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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

 

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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 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!

 

I Support My School My Way | Roll Call

Looking forward to all these voices!

We're celebrating parent participation in schools by bringing you fabulous bloggers and parents sharing their own personal stories.

From uber-volunteering PTA leaders and room moms to those parents who run from uber-volunteering PTA leaders and room moms, to parents who prefer to write a check, to parents who help in the classroom or school carnival when needed. EVERYONE counts! And everyone is needed. Sometimes simply feeding your kid a healthy breakfast and getting him or her to school on time is exactly the support your child's teacher needs. However you support your school, Be Proud!

Stay tuned for inspiring, hilarious, and heart-warming views from these great contributors:

Week ONE

Shara: MommyPerks.com @MommyPerks

Dwan: MommaDJane.com @MommaDJane

Rachel: ASouthernFairyTale.com @SthrnFairyTale

Aimee: GreebleMonkey.com @GreebleMonkey

Danielle: ExtraordinaryMommy.com, @DanielleSmithTV

Angie: SevenClownCircus.com, @7clownCircus

Julie: Leelou-Blogs.com, @LeelouBlogs

Week TWO

Amy: TeachMama.com, @TeachMama

Myrdin: Roots and Wings, @PTAPeep

Mel: MelADramaticMommy.com @ADramaticMommy

Cecily: UpperCaseWoman.com, @CecilyK

Sarah: SarahAuerswald.com, @SAuerswald

Stacey: TreeRootandTwig.com, @StaceyNerdin

Wendi: WendiAarons.com, @WendiAarons, @MouthyHousewives

Week THREE

Pauline: ClassyChaos.com, @OhMommy

Frederick: MochaDad.com, @MochaDad

Andrea: SavvySassyMoms.com, @savvysassymoms

Mariana: TheDomesticBuzz.com, @OhMariana

Jill: MusingsFromMe.com, @MusingsFromMe

Barb: BeTweenTalk.com, @Chaotic_Barb

Kelli: ParentingSquad.com, @ParentingSquad

Lela: AfterTheBubbly.com, @LelaDavidson

Week FOUR

Lolli: 5MinutesforMom.com, @5MinutesforMom, @1Momof5

April: TheMentalClutterCoach.com, @Mental_Clutter

LoraLee: LoraleesLooneyTunes.com, @LooneyTunes 

Whitney: MommiesWithStyle.com, @WhitneyMWS

Julie: AngryJulieMonday.com, @AngryJulie 

Melissa: ImaginationSoup.com, @ImaginationSoup

Kristin: ZiggityZoom.com, @mommie911, @ziggityzoom

Lorraine: RunWifeyRun.com, @AskWifey

Ponn: AmericanMuslimMom.com, @PonnSabra

Cindy: MildlyManicMom.com, @MildlyManicMom

 

 

   Enter Now

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

 

Back-to-School Sweepstakes!

I Support My School…My Way!

It’s officially back-to-school season, and we’re celebrating parental involvement with some of our favorite bloggers and a Back-to-School Sweepstakes! 

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

Parent participation in school is more important this year than ever before. School budget cuts across the nation mean our teachers and our schools need our help… in the classroom, on campus, and supporting arts programs and fundraisers. We know that how you choose to support your school is a very personal decision – and one that every family must make that fits with your family demands, work life, budget and personal interests.  

What’s important is that you DO participate!

The next few weeks will bring several exciting guests sharing their personal perspectives on parental involvement and celebrating  many different school involvement choices. 

You’ll meet serial PTA leaders, one-time room moms, parents who volunteer at a fundraiser here or there, parents who run from PTA moms, and parents who support their schools by making sure their kids are well-fed and ready to learn each day.  

We’d love to hear how you’re planning to support your school this year! Please tell us on our Facebook wall, or by clicking ‘comments’ below.

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*Special thanks to our Sweepstakes sponsor, PackAdemics: making school supply shopping stress and hassle free! Order online, shipped to your door in one simple PACK, easy! 

Please enter today for a chance to win $500 in school supplies for your favorite school! {And tell your teachers and friends – the more entries from your school community, the more chances to win for your school!}

View Sweepstakes Official Rules

8 Reasons Why Parents should be Involved at School | Teacher Tuesday

Today is Teacher Tuesday! Please welcome Joan Young, sharing reasons for why every parent should be involved in their children's education. Thanks Joan!

Why Parent Involvement is Key

 By Joan Young

There is a great deal of research and media attention given to the question:

What makes a student successful?

Parent involvement is cited often as a key ingredient to a thriving school community.

As a teacher, I often hear peers talk about needing more or less of it.  As a parent, I listen to other parents who want to help, but don’t know how.  Depending on your school community, parent involvement can look very different: parents volunteering in classrooms, taking prep work home, popping in for school events, and/or maintaining regular communication via email, notes, or face to face meetings.

Here are 8 factors to consider about parent involvement:

1) Your children need to know we are on the same team. 

Often children come home with stories that place blame externally. If you jump on the opportunity to blame the teacher or the school, you can miss out on the important other side of the story. When kids know that we communicate, they will be more apt to ask for help instead of blaming. Also, when we communicate often, we can use the same language of encouragement.

2) We are with your child a good portion of the day.

We have information that is important to you and can help you address your child’s needs both educational and otherwise.

3) Together we have power. 

When up against the beauracracy of a school system that often makes decisions not in the best interest of a child, we can work together to exert the pressure for officials to make the right decisions. I have worked together with many parents to help them advocate for services for their child.

4) We need mutual trust.

Just as you may have had prior experiences with teachers, we have had challenging encounters with parents. Open communication builds trust.

5) When you participate in school events, you get to see a different side of your child.

Perhaps you have never realized the leadership skills your child possesses. Conversely, maybe you are not seeing the difficulties your child is facing socially.

6) Our worlds impact each other. 

Your child’s life outside of school influences his/her home life.  We need to be sharing solutions and challenges that impact your child’s educational success.

7) If we don’t have input from you, we make assumptions.

Not purposely, of course. We fill in the gaps of information by what we think we know. Maybe you have a very good reason why your child is late 3 times a week. Help us out so we can help you!

8) Together we can put pieces of your child’s learning into a puzzle that makes sense.

When you give us the history/background of problems and solutions with your child, we save a lot of time in choosing interventions.

So how do you get involved? Begin by observing the patterns at your school. What are common practices for parent involvement? Knowing the way communication is usually handled or how parents are welcomed into the classroom is key.

What if you want to make change? You can, of course, get involved in the Parent Teacher Association or other mechanism of action in your school. By respecting and knowing about the practices already in place, you will have a much better chance to connect with others who may also want to make positive change in your school.

If you’re yearning to read more check out Education World’s series on parent involvement. Don’t sit back and be an observer: jump in and be a part of your school community!

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Joan Young teaches 4th grade after having taught kindergarten/1st grade for many years. She teaches in northern California in the San Francisco Bay area. She has a M.A. in Clinical Psychology and is passionate about helping kids discover their strengths and become excited about learning. She is the author of Scholastic’s 25 Super Sight Word Songs and Mini Books.  You can follow her on Twitter as @flourishingkids or read her blog.

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• 8 Things Your Child's Teacher Would Love You to Know by Pernille Ripp
• How to Cultivate a Powerful Student - Teacher - Family Relationship by Suzy Brooks
• 5 Ways to Connect with your Children through Technology by Lisa Nielsen