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Happy Halloween!

It wasn’t the howl of the wind, nor the cold creeky floors that sent a chill down her spine as she sat at the desk, staring at the computer in the wee hours of the morning.  The tap, tap, tap of a frozen tree branch on the nearby window didn’t raise the hairs on the back of her neck quite like her own thoughts – her mind whirling with the greatest fear any class parent can face – hitting “send” on her email asking for class party helpers- dreading the furiously inevitable storm of reply-all emails that would soon follow.

She cringed at the thought and even contemplated not sending, just doing it herself – maybe calling a few folks. But sifting through voicemails and missed calls lent itself to the same paralyzing fear that kept her hand from clicking the mouse to send at that very moment.

This bone-chilling tale is testament this Halloween to how SCARY it is NOT to use VolunteerSpot’s free online sign up sheets for your classroom!  From organizing class readers and math station helpers, to scheduling parents for class parties, teacher gifts, and recess - free parent scheduling software streamlines the coordination process and provides more time for real parent involvement!

Watch our Video Tour & Take a Demo Today!

 

School Community Night Ideas

Host A School Community or Family Fun Night!

Pump up parent participation and ignite involvement with school community nights that bring parents, students, teachers and staff together in an atmosphere of fun!  Providing avenues for connection outside of the classroom gives your school community an incomparable way to join together, share, bond, and learn new things about one another.

While “community nights” often serve as fundraisers (i.e. family barbeques, ice cream socials), think about budgeting for a free night of family engagement too, encouraging your school family to get together in the same building for a memorable and interactive experience.

Carissa’s Son with School Principal Ruth Krieger during Family Math Night.

10  Ideas for School Community Nights (or afternoons, or Saturdays for that matter!)

1. Family Math Night— What is a Family Math Night?! Think of it like a Math Party! Invite parents and kids to explore 8 different stations of games, each with 3 ability levels. Younger kids spend quality time with parents and older kids get to challenge each other. Plus 5^th and 6^th graders gain volunteer hours acting as game facilitators! Carissa’s school tested out a new kit from the popular Kidnexions Family Math Night company called Math Medley. “It was a huge hit and we can keep using much of the kit for future events!” —Carissa Rogers
   
   
2. Movie Night— With a little effort movie night can be a real ball! (Look into obtaining movie rights first).  Skip admission fees and borrow a carnival style popcorn maker; hand out water and popcorn for free, and charge for homemade treats. Keeping this simple will ensure a huge ‘family style’ turn out for your event!
   
   
3. Potluck Party — Organize families for a big ol’ family-style potluck dinner.  Host mini contests for “best desserts” and label each dish with the family name and ways to request the recipe. Or create a theme surrounding a whole grade’s history lesson that year; each family brings an item from one of 50 states for 5^th grade U.S. History year!
   
   
4. Family Read-A-Thon— Wear your bunny slippers and PJ’s! Gather book donations in advance of the event and end the night with a bang by allowing each student to choose and take home one book.  Reading stations and guest story-tellers help bring together school families and promote literacy.
   
   
5. Parents Only Workshops — Host guest lecturers or professors who can lead seminars on varying topics like: parenting, understanding what your child is learning, new education technology, helping struggling learners and homework best practices.
   
   
6. Bingo Night – Can’t beat the good time that some novelty bingo can provide!  Connect with sponsors to donate prizes for winners and provide light refreshments like cookies, coffee and water.
   
   
7. Family Fitness/Yoga Night – Provide health and wellness resources to your school community family while leading them in stress-relieving and deep breathing exercises that will benefit the whole family, parents and kids.
   
8. Keeping Art at Heart Night – Set up art stations that let kids get creative (and a little messy); bring families together to create works of art that help kids explore imaginatively and which can be sent home as keepsakes too!
   
   
9. Go Green Night – In addition to environmental awareness resources and eco ideas for the family, a Go Green night can include fun games like recycling relay, environmental jeopardy and even some mad scientist experiments!
   
   
10. School Appreciation Night – Set up for a night of appreciation where students (and parents) can create notes, cards and small gifts of appreciation not just for teachers and staff, but for local community leaders and public servants, i.e. the volunteer fire department, and for our troops abroad. Surprise the parent volunteers who regularly donate time with pre-made thank you notes ready to hand out!

Best Idea of All? Use VolunteerSpot's free online sign up sheets to encourage more parent volunteers and participation during your next School Community night! Coordinate parent volunteers and participants, and rely on automatic reminders to help everyone keep their commitments!

School Fundraising Ideas

6 Must-Read Tips for Every School Fundraiser

Is planning your school fundraiser causing you stress? The sheer size of it, the parent volunteers, the time it takes…it’s a lot to coordinate.  If you’re trembling at the thought of helping organize the school fundraiser this year, fear not!

Simplify  your School Fundraiser with these 6 Tips:

1.  Clear Goals & Objectives:  Let your goals and objectives define HOW you will raise money this year – how much money does your school need to raise, what is the budget for pulling off your fundraiser, and how many school families are willing to participate?  Community-building fundraisers like carnivals, walkathons and auctions are best when you have an abundance of parent volunteers.  If parents are scarce to volunteer but they’re willing to open their wallets in support of the school, pick a product fundraiser. Don’t forget, fundraising is not just about the money raised, but about cultivating and growing a community of parents who are dedicated supporting your school.  

2.  What Works: Maybe the same ol’ fundraiser doesn’t cut it with your parent community any more.   Are parents bored with your product choices or is it difficult to recruit volunteers for annual events like Walkathon or Carnival? You don’t know unless you ASK.  Conduct online surveys via email, your school’s website and Facebook to find out how parents and donors will be most compelled to give and participate.

3.  Something for Everyone:  Consider fundraisers that allow families to participate on different levels.  Tight budgets are a reality not just for schools but for families too – make giving possible for everyone by encouraging fundraising opportunities that more families can take part in and feel proud that they too have contributed. For example, if Auction tickets are $40, consider also selling raffle tickets at $10 each so more families can contribute. 

4.  Sell Your Case:  Before parents open their pocketbooks, they want to know where their money is going and how their contribution will improve the school community. Host a fun social activity (e.g. a picnic, ice cream social or bbq) to let them know WHY you’re raising money – i.e. to purchase new technology or to fund playground renovations.  Share images on Pinterest or on your parent organization web page with details and estimates.

5.  Boost Buzz with Social Media : Traditional posters, newsletters and emails should still be an important part of your publicity plan for the fundraiser. Get more amplification and dive into the 21^st century by adding parent advocates on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. TIP: See our tips on Supercharging your Fundraisers with Social Media!

6.  Easy Volunteer Coordination: It’s a stark reality that without volunteers, fundraisers just can’t happen.  Streamline the volunteer process with VolunteerSpot’s free online signup sheetsand ramp up parent involvement while building your community too!  Whether it’s for the huge carnival, the sales committee or the weekly concessions booth, VolunteerSpot boosts parent participation by making the sign up process more efficient (with automated reminders too)!

 

 

Our Favorite Articles about School Fundraising

Collect Contributions with VolunteerSpot

Raise More Money with Social Media

Best Carnival Games & Booths

10 School Auction Tips

Social Media Fundriasing Tips

Pinterest & Your School Auction

Fresh Product Fundraisers

Tips for Your Book Fair Fundraiser

Volunteer Management Software | Children's Hospital Benefit

Volunteer Spotlight: Amy Lutz, Colby and Cate's Charities, Inc., Carmel, Indiana

Colby & Cate's Charities Inc., is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children with critical illness and severe injuries requiring extensive treatment and/or rehabilitation. Colby & Cate's Charities is run solely by volunteers and funded by our generous sponsors and donors.

Today, our Volunteer Spotlight shines on Amy Lutz, founder of Colby and Cate's Charities, Inc. Amy uses VolunteerSpot to help coordinate volunteers for their annual benefit and carnival. 

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Please tell us about your event and it's purpose.

Ten years ago instead of throwing a one- year- old birthday party with needless gifts for our son we decided to try something that could benefit someone/something.  Our idea was have our guests bring gifts for our local children's hospital.  We are in our 10th year, and the event is run entirely by volunteers and sponsors. 

We have raised nearly $200,000 for Riley Hospital for Children here in Indianapolis.  This year, we raised $60,000 and secured a $15,000 grant to the hospital by Sallie Mae Financial.  We are the hospital's biggest one day private fundraiser.  We have room named after us in the new section of the hospital as well as at the Ronald McDonald house on the hospital campus.  Our event takes place at our home in Westfield, Indiana (about 20 miles north of Indy). 

This year we had an estimated 1,100 people coming throughout the day.  We have a kid friendly portion from 2-6 with a carnival-like atmosphere as well as Miss Indiana, Miss Teen Indiana, and several pro athletes from the Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers.  We also have 2 Colts Cheerleaders that lead a cheerleading mini-camp.  We wrap up the evening with dinner and an adult themed night complete with a live band, 3 comediennes, and a DJ.  We employed 32 volunteers through using Volunteerspot and will need even more next year as our day gets bigger every year.  Our second daughter was born during the second year of the event. 

Please tell us about your volunteer needs. 

I need volunteers throughout the day for carnival-like games, bounce house supervisions, applying fake tattoos, running different events, helping in the kitchen with caterers, trash,  and fill ins/substitutes etc...

Explain how you use VolunteerSpot to coordinate these volunteers.

I can make a list of each event, how many people I need and the job description. Volunteers can sign up based on their skill set or I can  place them later where I think they would shine.

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

Make sure that the job description is clear and that each volunteer knows what is expected such as times, job set, and who they will be working with. Make sure everything is set up ahead of time with printed instructions of what you expect and the job expectations.  Also, find someone to be the "supervisor".  Print off the spreadsheet/PDF on Volunteerspot and put it on a clip board.  Have the supervisor check in the volunteers, guide them to their appropriate locations and reassure the volunteers that they can contact the supervisor with questions or replacements should they need to use the bathroom, get a drink etc....

Always over staff.  It's better to have too many volunteers and than not enough.

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

First,  it was free....we are a non for profit. Second, it was easy to use.

I love the email reminders and being able to email volunteers their volunteer service hours forms.

Anything else you’d like our readers to know about your organization or volunteering?

Please know that most organizations depend solely on the volunteers.  Volunteering shouldn't be taken lightly.  Don't say you will volunteer for an event and not show up.   You put not only the organizer but the participants in a spot. Everyone wants a successful event and the volunteer is vital for that.

To learn more, visit   www.colbyandcate.org

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We salute Amy and all the other volunteer leaders out there making a difference. 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 [email protected].

Volunteer Opportunities

Doing GOOD never has to be hard! If you want to help out but don't know where to start, we have top resources for you - find volunteer opportunities based on your interest and location, it's easy!

1.  Food donations don't magically sort and organize themselves (though that'd be awesome!); lend a hand sorting, stacking and organizing at your local foodbank.  FeedingAmerica will help you out with their Food Bank Finder!

2.  VolunteerMatch and HandsOnNetwork provide entire databases of volunteer opportunities for you to search for by location and equips you with the tools and resources for doing good!

3.  ASPCA makes it easy to find a local animal shelter where you can have fun with some furry friends! Grooming, bathing, walking and simply showing animals some love truly makes a difference and is a family-friendly service idea too!

4.  Volunteer your skills and talents from home by connecting with online micro-volunteering platforms like Sparked.com and Koodoonation.com; from design to web expertise and even copy editing, your know-how can be put to good use for organizations around the world.

5.  Connect with your local Chamber of Commerce who can point you to non-profits in your town or city who have available volunteer opportunities.

6.  iVolunteer.org is a fab site to find and submit volunteer projects that are sure to spark the service-minded fire in you!

7.  Save time organizing volunteers for a project or program you are already in charge of with free online volunteer scheduling software! Online scheduling, sign ups and automated reminders make doing GOOD more efficient and saves time for the more meaningful work.

School Bus Safety | Parenting Monday

Don't Let Your Child Get Stuck in the Danger Zone

By David Ruben (This post originally appeared on Parenting.com)

Our school-bus fears usually focus on images of some horrible wreck. But children are most likely to get hurt during routine pickup and drop-off, when they're in the "danger zone"  -- the area inside a 10-foot radius around the bus, in which small children often become invisible to both the driver and approaching motorists. It's here that kids crossing the street are hit by motorists who illegally pass a stopped bus, or youngsters darting in front of, next to, behind, or even under the bus are inadvertently struck by their own driver. The following tips will help ensure your child's safety.

Safety Tips to Teach Your Kids

Wait for the bus on the sidewalk, not in the street.
While waiting, pay close attention and don't fool around with your friends.Wait until the bus has stopped and the door has opened before stepping off the curb. Always stay away from the wheels. Remember: Just because you can see the bus does not mean that the driver can see you.
While riding the bus, stay seated, face forward, keep the aisles clear, and keep your head and arms inside the vehicle. Always obey the driver's instructions.
Gather your belongings before you reach your school or stop. Use the handrail while exiting, and be careful of backpacks and other things that dangle.
When you get off, take five giant steps away from the bus, out of the danger zone.
Never run back to retrieve a forgotten item or to pick up something you've dropped near or under the bus.

How to Help Protect Your Child

Assure your child that you won't be upset if he doesn't retrieve a jacket or backpack left on the bus or schoolwork dropped under a wheel.
Remove or cut off loose drawstrings hanging from your child's clothing or coat. Check her backpack for key chains and other dangling objects that might get caught in a door or handrail.
Make a point of meeting your child's bus driver. Ask about emergency evacuation procedures and whether there's a fire extinguisher on board. Make sure your child carries a "contact in case of emergency" card with information about allergies and medications. (Even if the driver knows that information, a substitute may not.)
Urge your school to set up bus-safety education classes for kids, including at least two evacuation drills per year.
Consider organizing a local bus-safety program. Parents in Chappaqua, NY, working with their school district and bus company, fashioned a program that includes volunteer adult bus-stop monitors and year-round bus-safety education.
Arrive five minutes before the bus is supposed to get there. Many children are injured as they run to catch up with a moving school bus.
If your child has to meet the bus when it is dark or at dusk, have him wear bright or reflective clothing.

 

Post Courtesy of Parenting.com

Join Us at Big-Hearted Families

Tools, Tips, & Inspiration for a Lifelong Habit of Kindness

By: Sarah Aadland of Big Hearted Families

Parents’ concern for their children’s character is practically universal.  We hear accusations, or make them ourselves, about the entitled, spoiled, disrespectful, self-involved, and bullying nature of “kids today,” and immediately we scramble to unearth the best way of inoculating our own children from this trend.

Cast in the shadow of the vitriol and violence in today’s headlines, these depressing character trends make us more determined than ever to teach compassion and instill empathy while our children are young.

Emerging research makes it clear: compassion and empathy are skills like anything else. Check out this excellent summary of the science behind growing compassionate kids. As it turns out, kindness can be practiced. Acts of compassion can turn into habits that last a lifetime.

And if we start this effort young, our children will collectively make a difference today, even as they (and we) practice those skills that will make them (and us) compassionate citizens of the world.

Join us over at Big-Hearted Families, where you’ll find very specific, very doable ideas to turn your family time into a kindness practice. You can simultaneously

• make meaningful memories with your children,
• make a difference for someone in need, and
• teach kindness, compassion, and generosity.

I speak from experience. I stumbled upon Doing Good Together, the nonprofit behind Big-Hearted Families, long before the project was underway. My family has been one of the guinea pigs, testing projects and trying out conversation starters.

I share my family’s experiences with these tools each week on the Big-Hearted Blog.

My children are 7, 5, and 1, and with the obvious exception of the toddler, they have loved our Big-Heated Families activities. Some projects, like making cards for Hugs & Hope or picking up trash in the park, have become part of our regular routine.

Turning acts of kindness into everyday habits makes it so easy to keep my kids thinking about helping others and talking about big issues. Through Big-Hearted Families, I’ve learned that reflection is as important as action.

Even on the busiest weeks, there is always time for a conversation.

The reason for this new site is simple. We want to remove the obstacles to family service.  Big-Hearted Families offers something for everyone: any time commitment, budget, or interest area. Every family has something valuable to contribute; every family has something valuable to learn through acts of generosity.

Yes, we are all too busy. Yes, there is an infinite menu of exciting ways to spend family time together. And yes, it may feel a bit saccharine to dedicate a portion of your week to literally being a “do gooder.”

I promise, if you get started today, right now by putting one act of kindness on your calendar, you’ll be surprised by the result.

That feeling of connecting with your children, doing something meaningful together away from the whirlwind that is modern life, is incomparable. The good you will do for others and the important lessons you will learn along the way will simply be wonderful side-effects to the memories you create.

Next week on the Big-Hearted Families Blog: our top 5 picture book list on citizenship.

 

School Auction Ideas

5 Ideas for Holiday-Inspired School Auction Class Projects

 

By: Sherry Truhlar of RedAppleAuctions

Some school auctions – especially those schools with younger children – like to sell class projects at their gala.  These projects are made by the students with careful supervision by either a committed parent or art teacher. 

If your school gala is held in the November through December time period, talk with the supervising adult now to suggest that those class projects take on a holiday angle.  Testing out some wintry inspired items can add a nice mix to your existing auction items.

Watch Sherry's quick video auction tips or read them below!

 

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Class projects for school auctions can take on a holiday-theme this time of year, here are some ideas:

1.  Holiday tree ornaments

Ornaments can be made of glass, wood, paper, or other materials, depending on the age of the children.

For older kids, having them work with glass might be your best bet. Glass is always an excellent seller on the classroom art tables.  At one event, large glass spheres about 6” across made for beautiful holiday tree ornaments and fit in nicely with the season.

2.  Holiday cards

Year round, we sell handmade greeting cards in our school auctions.   But as the timing of your event is near the holidays, why not play to that?  Parents will soon be sending out holiday cards, so why not have the kids create inspired ones?

Cards can be designed and decorated by very young kids or older ones … the difference will be self-evident. :)

3.  Trees and wreaths

Trees and wreaths can be decorated by an entire class and sold at the auction. For trees, students can string the lights, make the ornaments, hang them on the tree, and even create the tree-topper.  It’s not uncommon to have a theme around the tree.  It might be that all the ornaments are blue, or – for Catholic schools – that the tree ties to a theme, like a particular Saint.

For wreaths, the concept is similar, but on a smaller scale.

If you find a company that sells wholesale wreaths, one option could be to commit to buying a certain number of wreaths (20, 30 or more), and have the students decorate them in a similar fashion. At the auction, parents sign-up to buy a wreath at a given price point ($50) that ensures the school makes money beyond what the wholesale cost of the wreath was.

4.  Decorated paper lanterns for the sidewalk

Paper lanterns aren’t such a great idea if you live where 3′ of snow is already on the ground by October, but depending on your latitude, this is a class art project that could work. I’ve seen paper lanterns used along the walkway to light the way for trick-or-treaters, or used during Christmas as a warm accent for the front yard.

5.  Platters

Like ornaments, platters can be made of different types of materials. Sticking with a theme — snowmen, Santa, religious icons — for a platter works best. Glass is a popular substance.

School auctions held around the holidays have the unique good-fortune of being able to play off the festive holidays. Bring the seasonal atmosphere into your gala by having the kids make items that remind guests of the upcoming holiday.

 

Fundraising auctioneer Sherry Truhlar, CMP, BAS, CAI is featured in national publications for her trend-setting work with auction fundraisers.  She teaches auction chairs easy ways to improve an auction’s financial return.  Start improving your auction today by getting her FREE Auction Item Guide TM.  The Guide lists the 100 top-selling items sold for over value in charity auctions.  Claim your FREE copy at http://www.RedAppleAuctions.com.

Fundraising Ideas

Boost Your Profits & Supercharge Your Fundraiser with Social Media

Social media is one of the fastest and most expansive ways to reach mutiple groups of people at once, and when it comes to fundraisers, this is huge!  Whether it's recruiting and thanking volunteers, reaching and securing potential donors, or connecting with sponsors - social media provides an incomparable resource for truly supercharging your fundraiser and boosting profits for your organization.

Supercharching Fundraisers with Social Media from VolunteerSpot

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Top Tips for Supercharging Your Fundraiser with Social Media:

1. Grow your community with social platforms like facebook and twitter and other online interaction, i.e. eNewsletters, blogs, community partners, website.

2.  Post online content that helps you connect with, share and inspire your community - everything from calling for volunteers to thanking sponsors, shouting out donors, and publicizing your big event.

3.  Create a social media plan of who will post what and when, on which channels and how you will measure its success. Incorporate social media all the way from a month before your event to calls to action on the day of your event.

4.  Use new media like Pinterest to promote your fundraiser - delegate to a social media team or chair person who can exponentially grow your reach through focused and targeted engagement.

5.  Social media with ongoing product fundraisers.  Share your school's product fundraiser on your school's facebook page, on twitter, on pinterest boards, you name it!

Quick VolunteerSpot Tips

What you didn’t know about VolunteerSpot…

A big thanks to our community who took the time to answer our fall survey.  We had fun learning about all the wonderful ways you're using VolunteerSpot. You've got great things to say about us such as, “Wonderful Site!”, “Awesome!”, “Love it!!”, and “Wow - it was such a time saver".

We also learned there were features on your wish list that we ALREADY offered...but had not done a good job of sharing.   We’re working on doing a better job of informing you, starting with Quick Tip and overview videos available soon on your MySpot page.

Here are the top 10 (click the underlined words to view the corresponding Help article):

For Volunteers & Parents:

• Volunteers NEVER need to register an account or keep a password. GET NEW LINKS to any activity with our Sign Up Sheet Finder.

• SYNC your assignments to any electronic calendar (ical, Outlook, Cozi, etc.)

• SMARTPHONE users access our mobile website automatically when signing up

For Organizers:

• Quickly COPY plans to new dates

• Quickly DUPLICATE an activity to a new activity (e.g. from last year to this year)

• SEND MESSAGES, Alerts and THANK YOU Notes to volunteers - choose by date, signup status, or volunteer name

• Organizers choose if volunteers can SEE WHO ELSE SIGNED UP
  

• PRINT sign in sheets and rosters, as well as document and spreadsheet schedules

• GROUP SIGNUPS  in-person with VolunteerSpot Clipboard for iPad

• Make ASSIGNMENTS from a paper signup sheet or for volunteers without email

• COLLECT CONTRIBUTIONS: Easily collect money and donations for your group or cause (okay, that’s 11 - but it’s important)

To learn about these and other features, please click Help at the top of the website and search for answers to our frequently asked questions.  Don't see what you're looking for?  Please click the green Contact button in Help to send us a note with your wish list and questions.

 

 

 

 

> Don't Miss our Tour and Quick Tips Videos <

 

THANKS for doing GOOD!

 

Volunteer Management Software | World Orphans

VolunteerSpotlight: Bailey Kalvelage, Director of Mobilization, World Orphans

 There are an estimated 153,000,000 orphans worldwide. Some of these orphans have lost one parent, some both, and some are "virtual" orphans that have been turned out onto the streets by their families, but all are vulnerable and in need of help. Without assistance these orphans continue in the cycle of poverty, HIV/AIDS, trafficking, prostitution and slavery that haunts developing countries.  World Orphans  helps to break this cycle, put a child back in a family, and put him or her on the road to success.

Today, our spotlight shines on Bailey Kelvelage, Director of Mobilzation for World Orphans. Bailey uses VolunteerSpot's online signup sheets to organize prayer sessions amongst their volunteers.

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Please tell us about your organization.

World Orphans is committed to rescuing orphaned and abandoned children, strengthening the local church, and impacting communities with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through church-based, family-focused programs. 

Our goal as staff and volunteers is to help equip international churches to care for children mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Explain how you use VolunteerSpot to coordinate these volunteers.

This year World Orphans decided to unite as a staff and pray for our ministry. We needed an online program to help organize time slots for prayer and allow each individual to sign-up for participation. VolunteerSpot has provided an efficient and simple way to not only create time slots, but to also clearly communicate objectives and prayer needs within each time slot and amongst the group. 

Through the user-friendly set-up process, we were able to organize the day and create a link for staff to access the event, all within minutes. In addition, the reports and sign-in process made it fast and easy to measure group participation. VolunteerSpot made uniting together as a team to pray simple and enjoyable!

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

One key feature of VolunteerSpot is that it allows participants to sign-up for an event without committing to their own account. This helps in two ways: It allows the event organizer to access names, emails, and other details about participants after they sign-up, but it doesn’t scare participants away from signing up and entering their information.

Anything else you’d like our readers to know about your organization or volunteering?

If you have a heart to help orphaned and abandoned children, get involved with World Orphans today! Become a Rescue Partner and actively engage in orphan care around the world. Each person can make a difference in the life of a child. Rescue an orphan. Change the world. Please visit www.worldorphans.org to get involved!

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We salute Bailey and all the other volunteer leaders out there making a difference. 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 [email protected].
 

Time-Saving Apps for Busy Moms

Apps for Fall that Save Moms Time and Money (and Stress)!

With school in full swing and Fall officially upon us, schedules seem to explode with appointments, extra curriculurs, planning upcoming family events, work and signing up for the parent teacher conference - the family ‘juggle’ is back to high-speed.   These must-have mobile Apps help keep families organized and on track, saving time and money, even on the go!

 Clipboard by VolunteerSpot –  Fall time at school is sign-up time – in any number of gatherings, clipboards are being passed around and parents are signing up for school volunteer jobs, teacher conferences, to bring team snacks, volunteer at the fall carnival, and more! Signup sheets are often illegible or lost, and too often parents forget what they signed up for.  In some groups, this process happens with long ‘reply-all’ email chains. Sound familiar?

Forget the nonsense and start signing up with Clipboard by VolunteerSpot.  This new app turns your iPad into a familiar clipboard sign up sheet – powered by VolunteerSpot’s powerful coordination engine so parents  receive automatic confirmation and reminder messages and the schedule is always current in real-time on VolunteerSpot.com.  Never forget when it’s your turn to read to the class or bring snack again!

RetailMeNot - Don’t miss another deal when you shop online for your kids this season - as cold weather clothes become a must and the holidays peek at us from around the corner.  The RetailMeNot app for iPhone and iPad lets you quickly search for coupon codes for the online retailers you love.  Any member of the community can rate offers and add new codes – bringing sharing a deal to a whole new level.  Save time clipping coupons, save gas driving to and from stores, and save money to stay on your family budget!

Food on the Table– Get inspired this season with warm, filling and delicious fall recipes and food lists!  Easily create a weekly meal plan for your family using chef-approved recipes that everyone will like, then find the best deals at your local grocers with a grocery list organized by category. Food on the Table for iPhone and iPad gets you in and out of the store quickly, with huge savings!

 

Cozi Family Organizer – Don’t gasp at your family schedule now kids are back in school; organize it instead with Cozi’s online family organizer.  Set up and share your family calendar, manage to-do and shopping lists, keep notes, set reminders and alerts, and more!  Cozi’s app for iPhone and iPad saves you time, stress and helps keep your family on track!

 

 

GroupMe – Hate the car pool? Have a last minute change in afterschool plans and no time to call everyone involved?  Quickly send group messages to the people already in your contacts. GroupMe is great for organizing parents in your carpool, Scout troop, soccer team, fundraising committee, etc.  If your kids are wired, GroupMe becomes a simple family communication tool. When you send a message, everyone instantly receives it – it’s like a private chat room that works on any phone.  You can also send and receive messages using your data connection, so kids with iPod touches can join in on the conversation.

Bonus:  Download Famigo and get your hands on some of the hottest apps for kids, reviewed just for you!  Keep lil’ brother & sister busy while you wait the carpool line with fun, educational games they can play right from your smartphone.  Famigo Sandbox for Android lets you pass-back your smartphone and relax -- childproofing your phone in one click by locking out your “grown up” features such as calling, texting, and browsing.

Parent Teacher Relationships | Parenting Monday

How to Build a Good Parent-Teacher Relationship

By Deborah Skolnik and Lyssa Sahadevan (This post originally appeared on Parenting.com)

Want to know how to build a good parent-teacher relationship? We share teachers' top pet peeves, how to score brownie points with teachers and more

Avoid these teacher pet peeves:

Chances are they'll be too nice to tell you this stuff to your face, so read it—and don't do it!

1. Not knowing the school's discipline policies, and then getting upset if they're different from yours. If the teacher uses time-outs, and you protest because you don't like them, your child will be very confused. When choosing your child's school, make sure its philosophies match your own, or that you can at least respect them.

2. Pressuring your child not to mess up or misplace her clothes. “It makes me feel bad when a child gets nervous about outdoor recess, and says, ‘My mom told me I can't lose another pair of mittens,’” says preschool teacher Lisa Andersen. “Most centers offer kids their own cubby and box. If you can, buy extra hats and gloves and leave them there.”

3. Trying to discuss a problem during dropoff or pick-up. Your child's teacher is busy saying hi and goodbye to a whole bunch of kids and parents. And if you want to discuss a subject that isn't appropriate to talk about in front of your child, he could pick up on it, even if he seems to be busy playing or talking to his friends.

4. Being late for Circle Time. Many preschools start the day by gathering all the children in a circle to do things like discuss the weather, and also to preview the schedule of the day's events. It's a crucial part of the routine, and if your child misses it, she might feel a little lost, especially if she's the only one who isn't clued in.

 

How to score brownie points with the teacher:

1. Share your child's special interests during any tours or visits you make. That way, the guide can steer your kiddo toward the parts of the classroom that will appeal to her the most.

2. Label what kind of sandwich you've packed, if it isn't obvious. “We have a no-peanuts rule, and if you've used another nut butter or sunflower butter instead, it'll save us a call home to double-check,” explains preschool teacher Sarah Connor.

3. Let your child know each morning who will be picking her up at the end of the school day. It will keep your kid from feeling anxious that no one will show up.

4. Check the spare clothes in your child's cubby every couple of weeks to make sure they're still right for the season and your child hasn't outgrown them.

What your kid's teacher wants you to do at home:

What are the most important things you can do to help your kid do well in school? Behold, a teacher's ultimate wish list…

1. Ask Specific Qs Swap “Did you have a good day?” for more detailed and specific questions, such as “What have you been doing in math?” and “Who sits at your table?” These conversation-starter queries will give you a better glimpse into her world, as well as help her gain the social skills she needs for school.
2. Play Games Kids spend so much time using technology that the basics of playing fair and taking turns are often going by the wayside—hence more frustration and tears in the schoolyard. Pull out your classic board games or play rock, paper, scissors to teach fundamental game-playing skills and rules.
3. Stop Trying to Wipe Shoes and Noses She can do it! Maybe not the first time, but hang in there and be consistent. The task will require your guidance initially, but slowly remove yourself from the situation. Her sense of independence may even rub off on her classmates. Your kid, the trendsetter!
4. Read What the Teacher Sends Home Take time every day to check your child's backpack for permission slips, class newsletters, and the like. It'll help you know what's going on at school and help her be prepared. Neither one of you will be happy if, say, you forget it's school picture day!

 

Related Articles:

10 Best Educational Websites for Kids (that are free!)

How to Make the Most of Parent Teacher Conferences

We Need to Talk: Parent Teacer Communication

Post Courtesy of Parenting.com

"Fall"unteering

10 Ideas for Giving Back this Fall Season

"Fall" into service this season with these 10 creative ideas for acts of kindness, giving back, and doing good!

1.  Surprise your child’s teacher, coach or scout leader with apple cider or a pumpkin spice latte!

2.  Rake a neighbor’s leaves unbeknownst to them and leave a carved pumpkin on their doorstep.

3.  Planning on pumpkins for October anyways? Attend a local organization’s pumpkin patch fundraiser and help them raise money for their cause.

4.  Volunteer at the school’s fall carnival or festival! Free online sign up sheets help coordinate parents and volunteers for game booths, concession stands, ticket sales, you name it!

5.  Begin collecting gently used coats, scarves and gloves to donate as the seasonal chill sets in.

6.  Stay warm in doors and donate your talents and skills to micro-volunteering sites like Sparked.com and Koodoonation.com.

7.  Planning the weekly menu? Make extra soup or chili and deliver to a new mom, elderly neighbor, or friend in need.

8.  Incorporate a few extras into your Halloween candy shopping and fix small treat bags for the local children's center or kids community program.

9.  Spread awareness! October is Domestic Violence and Breast Cancer awareness month, among others. Do your part in spreading awareness and fighting for a cause.

10.  Get out and do GOOD with your family! Our free eBook is full of friendly, family service ideas!

 

Family Friendly Volunteering: Service Project Ideas from A-Z from VolunteerSpot

School Carnivals

Thank Goodness for Wristbands

October means "fall" is truly upon us and for many schools and communities, it's carnival, festival and fair time! Michelle Price of Honest and Truly! details a heart-felt and helpful tale of organizing the school carnival while still enjoying it with the family.  Catch an excerpt of her post below and find the whole piece on her site.

The wee ones' school does a Carnival each year as its major fundraiser.  And yes, in this case, it's big enough that Carnival is capitalized.  It takes over 400 volunteers to put it together and run it, and it's a blast.  The wee ones love when I'm volunteering not only because it means they get to run around everywhere but also because they get no homework passes for each shift I volunteer.

The best part about those passes?  They love getting the passes.  In three years, I've yet to actually have them remember to use them.  It's a great incentive all around.

Our Carnival is huge, and everyone loves it.  It is a great community builder where you see absolutely everyone there.  And yes, this year, I even saw my chiropractor.  Everyone is there, not just kids from the school.  There are games and rides and food and everything you could want from the midway of a real fair.

The first year I went, we bought tickets by the sheet.  I went back to buy more tickets only a few times before my wallet was exhausted.  I think we lasted an hour.  Wow those tickets go fast.  The wee ones had fun, but it was a much shorter day than I'd anticipated.

Don't miss Michelle's entire post!
 

Win $250 in carnival games and prizes for your school’s big fall event from
VolunteerSpot and Carnival Savers! Ends 10/4. Enter Today!