 You may also like:

Activate the Parent Community at Your School with Social Media

Facebook Power Tips for School-Parent Groups

Mobile Sign Up Sheets - Sign Up On the Go with VolunteerSpot

Smartphone Signups Boost Participation | SignUp Saturday

The faster parents and volunteers can respond to your requests for help, the more likely it is they will sign up to help. Now volunteers no longer have to wait to make it home to the computer and dig through their inboxes to access your online signup sheet and choose a spot. VolunteerSpot's new mobile website allows volunteers to sign up from their smartphones on-the-go -- no apps to download! Touch-screen access makes signing up easy - from anywhere - waiting in line at at the grocery store, the doctor's office, or on the soccer sidelines!

Mobile Sign Up (Volunteer View):  When volunteers receive an invitation to help from their organizer (volunteer leader, room mom, teacher, coach), they simply tap the link and are automatically routed to a sign up sheet formatted to fit their smartphone screen.

Online sign up sheets from VolunteerSpot are proven to garner increased volunteer participation whether its from your school parents, congregation, Scout troop, swim team parents, or nonprofit organizations!  Smartphone signups move the volunteer organizing process out of the clip-board realm into a brand new field of on-the-go, world-wide accessibility!

VolunteerSpotlight: Lisa Coulter & Lynsey Wilson, Knoxville Chamber of Commerce

At an evening award ceremony held at the American Chamber of Commerce Executives annual convention in Los Angeles, the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce was awarded the most prestigious national award presented to chambers of commerce - Chamber of the Year. The award recognizes the top chambers in the nation for organizational excellence including finances, member services, communications, engagement of volunteers, and by making an impact on key community priorities. The Knoxville Chamber of Commerce uses VolunteerSpot's free online signup sheets to schedule their volunteers.

Today, our VolunteerSpotlight shines on Lisa Coulter, Manager of Member Services and Lynsey Wilson, Events Coordinator for the Chamber. 

Please tell us about the Chamber of Commerce and your volunteer needs.

The Knoxville Chamber of Commerce’s overall goals are to unite business, industry, service and professionals in the pursuit of economic success. The formal mission of the Chamber is Driving Regional Economic Prosperity. Some ways we carry out our mission are:

• Public Policy & Advocacy
• Small Business Programs/Services
  • Mentor Program
  • Small Business AnalysisTool
• Economic Development
  • Innovation Valley is the region's ED program
  • Workforce Development
  • Business recruitment & expansion
• Provide Opportunities For Members To Connect
  • Networking Events
  • Legislative Events
  • Educational Seminars

Being a membership organization, our volunteer needs range from serving on the Board of Directors, participation in the Ambassador Program, or joining one of our committees.

How many volunteers does the Chamber need to run smoothly?

The Knoxville Chamber has always relied on volunteer participation from our members. Over 100 volunteers from our membership serve in different capacities.

What’s one piece of advice you have for volunteers and their leaders out there?

For volunteer leaders: To recognize and appreciate your volunteers! Volunteers do not get paid monetarily, so sincere, consistent praise and recognition goes a long way. Keep in touch with your volunteers and communicate vital information with them. Also, give them direction and purpose and allow them some flexibility to lead and guide the process.

For volunteers: Speak up if you have ideas or feedback to give the organization you are helping. Sometimes your ideas are the best!

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

VolunteerSpot provides an easy, accessible place for the Knoxville Chamber to post events and for Ambassadors to sign up to help at events. Before we used VolunteerSpot, signing up volunteers for events took more staff time than it should have.

Anything else you’d like our readers to know about the Chamber of Commerce?

We would not be nearly as successful without the help of an engaged volunteer force. Without the support of our volunteers, many of our members’ needs would go unmet.

To learn more, visit http://www.knoxvillechamber.com.

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We salute Lisa and Lynsey and all the other volunteer leaders out there making a difference in our communities. If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at VS@volunteerspot.com.

I Support My School My Way | Day 6

Welcome to Day SIX of
I Support My School... My Way, VolunteerSpot's back-to-school campaign and Sweepstakes celebrating parent involvement in schools!

We have two terrific bloggers sharing thier stories, THEIR way today.

(And a whole lot more over the next few weeks.)

 

Please meet:

Wendi Aarons of WendiAarons.com

  Basically, Wendi is a humor writer from Austin with 2 kids and she's sort of known for making fun of her PTO. She's also part of the MouthyHousewives club so we KNOW she gets humor! 

She can celebrate and complain about pretty much anything. Too many volunteers at her son's school? YES, both good AND bad? How..? Well, she complains they won't let her be the 'tequila' mom!

Read Wendi's list of Volunteering Do's and Don'ts! I don't want to spoil it for you, it's hilarious but it just might end with: an invitation to join her in the lady's room to avoid the dreaded PTA election meeting!

Follow Wendi on Twitter @WendiAarons, @MouthyHousewives

 

***

Stacey of TreeRootandTwig.com

Stacey is an amazing mother of 5. Her oldest is a senior and her youngest is in pre-school and she lives to blog about it!. Go Stacey! She is a terrific writer and writes for several online publications.

The title of her post really says it all. When it comes to volunteering: "I’ve Done It All (Including Nothing At All)"

Talk about finding your Zen and realizing where you are most needed WHEN you are most needed doing it!

She writes: "These days, it’s more about supporting my students(kids) than it is about supporting my schools, which in a roundabout way achieves both..."

Follow Stacey on Twitter: @StaceyNerdin

 

Click to see all the {awesome} Parent Voices in the I Support My School... My Way series!

**

VolunteerSpot's FREE online signup sheets make it easy to organize parents and signup to help for just about anything: classroom helpers, snack schedules, carnivals, library volunteers, parent-teacher conferences and more.... No more 'Reply-All' email chains or clipboard sign up sheets! Please share with your room mom, teachers and parent leaders…

   

 Enter Now

You could WIN $500 in school supplies for your favorite school!

 

I Support My School My Way | Day 5

Welcome to Day FIVE of
I Support My School... My Way, VolunteerSpot's back-to-school campaign and Sweepstakes celebrating parent involvement in schools!

We have 2 wonderful bloggers sharing thier stories, THEIR way today.

(And a whole lot more over the next few weeks.)

 

Please meet:

Sarah Auerswald and her blog of the same name!

You might recognize Sarah from a few articles and a CNN video where she pointed out that she was quiting the school volunteer-world Cold Turkey. She had her reasons—and we support all the moms out there in all the ways they volunteer. Even when they choose NOT to. 

Sarah has written about how she plans to do things differently THIS year because in the past years she experienced volunteer burnout: "I can’t go back to the way it was. I just don’t have it in me to keep signing up for every volunteer job there is. There aren’t enough hours in the day!"

Read what she DOES plan to do: "Me? I’ll be over here collecting Box Tops, and making sure my kids get to school on time."

Follow Sarah on Twitter @SAuerswald.

 ***

Cecily of UpperCaseWoman.com

  Cecily is one of THOSE.

Yup. A NEW Kindergarten Mom! And it's no surprise that she's a bit freaked out about what helping in her kid's school will mean for her?

I think most of us can relate to those feelings. Wanting to help as much as possible, yet not sure you have the time to really devote?

She writes (Language Alert): "I don’t know what it will look like, yet, but I imagine I’ll find a balance. Even if it’s as simple as writing a check. But I hope I can do more."

Follow Cecily on Twitter @CecilyK

 

Click to see all the {awesome} Parent Voices in the I Support My School... My Way series!

 

**

VolunteerSpot's FREE online signup sheets make it easy to organize parents and signup to help for just about anything: classroom helpers, snack schedules, carnivals, library volunteers, parent-teacher conferences and more.... No more 'Reply-All' email chains or clipboard sign up sheets! Please share with your room mom, teachers and parent leaders…

   

 Enter Now

You could WIN $500 in school supplies for your favorite school!

 

I Support My School My Way | Day 4

Welcome to Day FOUR of
I Support My School... My Way, VolunteerSpot's back-to-school campaign and Sweepstakes celebrating parent involvement in schools!

We have three bloggers sharing thier stories, THEIR way today.

(And a whole lot more over the next few weeks.)

 

Please meet:

Melanie Sheridan of MelADramaticMommy.com

  Mel lives by the mantra... 'A little bit of drama everyday is Good for you!' She has one little boy and like most of us often has a hard time balancing out time and money supporting schools.

But also like most of us she wonders...  "For most school districts, it seems like it all boils down to money, money, money. As much as we'd love to, we can't donate the $250 our school asks for each year and participate in all the fundraisers, dine outs, the carnival and stock the classroom with supplies. There are times I feel like we should just leave a stack of blank checks in the school office!"

Read more about how Mel supports her school. And see what you agree with, like this: "For me, giving my time is just as important as giving money."

Follow Mel on Twitter @ADramaticMommy.

 

***

  Amy of TeachMama.com 

Just like she sounds, Amy was a teacher and is now a mama to 3 kiddos! Her website is a resource for parents who of course are really teachers in disquise!

What does a teacher turned full time mom dream about when her kids goto school? Being the super volunteer of course!

Hold on.. that didn't happen—Amy writes: "And I never would have guessed that my real life would have shattered my dreams of becoming an elementary school volunteer superstar."

A lot of moms can relate to the plan of becoming a stay at home mom only to find they turned into a WORK at home mom: "...who needs to do just THAT–work–while my kids are at school."

Amy is an amazing volunteer anyway, check out her superstar suggestions to creating a Family Mentoring Program!

Follow Amy on Twitter: @TeachMama

***

  Myrdin of Roots and Wings

Anyone who writes a 15 day countdown to better prepare herself as a parent and as volunteer is amazing in our book! Myrdin is a mom, and one heck of a school volunteer! PTA president? Yes. Done that! Parenting Magazine's Mom Congress? Yes. Done that! 

This year. She's 'only' going to be 'Myrdin the Kindergarten room mom'. Well, in her kid's school anyway. She's on several Kentucky PTA boards (both district and state) so don't think she's slouching!

Read about how she finds joy in volunteering (I'm not kidding!) "As parent leaders (whether PTA or another group, whether a room parent, or even as the volunteer) we need to make volunteering joyful, easy, and worth the effort."

And then read the rest of her countdown series! The organized parent, Education doesn't take a Vacation,  and more.

 
Follow Myrdin on Twitter: @PTAPeep

Click to see all the {awesome} Parent Voices in the I Support My School... My Way series!

 

**

VolunteerSpot's FREE online signup sheets make it easy to organize parents and signup to help for just about anything: classroom helpers, snack schedules, carnivals, library volunteers, parent-teacher conferences and more.... No more 'Reply-All' email chains or clipboard sign up sheets! Please share with your room mom, teachers and parent leaders…

   

 Enter Now

You could WIN $500 in school supplies for your favorite school!

 

Facebook Power Tips for School-Parent Groups

From Getting Started to Cultivating an Active School Community on Facebook

Last week we shared tips for building your school community using Social Media. Today's post is  about activating your community with facebook! Let's face it, a good proportion of school parents access facebook weekly or daily {some even hourly}. Intersecting with parents where they already hang out is a great way to build rapport, keep them updated about news and events, and ask them to get involved and take actions that support your school. 

Two important details before you get started:

1. Check with your principal and District to see if the school-parent facebook fan page must be separate from the school's facebook fan page. Ideally, it will be the same page so parents have one easy place to join your school online.

2. Create a facebook fan page and not a facebook group.  Facebook groups require permission to join and fan pages don't. The goal of using Social Media for your school-parent group is to extend and broaden your school-community online by making it super easy to join-in and get involved.  Facebook groups are more appropriate for individual classes and clubs where postings and membership information is more exclusive.

6 Tips to Get the Most Out of facebook for your School-Parent Group 

1. Invite parents to participate in multiple places.  

Once you've established a facebook fan page for your school - promote it!  Ask parents to show their school sprit by "Liking" your school on facebook!  

- in all school newsletters and handouts to parents 

- on BIG signs during parent-school events like Back-to-School Night, Carnival and Holiday Fairs

Power Tip: Click here for instructions on how to add a  'Like’ button or 'Like' box to your school website. 

 

2. Use 'pulse' questions, polls, and share general parenting content to boost engagement.

Asking simple questions and sharing articles of interest gets parents chatting and engaged with your parent group on facebook. E.g.

- What's your favorite snack to pack?

- What should our new carnival booth be? (vote below)

- Here's a terrific article on family internet safety. At what age did you allow your kids to use social media?

- Sports Round Up! What's everybody playing this season?

3. Assign a parent liaison to monitor your school facebook page for comments every few days.

 Typically this can be someone who spends a good deal of time on facebook already. If no one is interested, change settings to disallow comments.

 

4. Call for volunteers, members and donations.

Because other parents (and grandparents) networked to your 'like' fans will also see announcements, your call for volunteers, members and donations will extend beyond your most active parents.

Power Tip: Be specific when asking for volunteers and use a VolunteerSpot signup sheet link so parents make a formal commitment and you don't end up with too many or too few people or supplies/food items.  

When asking for donations, members to join your parent group, or for participation in fundraisers like product sales -- include a link to your merchant website so community members can join, make a donation or purchase items with a click.

 

5. Respect privacy.

In postings, never add photos of children without parent permission or name children by name. Only name adults if you have their permission. Children should never be 'tagged' (identified) in photos on your parent-group facebook page. All links and phone numbers will be publicly viewable, so think twice before posting.

 

6. Remember, not all parents are on facebook.

The opinions of those who are may not represent your general population. Use this community tool as supplemental communication for your school and parent-group. Don't assume announcements are received or make big decisions based on the feedback of your school's facebook fans.

***

 

 You may also like:

Activate the Parent Community at Your School with Social Media

School Carnival Online Sign Up Sheets

School Event Online Volunteer Calendars - Carnivals, Festivals,
Fairs | Sign Up Saturday

Free online sign up sheets are a necessity and absolute must for this year's big events!  School carnivals, festivals, fairs and flings are a HUGE undertaking as past and current organizers know - from games and booths, to carnival supplies, prizes, concessions, admissions, and more, the various aspects of large fundraisers just can't be managed with clipboard sign ups, reply-all emails, and phone call after phone call anymore!  It's 2011 and VolunteerSpot's quick and easy volunteer scheduling tool is the answer to your prayers.

To begin organizing your large event, like a carnival, with VolunteerSpot's online sign up tool, you have a couple easy options!  

OPTION 1:  If one or two people are in-charge of organizing carnival volunteers – use the “restaurant hostess” method of scheduling.  Parent volunteers typically don’t have a strong opinion about helping at one booth over another and it gives organizers maximum flexibility on carnival day for staffing the most popular booths and activities.

School carnival booth volunteer sign up sheet (Volunteer Screen): Volunteers access sign up sheet via activity link provided by organizer, enter email address and click through big gold clipboard to access sign up.  Then simply with the click of the gold Sign Up Here button, volunteers fill a spot (Save & Close and Confirm to finalize sign up).

Upon arrival, volunteers will know to gather in a central place and get sent to their specific booth. You keep a list of booths and check them off, much like a hostess in a restaurant might check off full tables as guests get seated.

*Note:  A helpful variation VolunteerSpot organizers have incorporated is to add more detail to the sign up shifts – e.g.

• Carnival Booth Volunteer K-2
• Carnival Booth Volunteer 3-5
• Carnival Booth Volunteer (special needs)
• Carnival Booth Volunteer for booths in the shade, where you may sit for the duration

OPTION 2:

If one coordinator is in charge of planning the carnival volunteers, but a Room Mom or teacher in each class is responsible for each booth and recruiting their own volunteers – follow this example:

School Carnival Online Sign Up Sheet (Organizer Screen):  Create one "Single Date" activity for each booth, listing your volunteer needs, adding a Todo for each shift.

Then simply create an activity for each additional booth, and use our Copy function to duplicate your first booth's schedule into all your other booth activities.   

School Carnival Activity List (Organizer Screen): Click the MyActivities tab to view every booth and carnival game you need volunteers for.

 

How do you invite volunteers to all these booths and games without having to send an invitation from each activity?  Easy!  Simply grab a URL link for each activity and list (or have your Room Parents/Teachers share) in a series with descriptions in an email, e-newsletter, on Facebook, or copy/paste the web button embed code into the html code in your own school's website.

Your entire volunteer pool will LOVE seeing all volunteer opportunities in a succinct list, with easy click-through access on their computer or mobile device to sign up for every booth/game shift they can help with.

 

Online Sign Up Sheet Template for school carnival (Volunteer View): Volunteers click through activity link provided, enter their email address and click Sign Up clipboard to access shifts for specific booth. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Online Sign Up Sheet Template (Volunteer View):  School carnival volunteers see a list of shifts with times, descriptions, and vacancies.  They simply click the gold Sign Up Here button to fill a spot, Save & Close, and Confirm!

 

 

 

 

Automated reminder messages are sent to volunteers two days prior to their commitment, and organizers can easily access reports and exported spreadsheets to have on hand the day of the event!

 

TIPS FOR YOUR FALL CARNIVAL

1.  SELL TICKETS IN TWO DIFFERENT COLORS - 1 color for pre-sale and 1 color for during the event; this will help you distinguish between sales and gather good estimates for next year.

2.  DESIGNATE SPECIFIC PRIZES TO SPECIFIC BOOTHS - If you have bins of prizes for kids to choose from at every booth, you'll be waiting a long time for choices to be made :)  Plus, when children see others walking around with a prize they like, they will find the specific booth where they can get it and play play play to win!

3.  TEST THOSE BOOTHS!  Have volunteers or kids test the booths prior to the grand opening.  Coordinators can find where bean bag toss lines and baseball throw marks, for example, need to be moved forward or backward to make the game easier or harder to win.  You don't want those prizes flying off the shelves, but you still wand kids winning.

4.  SAND ART can be a great money-making booth and turn out some beautiful pieces!  Make sure not to waste sand - have shallow containers under sand bottles which catch extra sand that can be funnelled back for future use.

5.  HAVE ENOUGH RINGS!  We don't want volunteers hurting their backs grabbing bottle toss rings off the floor every thirty seconds.  Have a good amount of rings to free up time for playing and retrieval.

Tips and Ideas from our friends at Carnival Savers!

 

You may also like:

Best Fall Carnival Game and Fall Festival Ideas

Step-by-Step Instructions for setting up your Carnival, Festival, or Large Event

 

School Carnival Games & Ideas - Fabulously Fun

View more presentations from VolunteerSpot

 

 

Volunteering for all Walks of Life

By Myrdin Thompson

I fully intended to write this blog this morning after I went to the gym...but I ended up volunteering instead. Volunteering, for me, is often like breathing. I often find myself pitching in without realizing that I have...or that I intended to in the first place. I have been a volunteer in a variety of organizations for a long number of years and here are a few things I've learned.

Volunteering looks different to different people. Some people are comfortable digging in the dirt and planting the garden. Some people are comfortable taking the garden's bounty and preparing the meal. And others still are happy to be the one's planning when and where that meal will be served.

Some volunteers are happy volunteering on a regular basis, the "every Wednesday worker" and others are happy volunteering at one event "Fall Festival Friend." Both need acknowledgment and support for their efforts.

Not every volunteer is you. So no matter how much you want others to be you to "get how important X project is" you can only control you.

So do YOUR best, give YOUR 100% so at the end of the day YOU know you made a difference. Lead by example, not by words. You can't force someone to "do the right thing" you can only do your part and know that it was your best.

So, a tale of two volunteers...which are really one in the same.

There are days when volunteering is hard, stinky, dirty, messy, "no thanks in sight and no bottle of water either" moments. There are days when you get to dress in your heels and pearls and "smile and wave."

It doesn't matter which volunteer you are, or what project you work on. Whether it is bagging clothes for a child, shelving books in the school library, stuffing envelopes with Reflections art information, working on a newsletter, writing a blog, planning a festival, a program, or an awards banquet, attending a workshop so you can share information, presenting a workshop so you can share information...it ALL is important. It all matters.

So now that school has started...don't wait for the PTA to invite you to a project, or your child's teacher to ask you help put name tags on yarn. Offer your help. Offer your talent, your skill, your excitement, your energy, your enthusiasm. Offer to run the volunteer program (and I've mentioned before that VolunteerSpot has great resources) if there isn't one or if one needs to be kick-started. The point is: Do something. Because something for a child is better than nothing at all.

"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." - Mahatma Gandhi

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Myrdin Thompson has been a Louisville public school parent, volunteer & advocate since 2002. She is currently the Kentucky PTA Reflections Commissioner, the 15th District PTA (Jefferson Co.) 4th VP-Communications/CCSSI Project Lead,  and her son's middle school PTSA President. She was recognized by the White House as a "Champion of Change" in April 2011; is the Arts Advocate Mentor for Mom Congress; and was the Kentucky Delegate for Parenting Magazine's 2010 Mom Congress. She is dedicated to building support for and enhancing the quality of education in the Jefferson County Public Schools for all children in the district.

Read more by Myrdin on Roots & Wings and follow her on Twitter: @PTAPeep

Morning Routines for Back to School | Tidy Thursday

by April Welch, The Mental Clutter Coach

No matter the age of your student, morning routines can be a critical element to the back to school excitement {or lack thereof}.

While I shared my own challenges & solutions earlier this week, regarding morning routines over on TMCC, ~ I wanted to highlight the idea of music and technology this week in the Tidy Thursday column.

A few years back Real Simple Magazine recommended using music in the morning to help the routines move along. I love this tip! But let's expand on it a little, shall we?

The concept:

Musical Tasks

Figuring that most songs are between 3-5 minutes, you can teach kiddos {and most adults} to pace themselves accordingly.

example:

it takes one song to choose the snacks for my lunch & it takes 3 songs to eat my breakfast.

Beyond the reasoning that this way of moving through time is fun, this technique works. Mainly because for those organizing personalities out there who have a hard time grasping the passage of time you have now provided them with something more tangible than a static digital number.

How to capitalize on it:

While establishing the passage of time to Mat Kearney is fun, the way to get your kiddo to buy-in completely is to allow them to create the playlist themselves.

Even if you don't like their music.

Honestly, what is an hour of your day if it means the nagging and power struggles are eliminated?

Tools for the tip:

• Pandora. A free online music player.

Benifit :: the ability to discover new music,
Downfall :: music is chosen for you ... meaning the songs may be 3 minutes or 5 minutes long

• Spotify. This new to the US market site / app / software is just like iTunes but without having to purchase the albums in order to play them.

Benefit :: being able to build your own playlist and the social aspect of being able to share playlists with friends, family or teammates.
Downfall :: the waiting list, you can be pushed to the front of the line by signing up for the monthly subscription starting at $5/mo.

• iTunes or old fashioned CDs. Of course, going with the music you already own is always fun too! I can hardly believe CDs are considered 'old fashioned' these days, I still remember using the eraser end of a pencil to fix my cassette tapes!

Benefit :: allowing your kiddo to become a mix master with their morning routines playlist and trusting that the pile you put in front of them is appropriate to their age group
Downfall :: the limited resources could pose a problem with music selection by the new year, honestly you can only hear certain tunes so many times before ... well, you know.

 

Of course, now I'm curious!

What morning routines do you have in your back to school plans or

will you be trying the musical tasks tip this fall?

 

Hop on over to the VolunteerSpot Facebook Page & let me know your thoughts

 

Keepin it Tidy,

april

 

April is a Mental Clutter Expert | Mom of 2 boys | Wife to 1 Fireman | Horrible Cook | Loyal Friend | National Public Speaker who gives you permission to be imperfect.

I Support My School My Way | Day 3

Welcome to Day THREE of
I Support My School... My Way, VolunteerSpot's back-to-school campaign and Sweepstakes celebrating parent involvement in schools!

We have three fabulous conversations featured today.

(And a whole lot more over the next few weeks.)

 

Please meet:

  Danielle of ExtraordinaryMommy.com

 Danielle has 2 kids who are just this year in full-time school. And while she's a busy mom who travels and works in journalism she finds time to simply BE in her kids' school.

And while she loves the idea of being a super volunteer, helping out her school in all sorts of ways, read more about how she feels RIGHT now: "Quite honestly, I don’t want to be in charge. I just want to be there."

A lot of moms can relate. And it's true about younger kids simply being happy that mom is in the building.

 

She has this to say about volunteering HER way: "...my reward is a giggle, a smile and a wave.  Maybe even a point and a whisper, “that’s my mommy”. They are still at an age when it is cool to see  ’Mommy’ at the school."

Follow Danielle on Twitter @DanielleSmithTV.

 

***

  Angie of SevenClownCircus.com 

Angie is a mother 5 children. And this year is the first year they are ALL in school. What does a mother of 5 do when all the kids go back to school?

She heads back with them of course!

 Read how she...  "illustrate(s) ways in which regular old moms like me take advantage of opportunities to interact with their children at school and hopefully enhance the programs that they are in with extra manpower."

Follow Angie on Twitter: @7clowncircus

***

  Julie of Leelou-Blogs.com

  Julie just had a BABY! She is the proud mama of 4 kids under the age of 6!

How does a mom with a newborn support her school? Well this one happens to be a graphic designer and creates FREE Teacher Appreciation Printables that you can click over and download! 

Read about how she also supports her husband (who IS a teacher) and how hard it is for her to give him up after summer. "...having him home for 3 whole months and then all of a sudden he's back to work 5 days a week is pure torture! Torture I say!"

 
Follow Julie on Twitter: @LeelouBlogs

Click to see all the {awesome} Parent Voices in the I Support My School... My Way series!

 

**

VolunteerSpot's FREE online signup sheets make it easy to organize parents and signup to help for just about anything: classroom helpers, snack schedules, carnivals, library volunteers, paren t-teacher conferences and more.... No more 'Reply-All' email chains or clipboard sign up sheets! Please share with your room mom, teachers and parent leaders…

   

 Enter Now

You could WIN $500 in school supplies for your favorite school!

 

I Support My School My Way | Day 2

 

Welcome to Day TWO of
I Support My School... My Way, VolunteerSpot's back-to-school campaign and Sweepstakes celebrating parent involvement in schools!

We have two vert busy parent leaders featured today.

(And a whole lot more over the next few weeks.)

 

Please MEET:

Aimee of GreebleMonkey.com

Aimee is a powerhouse blogger and amazing photographer. She runs her own business and of course is mom to a great kid!

For the first time, Aimee has shared how her school 'Rocks!' literally. She helped found a little thing called 'Tellerpalooza', which is a major music concert held at her kiddo's school and features Denver based and very real bands. She helps raise over $15,000 at this one 'rockin' event!

Please see how: The parents at her school agree: "...if we are going to have to work our (A**es) off for this school, LET'S HAVE FUN DOING IT."

800 people attend and Aimee rightfully concludes: "Bonus: We show our kids that hard work pays off, and you can have fun doing it."

Follow Aimee on Twitter @GreebleMonkey.

 

***

  Rachel of ASouthernFairyTale.com 

 
  Rachel is going to be the PTA president at her school this year! Talk about busy! She is the mom of two children and we're excited to support her in her new role.

 First we need to give her husband a moment of silence. Done? Good. Now check out that BeDazzled Rockin' PTA T-Shirt!

Here's what Rachel has to say about her new PTA role:

"It’s a daunting title and so much more than just a title, it’s a mission and a responsibility.

I want to help make a difference and support my school this year by being present, being available, being willing and that means to more than the Teachers and Staff.  That also means being approachable and available to the parents and fellow PTA members, too." —We agree! Good Luck Rachel. 

Follow Rachel on Twitter: @SthrnFairyTale

 Click to see all the {awesome} Parent Voices in the I Support My School... My Way series!

**

VolunteerSpot's FREE online signup sheets make it easy to organize parents and signup to help for just about anything: classroom helpers, snack schedules, carnivals, library volunteers, paren t-teacher conferences and more.... No more 'Reply-All' email chains or clipboard sign up sheets! Please share with your room mom, teachers and parent leaders…

   

 Enter Now

You could WIN $500 in school supplies for your favorite school!

 

I Support My School My Way | Day 1

 

Welcome to I Support My School... My Way, VolunteerSpot's back-to-school campaign and Sweepstakes celebrating parent involvement in schools!

We have two parent conversations featured today.

(And a whole lot more over the next few weeks.)

 

Please meet:

Shara of MommyPerks.com

Shara's family has been through a lot of changes recently -- moving, new jobs and more.

Talk about understanding, there's no need for guilt! Some years you have the drive and time to volunteer in the school in many ways. But this year... Shara has listed all the ways she will be helping OUTSIDE her school. She has listed TWENTY ways she helps her school without stepping foot IN her school.

Check out her amazing school support list and figure out how you can give up the guilt too!
Follow Shara on Twitter @MommyPerks.

 

***

Dwan of MommaDJane.com

Dwan is a fearless single mother or 3 and advocate for teen moms. One of her children is a special needs kiddo and she still finds time to give back to her kids' school and her community!

 Read how volunteering at school for Dwan "gives me the socialization that I love while being able to spend time with the kids I adore." And then imagine Dwan in a 3-legged race with and AGAINST other elementary kids! She didn't share pictures of the 3-legged, but the other images of field day and zoo trips are precious.
Follow Dwan on Twitter: @MommaDJane

 Click to see all the {awesome} Parent Voices in the I Support My School... My Way series!

**

VolunteerSpot's FREE online signup sheets make it easy to organize parents and signup to help for just about anything: classroom helpers, snack schedules, carnivals, library volunteers, paren t-teacher conferences and more.... No more 'Reply-All' email chains or clipboard sign up sheets! Please share with your room mom, teachers and parent leaders…

   

 Enter Now

You could WIN $500 in school supplies for your favorite school!