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VolunteerSpot Blog | Best of 2011

Blog Series, Guest Regulars and Wonderful Readers Made 2011 our Best Year Yet!

We want to celebrate and thank our guest contributors for a great year of all things service and giving back.  From insightful perspectives on school parent involvement,  non-profit success and benefit auction how-to's, to volunteer management and social media tips, teacher appreciation and fun class party ideas, employee volunteering and corporate responsibility news, faith group and community-building concepts and so much more - our blog proved to be an ever-evolving foundation for sharing timely and desired content.  

 
A favorite summer blog series, Teacher Tuesdays, was a thrilling opportunity to feature guest posts focusing on parent engagement in education from a teacher's perspective.  

 

Our Summer of Service feature gave us the privilege of featuring leading guest bloggers who shared their unique and personal perspectives on service, volunteering and citizen philanthropy.  Topics ranged from volunteering for kids and volunteer management, to the power of story-telling, employee service, supporting military families and so much more! 

 

The My School My Way campaign brought together over 30 bloggers sharing the highs and lows of parent volunteering, and how they did it their way in their school.  From humourous anecdotes to heart-warming insights, our My School My Way blog campaign had something for everyone, and we were honored to share these wonderful parents and writers with our readers.  Wrap-up and roll call.

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April Welch, our resident Mental Clutter Coach, joined us week after week for Tidy Thursday - bringing fresh ideas and bright new ways to approach organizing our lives!

Worship Wednesday guest posts from Sue Brage were a true blessing.  From a faith-based perspective, her thoughts and words shed light on growing one's faith group and the interpretation of service in doing so.

 

 

Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions LLC brought us countless helpful tips, ideas and strategies when it came to running a successful auction.  From publicitiy, to gathering volunteers, legal refreshers, and best practices, expert advice made auction fundraisers less of a dream and more of a reality for many readers.

 

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VolunteerSpotlights gave us a chance to shine a light on the amazing individuals and organizations who use VolunteerSpot to make a difference in their community.  From school parent leaders to festival organizers, conference coordinators to humane societies, congregational volunteer leaders to regional homeless shelter organizers - the willingness to do good was colorful and widespread and we were honored to share each and every story.

Additional Guest Regulars included:

Chris Jarvis of Realized Worth brought us insights into workplace volunteering, corporate social responsibility, and employee volunteer programs.

Andrea Patten of What Kids Need to Succeed illumined top tips, best practices, fun stories and helpful hints when it comes to running a successful nonprofit.

Myrdin Thompson of RootsandWings Library and MomCongress provided a keen and astute perspective from everything grant-writing, to literacy promotion, and advocating for more school involvement.

Susan Wells of SteveSpanglerScience joined us to share super creative and much-needed ideas incorporating science into the classroom, whether for a class party, school science fair, or the "dreaded science project."

A variety of incredibly talented and knowledgable contributors made our array of free e-books available as a highly sought-after resource for countless volunteers, organizers, teachers, team moms, and room parents!  From healthy snack ideas, to parent-teacher conference, class party, volunteer recognition, bake sale, school carnival, fundraising, talent show, and family volunteering ideas and tips, our e-books continue to be a fun and helpful resource for our readers and we are thrilled to be able to share them on our blog.

Family Friendly Volunteering: Service Project Ideas from A-Z

View more presentations from VolunteerSpot

There are so many more favorite posts and contributors in addition to these listed and we hope you take the time to look around.  Of course, our blog would be nowhere without our amazing readers and those who help promote and share our posts.  2011 was an incredible year and we are sure 2012 will prove to be even better - many thanks and here's to a New Year!

My School My Way | Wrap Up & Thank You

Across the nation kids are officially "BACK TO SCHOOL"!

Moms (and dads!) around the country are collectively releasing a giant sigh. Here at VolunteerSpot headquarters we are proud to have brought you 30+ bloggers who shared the good (and the guilty) of all things School-Parent Volunteering!

Please help us thank the WHOLE list of bloggers involved on our Roll Call.

We set out to host a diverse buffet of voices.

Bloggers support THEIR school... THEIR WAY.

Including:

• The uber mom volunteer who steps up and presides over her school's PTA or PTO.
• The mom who is scared just a little bit because it's her child's first year in school and fearful what that will bring!
• The mom who has done it all, seen it all and is ready to let someone else DO IT FOR A WHILE!
• Even the dad who spends time in the classroom... because he can.

And all the mom's in-between...

Three themes emerged from our cornucopia of bloggers.

Guilt

Moms seem to be made of it. We always worry that we aren't doing enough. That we could be doing more. We worry that one more pan of brownies should have been made, that one more hour of mystery reading should have fit in our lunchtime or one more school carnival should be notched on our belt.

But what's more important is that we take stock of what's most important in our own families, right now. No one argues that you should do more if it doesn't fit with your family.

{Support your school your way: In a way that works for your family, right now.}

Creative Solutions

Many bloggers shared that the knew what they could NOT do and instead of refusing to do anything, jumped in and found a creative way to volunteer that made sense for them.

Volunteer from home, make sure your kids are well fed, and well prepared for school each day, sometimes the small things mean more to your kid and your school in the long run.

{Support your school your way: By remembering that small things are still worth doing. }

Dedication

So many parents tackle time consuming volunteer jobs and do it with little fanfare or praise. We understand that not everyone can lead the PTA year after year. But to those who run school events, step up to help fundraise and  lead by example, we stand up and salute you.

We see your passion for volunteering and we see you use your skills and talents for the betterment of all kids not just your own.

{Support your school your way: By letting your passions lead the way.}

From the whole team at VolunteerSpot, WE THANK YOU!

You've inspired us all to take {personally} meaningful action and SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS!

 

Click to see the whole shebang of 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!

 

Give your Fall Fundraiser a BIG Boost with Social Media

Raise More Money and Boost Turnout with Social Media

What's your school's big fall fundraiser? A carnival, fall festival, auction, wrapping paper sale? Whatever it is, social media tools like facebook and twitter can rally parents, extend your reach, recognize sponsors and boost profits!

This is the fifth post in our series about activating your school -parent group through social media. We've covered power facebook tips and Twitter tips for PTAs and PTOs, and how to recognize volunteers using social channels. Let's put it all together in creating a Social Media Plan for big events.  

Creating a Social Media Plan

As you're planning your big event, put some dedicated thought into how you will use social media before, during and after the event. Think about what you will post and who will post it.  Enroll your inner-circle of parent leaders who are already using social media to particiapte as a way to show early traction. Not only is a school carnival or auction a terrific opportunity to engage parents and your community online, you can also attract new parents to your online communities during these events.

Facebook

4-5 Weeks before the event:

• Make announcements about ticket sales

• Setup the "Event" using the Event App on your school facebook page and invite the school's fans to the event. This way parents RSVP-ing to the event will feed to their facebook pages and their friends will see they're attending. Make note that this RSVP does not take the place of an actual registraiton - but 'likes' to the school carnival will certainly boost visibility to the event. {To setup an event,login as an administrator, click "Edit Page" then "Apps" then choose "Events".}

1-3 weeks before the event:

• Post teasers about the event sharing fun details about entertainment, food options, activities and ask poll questions to build interest.

• Post links to online fundraising partners so parents who can't come in person can donate or make a purchase online.
• Thank community and corporate sponsors with links to their businesses. First login as the school's website and 'like' the partner's facebook page.  Then when you mention their company name in the post details, it will also post to their facebook page so they see it.
• Put out additional calls for volunteers.  Make it actionable with links to the volunteer interest signup sheet on VolunteerSpot.

Week-of the event:

• Post last-minute information, calls for volunteers and important details. 
• Post links to ticket sales and donation links.
• Thanks sponsors.
• Post a bonus teaser in take-home news: "Like" us on facebook for last-minute ticket bonus and special carnival prize information".  Then followup by announcing a 'secret' prize or booth surprise for facebook fans.  "Facebook fans get 10 bonus tickets, use codeword "facebook fan" to claim your prize at the ticket booth!
• Create "Like us on facebook" posters with the school's facebook address.  Consider using a free QR Code so parents with smartphones can grab all contact information quickly.

During the event:

• Announce the event is starting so parents who may have forgotten can quickly adjust.
• Coach volunteers to encourage parents to join the online communities. E.g. "While you're waiting in line, it's a perfect time to pull out your smartphone and "Like" East Elementary on Facebook."
• Offer special bonuses for parents who show they 'like' the school on their smartphone. E.g. "Like"us and get a 10 bonus tickets! 

Day after the event:

• Post fun photos of parents in action and invite parents to also post their photos. {Avoid photos of kid's faces without permission. Tag parents so the photos show up on their facebook pages too.}
• Thank volunteers for their participation. See these 5 Sensational Social Media Recognition Ideas.
• Thanks sponsors.

Within a week of the event

• Post the results of the event.  Include how many people attended and how much money was raised, and also fun statistics like number of hot dogs consumed or pounds of ice-cream eaten.
• Seek feedback. Post a link to a formal online survey from Survey Monkey, or use the Question feature on your facebook page to find out parent's most and least favorite booths, what they liked, and what they would like to see changed for next year.

Twitter

The Twitter campaign will follow similar steps to the facebook time-line, but limited to 150 characters. The same guidelines apply for announcing tickets, posting items of interest, bonuses and acknowledging sponsors and volunteers. A few additional suggestions:

• Create and publish a hashtag to identify the event.  Publicize it in all printed event materials before and during the event and put it on posters so parents using Twitter tag their tweets to the event.  E.g.: #EastElemCarnival  #EastElemAuction

• When thanking sponsors and volunteers be sure to use their proper Twitter handle so they see you thanking them and have an opportunity to tweet back, e.g:

Thanks @GroceryStory, we're having a Gr8 day at #EastElemCarnival because of you!

 Don't miss Principal A. in the dunking booth at 2pm! Big fun @ #EastElemCarnival. Thx 2 r sponsor @GroceryStore!

@MildyManicMom - you rocked the cakewalk! Thx for baking BIG for #EastElemCarnival! <link to photo>

We hope these social suggestions make your event more fun and profitable and boost your online communities.  This is all so new and we know your parent groups will get even more creative than these suggestions. Please let us know what you try and learn over on our VolunteerSpot facebook page.  Happy Fundraising!

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

 ***

 You may also like:

Activate the Parent Community at Your School with Social Media

Facebook Power Tips for School-Parent Groups

10 Twitter Tips for Savvy Schools and PTAs

5 Sensational Social Media Recognition Ideas

I Support My School My Way | Day 12

 

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

Today is the LAST installment of our very fun-very impressive (over 30 bloggers!) story campaign.  All sharing their stories THEIR way.

We conclude with 3 bloggers.

(Check out all the stories from the whole series!)

 

Please Meet:

Lorraine of RunWifeyRun.com

Lorraine is a mother and a runner (what a suprise from her blog title, eh?).

She admits it. She is a 'party parent'.

"Oh, and I do field trips, too. I’m all for hopping on the bus and getting the kids out to see the world." I love her attitude. You don't have to be the weekly 'in classroom' volunteer to support your school!

She has this wisdom to share: "I know my strengths and think its smarter to use them rather than force myself to volunteer in ways that aren’t a good fit for everyone involved."

Read more about Lorraine's favorite part of volunteering: 'Mystery Reader'!

Follow Lorraine on Twitter @AskWifey.

***

Ponn of AmericanMuslimMom.com

Ponn's mission is to: "enlighten, educate and empower moms, especially American Muslim Moms living in America and abroad, to take action."

She is an impressive mother and advocate for her religion and goals. But take a minute and read through her 79 (!!) creative ways she has supported her school. You'll agree. This is an amazing woman.

First it's a fascinating story to read about how while they are fundamentally committed to homeschooling—this Muslim family made a hard decision to invest in their local school due to family issues. And in only 4 months they gave more than some give in years.

They jumped in feet first and with enthusiasm to help in many (many!) different ways. Here's just a tiny fraction:

• Meet the principal...
• Meet every single teacher...
• Meet & help substitutes... (read why, you'll be impressed with this thought!)
• Offer to teach a lesson plan... (WOW)
• End of year cleaning...

Seriously this is ONE amazing volunteer list! Read all of it right now!

Follow Ponn on Twitter: @PonnSabra

***

Cindy of MildlyManicMom.com

Cindy works full time and is the manic mom of two kids: one tween daughter and a son in high school. 

She says she spent years hiding from volunteer sign up sheets because she 'didn't feel (she) had much to offer'... or time we might guess.

She then asks this question:

"So, what's a guilty feeling, full time working mom to do?"

Easy, she came out of hiding long enough to read through the multiple lists of subcommittees in her PTSO and landed on the one thing she could be part of without being IN the building during working hours. Wanna guess what it was?

Hospitality Committee!

Read more about how Cindy learned you 'don't have to be the room mom to be a good volunteer'.

Follow Cindy on Twitter @MildlyManicMom

 

Click to see the whole shebang of 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 11

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

Today we have two bloggers and a couple terrific stories!

(And a whole lot more from the previous three weeks!)

 

Please Meet:

Melissa of ImaginationSoup.com

Melissa is the parent of 2 girls and an education blogger, she is a former school teacher and it shows!

She tells in her "I Support My School" article that she got called to the principal's office. Why?

No, not for spitballs. In a word: ADVOCACY. She was working hard to make a change in her schools. Especially when it came to the continuted use of a curriculum she felt was outdated and simply wrong. And you can hear the frustration in her typing...

She explains: "As I considered my options, I really didn’t want to change schools or home school. I wanted to stay at my neighborhood school and work for change — change for the better. People told me it would never work, that the school would never change but I thought I at least needed to try. I hoped that the school would listen to me with openness and work with me for a solution."

I don't want to ruin the story. But I will say I'd like Melissa advocating for MY kids! Click over to find out whether her kids were able to stay at her local public school. 

Follow Melissa on Twitter @ImaginationSoup

***

Kristin from ZiggityZoom.com

Kristin is the mom of 3 boys and she is the co-author of Parenting Without a Paddle. She is a fireball of energy and has helped her schools by speaking at events, using her own busness to help and guide as well regular old volunteer time in the classroom.

You'll appreciate her insights on how to pace yourself and navigate through volunteering, a few examples:

• I have said NO to more things than I say yes to...
• I am clear and communicate how I am able and willing to volunteer...
• I split up responsibilities with my husband

And then she goes one step beyond just volunteering: "But most of all, I help our school by meeting other parents and letting them know that our school is a better school because of all the parent involvement, whether through the PTA or attending school events."

Read more about how Krstin is also a Lunch Buddy!

Follow Kristin on Twitter @mommie911, @ziggityzoom.

 

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 10

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

We are wrapping up the last week of this amazing blogger-extravaganza with Five bloggers and five amazing stories! All sharing their stories THEIR way today.

(And a whole lot more from the previous three weeks!)

 

Please Meet:

Lolli managing editor for 5MinutesForMom

Lolli has 5 kids and is a former school teacher as well! She found after her first kiddo went to kindergarten that she really missed being in the classroom and found a mom to share babysitting of younger sibs in order to volunteer and get her classroom 'fix'!

"I found that the teachers gave me insights into my kids’ strengths and struggles as I spent time in their class – insight that I would have missed had I waited for the twice-a-year parent-teacher conferences." —Lolli tells how rewarding simply helping in the classroom can be.

Read about what Lolli thinks is the bests reward for volunteering in her kid's classroom.

Follow Lolli on Twitter @1Momof5 and follow @5minutesformom.

***

Loralee of LoraleesLooneyTunes.com

Loralee is a mother to 4 boys. And she spent many years on parent organization boards. But soon came to find out:

"After so many years and gazillion hours of serving as PO President, when I was done I had to take a major step back for several years from EVERYTHING volunteering." Plus her whole family went through the horror of losing a small infant.

And now she keeps it real in her family by figuring out what works for each individual. Some in charter school, some homeschooled, some in public school!

What she has to say about the guilt of stepping down for a while: "And, while I do feel guilt about it, I am also fine with it because right now, it is what works best for us all."

Read more about how Loralee describes the 'beauty of it' and figuring out what her next round of elementary school will bring! 

Follow Loralee on Twitter: @LooneyTunes

***

April of TheMentalClutterCoach.com 

 What could be better than a whole program to help your middle schooler get more organized?!

Our own Tidy Thursday author and Mental Clutter Coach—April Welch has helped create exactly that. It's called the Organizing Fundamentals Curriculum    and April has offered to help any parent group implement this program in your school!

She describes details about how the program works: Qualifying, Assemblies and Volunteering, plus a whole lot of fun.

Helping kids overcome their own organizing problems is a huge reward. April describes one student in the program: "I’m proud to report now, as a high school student, she immediately beams with pride every time she sees me. Usually she is pulling out her binder to show me how she still is using the techniques we worked on. Our conversations quickly lead to her plans for college and how her grades are staying up."

Read more about this program and the way April Supports Her School.

Follow April on Twitter @Mental_Clutter

***

Whitney of MommiesWithStyle.com

The art of walking a fine line seems to be a recurring theme in our My School My Way series. Whitney finds herself dividing her time between her work and her volunteer wishes.

"It’s a busy schedule and it’s often tough to juggle all the various volunteer schedules!"

She does her best to give of her time when she can and understands the importance of mom 'face' time for her kids.

Read more about how Whitney Supports Her School.

Follow Whitney on Twitter @WhitneyMWS

 ***

Julie of AngryJulieMonday.com

Julie is also known as AngryJulie and she has one angry child as well as one angry husband.

She volunteered at her school's 'jogathon' last year by being the photographer. Which has turned into being the Chair of the 'jogathon' this year! Good luck Julie...! (But who will take the photos?)

She also spends several hours in AngryKid's classroom each week.

Read more about why she thinks it's important to Support Her School.

Follow Julie on Twitter @AngryJulie

 

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 9

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

We have a special treat today. FOUR bloggers all on one day! All sharing their stories THEIR way today.

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

 

Please Meet:

Jill Berry of Musings From Me

Jill has had kids in school since 1998! She was a working mom with two kids at home, but then decided her kids were what she really wanted to dedicate her time to. She became a volunteer enthusiast!:

"I relished volunteering in my daughter’s kindergarten classroom. With a full room of squirmy kindergarteners, the teacher needed an extra person to go over sightword lists or do craft projects with small groups. While I was never a room mom, I volunteered my time to class parties and sent in snacks and juice bags."

Jill has volunteerism fever! She volunteered at all different kinds of school functions:

"As a volunteer I was very willing to sign up for this activity or volunteer to chaperone that field trip. I wish I had known about VolunteerSpot back in the early 2000s…my life and the lives of my fellow PTA members would have been so much easier."

Read more about how Jill supports her school.

Follow Jill on Twitter @MusingsFromMe.

***

Mariana of The Domestic Buzz 

Marina has come to the same realization as many parents:

"It’s no secret that with budget cuts, our children’s schools need parents more than ever, but writing check after check isn’t in our budget right now."

Check out some of the ways that Mariana is making a difference at her school without breaking the bank!:

• I joined the PTA. Not only became a member, but I took a position as Bilingual Liaison, hoping to reach out to our Spanish-speaking community.
• I’m helping in the classroom. I’m looking forward to chaperoning at least one of my daughter’s field trips. Hoping to make it in once or twice to read a book to the class. Walking the Diabetes walk along with Maya. Providing food and goodies for class parties. Obsessively cutting Box Tops. Whatever I can do to help.

Read more about how Mariana supports her school through creative and cost-free ways.

Follow Mariana on Twitter: @ohmariana

***

Kelli of Parenting Squad

  Kelli states right off the bat that she's neither a room mom or a PTA parent, but she still does her part to support her school. Here are some of her suggestions on how to help out at school"

  Let the teachers do their job.
 

  Don't confuse strict with strychnine.
 

  Keep communication lines open.

  Remember, teachers are human, too.

And we especially like this one:

  Ask how to help.

Some teachers want parents in the classroom every day. Others cringe at the thought and prefer that parents help by doing administrative tasks at home. Don't assume you know what assistance the teacher needs. Find out on the first day: "What can I do to help you this year?"

Read more about how Kelli supports her school.

Follow Kelli on Twitter @ParentingSquad.

 

Barb of BeTweenTalk

As Barb's kids have gotten older, they really didn't want mom at school anymore. But Barb has done her part to support her schools and educaiton of all chilren - through politics!

"...one thing I have always been is an educational activist. Most recently, I have been helping to stir the pot up about the Dougco school voucher issue and Science Education in the US. Because I believe that no matter where you sit on the side of school choice vouchers or educational reform, the conversation is the most important part."

Read more about how Barb uses her "voice as a blogger to bring to light these discussions on the politics of education."

Follow Barb on Twitter @Chaotic_Barb.

 

***

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 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!

 

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

 

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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!

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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.

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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!

 

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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.

 

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  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

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  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!

 

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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 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.

 

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  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

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  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.

 

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  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.

 

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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!