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Fall Carnival Sign-Ups

Organizing Fall Carnival & Festival Volunteers

The critical ingredient for a successful fall festival or carnival is hands down volunteer support. From set-up to take down, ticket sales to concessions and staffing all the carnival booths and games, school and church carnival volunteers are a MUST for pulling off such a big event. So what if instead of a crumpled note sent home in a child's backpack, your carnival volunteer sign-up looked like this:

Fall Carnival Sign-Up

 

It's so EASY to boost parent involvement and save time this year with free online carnival sign-up sheets with reminders. Volunteer coordinators, carnival chairs, and school staff can quickly set up a schedule of fall carnival volunteer needs - intuitive scheduling tools plus Auto-Fill and Quick List Builder features make it a snap. Bonus: Organizers can even add custom fall themes and the school logo to the sign-up!

Parents click the sign-up link wherever the school posts it (on the volunteer webpage, in an eNewsletter, on social media, etc), and sign up from their computer or smartphone anytime, anywhere. No password needed!

Halloween Carnival

Spend more time on the FUN stuff like building carnival games and decorations, planning new and interesting food stations and getting the word out - and LESS time organizing and reminding volunteers. VolunteerSpot captures all the volunteer information for you, updates the schedule real-time, and eCalendar sync and automated reminders keep everyone on track! Start Planning

 

Also see:

The BEST Fall Carnival Game & Booth Ideas

DIY Carnival Decorations

6 Fun Carnival Food Station Ideas

Posted at 03:45 AM in Fundraising Ideas, Sign Up Sheet Saturdays, Volunteering at School | Permalink

Tags: carnival volunteer sign ups, fall carnival sign up sheets, fall carnival sign ups, fall festival sign up, festival volunteer sign ups, free online sign ups, organizing fall festival volunteers

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5 School Store Tips

School Store Sign-Ups & Best Practices

Pump up your school store this year with time-saving & creative ideas like these:

Organize volunteers

Forget the hassle of manually organizing school store volunteers with paper sign-up sheets and 'reply-all' emails! Quick sign-up and manage all your school store helpers with free online sign-ups and scheduling tools from VolunteerSpot. 

School Store Volunteer Sign-Up (Volunteer Mobile View)

School Store Sign-Up Mobile

School parents can sign up for shifts at anytime, from anywhere, on any device! eCalendar syncing and automated email reminders keep everyone on track. Get started

Choose Merchandise

Stock up early and often for those school store goodies that go fast like traditional basics including pencils, erasers, and notebooks. Consult teachers as well, as they have their finger on the pulse of what school stuffs students love to use in the classroom. And schedule regular inventory checks by parent volunteers too to keep a sustainable and transparent profit margin.

Publicize

Tell your school community about the school store both online and off. Post hours and merchandise options on your school’s website, in eNewsletters and on social media. Also put up posters and signs within the school itself to draw attention from parents, staff and students walking the halls.

Include Students

Integrate student rewards and volunteer opportunities into how your school store runs throughout the year! Kids will love seeing their friends behind the booth and can bring an uplifting energy to operations. Encourage teachers to hand out coupons for free school store items for top grades or the chance to volunteer there for an afternoon.

Add Specials

Advertise special deals or new merchandise on the morning announcements. Make sure to stock up on spirit wear before pep rallies, and include limited quanitities of novelty and holiday-themed items throughout the year that students will want to get their hands on, i.e. Halloween pencil toppers, school t-ishirts, etc.

Posted at 04:10 AM in Back-to-School, Volunteering at School | Permalink

Tags: best school store practices, how to open a school store, how to run a school store, school store mercy ideas, school store tips, school store tips

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6 Unique Teacher Appreciation Ideas

Teacher Appreciation Events That Rock!

 Get creative this Teacher Appreciation Week and pull off a 'thank you' your teachers will never forget! 

Snack Cart via FlipMyCenter

Stock up a roll cart with goodies and beverages for teachers to grab from during the week!

Snack Cart Teacher Appreciation

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Teacher Appreciation Day Food Truck via Bridge School, MA

Work out a pit stop at your school for a favored coffee or breakfast taco food truck!

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Appreciation Station via Pinterest

Host a thank you card writing station where students can share their appreciation!

Appreciation Station

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Teacher Appreciation Photo Booth via Scrapaholics

Set up a FUN photo booth with props, signs and more!

Seuss_teacher_appreciation_door

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Teacher Cookie Exchange via AndBabiesMakeFour

Have parent volunteers donate a variety of cookies and set up a shopping station for teachers in the lounge!

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Teacher Appreciation Carnival via Pinterest

Simple carnival games, food stations and themed gifts make for a memorable event!

Carnival or circus theme party.

 

Also see:

5 Teacher Appreciation Resources

Teacher Appreciation Lunch Themes

Free eBook: Teacher Gift Ideas

Posted at 03:30 AM in Classroom Activities & Party Ideas, Volunteering at School | Permalink

Tags: appreciation station, teacher appreciation events, teacher appreciation ideas, teacher appreciation week

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Teacher Appreciation Ideas

5 Teacher Appreciation Resources

Teacher Appreciation Week is just around the corner - is your school ready? Plan ahead with these 5 fun resources!

1. Free Webinar: Join the free VolunteerSpot Teacher Appreciation webinar >

Top Teacher Appreciation Tips & Tidbits
~ Fri. 4/10/15 at 12p ET ~

Click here to reserve your free spot!

Join us for a fun webinar and learn how to simplify Teacher Appreciation Week planning, how to find fresh teacher celebration ideas, and how to get more school parents involved in the week’s festivities! 

2. Join VolunteerSpot on Pinterest: Follow our Teacher Appreciation and Teacher Gift Idea Boards on Pinterest! Quickly find unique and fresh teacher gift ideas, free printables, and more! Follow us today

Teacher Appreciation Ideas

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3. Coordinate Help Online: Use VolunteerSpot to coordinate Teacher Appreciation luncheons and potlucks! Quickly schedule what needs to be brought for the lunch and where you need parent volunteers; invite parents to sign up 24/7 from their computer or smartphone, and rely on eCalendar syncing and automated reminders to keep everyone on track! Get started

Teacher-Appreciation-Signup

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4. Choose a Theme: Themes are the best way to incorporate creativity and get more parents involved with your Teacher Appreciation week events. We love this Picnic theme from Sand Lake Elementary PTA in Florida! More ideas here

Teacher Appreciation Picnic

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5. Plan a Group Gift: Now is the time to get class parents in on a group gift your teacher will never forget! From spa items, to movie night goodies, fun cooking and gardening knick knacks, you name it - a great theme, input from lots of class families and tons of love will make this teacher gift rock! Check out 10 Teacher Gift Basket Ideas here

Posted at 04:05 PM in Classroom Activities & Party Ideas, Volunteering at School | Permalink

Tags: teacher appreciation events, teacher appreciation webinar, teacher appreciation week, teacher appreciation week 2015, teacher appreciation week ideas, teacher gift ideas

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VolunteerSpotlight | PTO Volunteer Scheduling

Cheers to Kathy McCommons, Ellwood City Elementary PTO President, Ellwood City, PA

Volunteerspot pictureParent Teacher Organization (PTO) committee members understand the ins and outs of volunteering and convincing their peers to do the same more than anyone.

This week’s spotlight celebrates Ellwood City Elementary PTO President, Kathy McCommons. She represents P.I.E.C.E. (Parents in Ellwood City Elementary), embodying their motto ECE PTO: Building a strong school community one piece at a time. From coordinating schedules to overseeing students, Kathy gives us an insight to her day-to-day responsibilities and reveals how VolunteerSpot acts as her sidekick through it all. 

Please tell us about your role as a parent volunteer leader. 

This is the third year that I was elected as the Ellwood City Elementary (ECE) PTO President. As ECE PTO President, I oversee just fewer than 1,000 students and three schools. 

I am fortunate to work with very supportive principals and teachers, amazing custodians who always put a smile on their face (even in the middle of our PTO messes), the best secretaries who answer countless PTO questions and allow me to interrupt them daily with PTO-related issues, a wonderful PTO executive board that makes fair, hard decisions to improve our schools, and 20 hard-working committees with great chairs and vice chairs.

We have some truly amazing, selfless volunteers who work hard to help make our schools better; I am humbled by these people!

How do you use VolunteerSpot to coordinate parent volunteers?

VolunteerSpot has been an essential component to our new PTO. It allows us to organize, schedule and maintain all of our PTO activities in one easy-to-use format. We use it for 100% of our PTO activities.

We have 20 committees monitoring three schools; without VolunteerSpot, it would take hours and hours to schedule and coordinate the needed help. VolunteerSpot dramatically cuts that time down and makes running our large PTO manageable.

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

I spent many hours looking and researching the best ways to organize a large group effectively.  I stumbled upon VolunteerSpot one day; it was love at first sight!  

One major concern was how to communicate, schedule and effectively organize three different schools.  We wanted to establish a fair, friendly and consistent organization.  [With VolunteerSpot] everyone who wants to help can take the initiative and sign up for the activities that best suit their schedules and interests. We offer more than 250 volunteer options typically in one month. In addition, we have before, during and after school opportunities to meet mostly everyone’s schedule. 

VolunteerSpot removes the possibilities of the dreaded PTO “clique.” With the online signup, parents are the ones selecting and choosing when and where to help.  It is wonderful and has expanded our PTO - those that want to help will.

What are some additional activities you’re involved in?

Although being PTO President takes up most of my volunteer time, I am also a Sunday School teacher and serve on the Steering Committee for the school district.  All of my other time is spent being a mom of three little ladies. 

Prior to becoming a mom, I was a full-time teacher. Through my own experiences as a teacher, I gained an understanding of the rigors of being a teacher and try to lead the PTO in a way to support not just the students but also the teachers.

What is one piece of advice for parent volunteers?

There is a big need for volunteerism, please find something that interests you and give it a try! 

We salute Kathy and all the other PTO leaders out there working hard to give our children the best school year possible.  Check out how VolunteerSpot’s PTO Volunteer Software can save you time and stress and boost parent involvement in your school. Take a tour today!

Posted at 03:30 AM in Volunteering at School, VolunteerSpotlight: Leaders in Action | Permalink

Tags: PTA, PTO, school management software, school volunteer software

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5 Ways to Celebrate the Arts in Your School

How to Support the Arts in School

“Creativity is contagious, pass it on” – Albert Einstein

Ignite creativity and watch it catch like wildfire at your school with successful arts programs & celebrations that showcase students' imagination and get parents involved at the same time. Check out 5 easy ways to celebrate the arts at your school this year below:

2014Banner300by6001. Start a Square 1 Art Fundraiser: Preserve student artwork with beautiful, unique products parents will cherish - AND raise money for your school at the same time! It's easy to boost fundraiser profits this year and celebrate the hard and creative work of students with a Square 1 Art fundraiser; parents can order products like mugs, cookie plates, key chains, and more, with their child's artwork on them and schools cut a profit. Get started now

Related: A School Fundraiser That Turns Artwork into Keepsakes

2. Host a talent or variety show: It's fun to get the WHOLE school community in on sharing their special artistic talents and it's so easy with a community-wide talent or variety show. Find your most gregarious staff member to emcee the nigh, sell tickets and raise extra money with a concession stand. Include a variety of acts that involve not just the kids, but parents and teachers too! Check out our free eBook on pulling off successful talent shows, click here <link>

3. Involve More Parents: When more parents are involved in celebrating the art, it becomes a bigger priority and offering at the school. It's easy to garner more participation in a faster, easier way by streamlining signups and volunteer scheduling with VolunteerSpot! Free online signups with 24/7 mobile access make it easy for parents to commit to helping, and automated reminders keep everyone on track! Get started now 

Related: How to Coordinate an Online Volunteer Calendar, Fast!


4. Add An Art Walk to Your Festival or Carnival:
A simple art walk with walls covered in student work, paintings and projects is a great addition to any school community event, be it a fair, carnival or festival. Tile Wall Fundraisers from Square 1 Art are perfect for raising money and preserving the legacy of student artwork at your school. Learn more

5. Add Artists to Classroom Enrichment Lessons: How neat would it be for a classroom of students to watch a real potter at work? What about a painter? A dulcimer player? Encourage teachers and room parents to connect with class parents and find out if there are any hidden talents or connections with local community artists that might be shared for enrichment lessons in the classroom. Bonus tip: Be smart and incorporate a Square 1 Art fundraiser into supporting school budgets that are dedicated to celebrating the arts and bringing artists, performers, and cultural experts into the classroom!

Not only do you create life-long memories for kids with creative and unique arts programs like these, but you inspire them to know that the arts, in whatever form it may take in their lives, is special, real, and worth pursuing.

Posted at 03:30 AM in Back-to-School, Fundraising Ideas, Volunteering at School | Permalink

Tags: arts education, arts in education, celebrating the arts in school, square 1 art, square 1 art fundraiser, supporting the arts in school

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Caring for All Kinds of Learners Part 1:

What Exactly IS Inclusion?

From: Teaching2gether

"There are many ways to define and sustain an inclusive culture where all students feel that they are accepted and supported as an essential part of the classroom and school community, and where all [adults] share the responsibility for making that happen."

-  Sara Stone, Co-Director of Community Roots Charter School in Brooklyn, NY

Inclusive ClassroomInclusion is growing in prevalence and popularity across the country, and a successful inclusion classroom requires that all adults, especially parents, be informed and on board.  According to its most basic and well-known definition, Inclusive Education is the practice of supporting students with disabilities full-time in their chronologically age-appropriate general education classroom.  The key word there is “supporting”.  Specifically, all students, especially those with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), are given whatever what they need as designated by those IEPs in order to achieve high standards and succeed as learners as alongside their peers and within the context of the general curriculum. 

Furthermore, to be included in the general education classroom is considered a Special Education setting, but the Special Education services are met within that classroom setting.  Special Education settings lie on a continuum from the most to the least restrictive (restrictive indicating distance between the setting and the general education classroom) and are recommended according to several factors, including the child’s present performance and specific implications of the disability.  Meaning, it all depends on what’s best for the student, and some disabilities might be more visible than others. 

So, what does this mean for room parents?  At Teaching2gether, we also think inclusion describes a certain classroom culture, and that a commitment to inclusion is essential for every stakeholder in the classroom. This type of classroom requires high levels of support, and this is best done as a community effort.

IStock_000019101824XSmall(1)
As the summer winds down and the school year approaches, we encourage parents, especially room parents and class volunteers, to ask your teachers the following questions. By asking these questions, you’ll be able to better organize events and support teachers, students, and families:

     - What are some specific measures I can take to make sure everyone can attend, equally participate, and feel comfortable at class events and play dates?
 
     - How can I help during class so that everyone feels properly supported?

     - How can I educate the classroom community about inclusion?

Parents of children with disabilities can inquire about the best ways to inform their communities, rally support, advocate for their children, and promote the idea of inclusion being the essential idea of everyone learning together. 

Of course, parents will never have access to confidential and legal information about other students, but this simply fosters an inclusive culture further, since it’s the specific needs, rather than the disabilities, that are important.  (Think: knowing that a child needs repeated, visual directions is more helpful than knowing the child is Speech and Language Impaired, right?)

So, how might you know your child is in an inclusive classroom, or what can you encourage for your child?  The signs might not be as obvious as you think.

Strong Inclusion classrooms:

  • Might have multiple teachers including at least one Special Education teacher, but their roles are indistinguishable.

  • Are organized and arranged so that anyone can access materials and navigate the space (think: visuals, labels and multiple, easily manipulated working spaces.  See our Third Teacher post to learn more)

  • Are primarily managed by a set of a few, positively framed rules, often called “agreements” or “core values,” and are enforced by community meetings and logical consequences rather than overarching systems.

  • Have students that can identify their own personal needs, wants, and learning styles, and are comfortable collaborating and partnering with their peers.

  • Uphold “fair isn’t always equal, and equal isn’t always fair” as a common understanding.  This may mean that students are given different accommodations and adaptive tools, depending on what they need, and students understand this. 

Stay tuned for our next post, featuring parenting and organizing tips for inclusive classrooms.  

 

About: Teaching2gether

Teaching2Gether
At Teaching2gether we believe that professional collaboration is the key to successful inclusive education.

When educators work well together, students with special needs flourish alongside their typically developing peers. At Teaching2gether we are committed to delivering exceptional professional development as a means to achieve these goals. We offer consulting services, on-site and virtual coaching, webinars, and interactive workshops to support all stakeholders working to provide access to a quality educational experience for students of all abilities.

When developing our services for teachers, administrators, technologists or parents we draw on both current, research-based practices and our combined backgrounds as inclusive educators and consultants in New York City and Texas. Previous clients and employers include Community Roots Charter School (NYC), PBS Kids, BrainPOP.com, G&R Learning, and Region 13 Education Service Center in Texas.

Posted at 03:30 AM in Classroom Activities & Party Ideas, Volunteering at School | Permalink

Tags: inclusive classrooms, what is inclusion

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'Back 2 Cool' Sweepstakes | Tech Smart

Tech Smart: Saving Time is Always a Win!

It’s Topic #1 of the VolunteerSpot “Back 2 Cool” Giveaway, so get ready to be tech smart and win big!  As research has shown, the fast-paced changes in technology creates unique challenges for schools, so now’s your chance to help.

VolunteerSpot-SchoolSweeps-Giveaway-600x190

You can win one of these Tech Smart prizes for you and your school, and you’ll automatically be entered to win the grand prize in our Big ‘Back 2 Cool’ Sweepstakes – one of 3 - $1,500 Grants for your School!  Remember, share this giveaway with your friends and others at your school, and you can increase your chances of winning.  Here’s what you and your school can with this week:

> ENTER HERE <

Prizes You can Win for Yourself:

  • 1 ipad Mini
  • 5 $150 Care.com Free Time credits
  • 2 Kiwi Crate 3-month Subscriptions
  • 5 Cozi Gold memberships

Prizes You can Win for Your Favorite Teacher or School:

  • 1 iPad
  • 2 Common Sense Media Digital Passports (two classrooms win)
  • 2 VolunteerSpot Campus Plans

Just for entering, you’ll receive:

  • 30% savings on a Care.com membership
  • A free Kiwi Crate do-it-yourself app

ENTER HERE NOW >

  Sponsor-logos

Learn about our partners for this week’s prizes:

Care.com is the world's largest online destination for care. They connect families with quality caregivers and caring companies. They offer a reliable and easy-to-use platform to help parents make informed decisions about finding and managing quality care for their children.

Common Sense Media is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and families by providing the trustworthy information they need to thrive in a world of media and technology. They offer tools for families to have a choice and a voice about the media they consume.

Cozi is a free app and website, which helps you manage the chaos of family life with a shared calendar, shopping lists, to do lists and more. Cozi keeps track of everything from school schedules and sports activities to grocery lists, meals and chores.  It’s all in one place the whole family can access anytime, anywhere.

Kiwi Crate was created to celebrate kids’ natural creativity and curiosity. Through a variety of activity kits designed-specifically for children that are shipped monthly, they make it fun and easy for children and parents to spend time building, exploring and creating together.

Tackk allows anyone to quickly publish anything with one simple page. There is no software to download, no login required and no special design or development skills needed.  Everyone has a story to tell, a message to share and a voice to be heard. It's Tackk's mission to empower everyone to be a creator

Posted at 03:30 AM in Back-to-School, Volunteering at School | Permalink

Tags: back 2 cool giveaway, back 2 cool sweepstakes, back to school sweepstakes, volunteerspot back 2 cool, volunteerspot back to cool sweepstakes, volunteerspot back to school giveaway, win money for my school

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4 Things Parent Volunteers Need

Tips for Parent-School Groups

Parent volunteers serve a key role in student success - from not only providing support to teachers and educators, but to giving students additional parent mentors and advisors who model the importance of education and involvement. Engage more parents and streamline communication with these 4 tips:

IStock_000024883938XSmall1. An easier way to get involved: School parents are busy, 'nuff said. Engaging them effectively means schools need to reach them on their smartphones, tablets and social media channels. Gone are the days of paper sign up sheets in the classroom and mind-numbing reply-all email chains.

The solution? Free online sign ups with automated reminders from VolunteerSpot > coordinate class helpers, fundraiser volunteers, library and cafeteria parents, you name it. Click to get started

2. A variety of jobs & times to help: Want to get more school parents involved in the classroom? Give them an array of ways to help! Some parents like a simple "pick up 24 chocolate cupcakes for the class party" task while others are looking to use their artsy side and help make cut outs for the bulletin board. Is their a community garden that needs some green thumbs? 

3. A way to help from home: Making it into the classroom just isn't feasible for some working parents who still want to pitch in - offer ways for parents to help from home that keep them engaged with the classroom. They can update the school's facebook page, classroom blog or school website.

4. Appreciation: Parent volunteers don't do it for the recognition but a little goes a long way! A simple thank you from the room mom, a hand-written note from the principal or even a yearly luncheon are great, easy ways to say thanks and show parents how much their help means.

 

Also see:

 5 Ideas for Back to School Night

Organizing an online school volunteer calendar

Posted at 03:30 AM in Back-to-School, Volunteering at School | Permalink

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Get More Parents Involved in School Next Year . . . Now!

4 Ways to End this School Year Ready for Next

It's so hard to say goodbye . . . so don't! The end of the current school year is really just a jumping point for next fall - get parents on board and ready to dive in 'next year' with these simple tips:

Committee Picker iPad1. Committee Picker: It's so hard to wrangle parents at back to school time so go ahead and get parents signed up for the committees/groups they are interested in helping with next school year, i.e. fundraising committee, hospitality, teacher/staff appreciation, volunteer coordination, etc. It's SUPER easy with VolunteerSpot's committee picker, more info HERE

2. Social Media: Before school wraps up and parents forget, encourage them to follow the school or parent-teacher group on facebook, twitter, pinterest etc. Ensure they receive updates over the summer from your school and are ready for news, volunteer sign ups and plans come back to school time.

3. Volunteer Appreciation: Give your school parents who pitched in, helped out and contributed this school year some special recognition before the year is out. A handwritten thank you note, shout out on your school's website/social accounts, or even a volunteer appreciation party helps your parents know their efforts were truly appreciated and encourages them to join in again next year.

4. Hold a Social: A final community event of the year like an ice cream social or movie night gives your school families one great final bonding moment and a chance for staff and teachers to once again express their appreciation for a wonderful year (and vice versa). Those memories will last well into summer and leave parents on a positive note to begin the next school year!

Posted at 03:30 AM in Volunteering at School | Permalink

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Teacher Appreciation Week Survival

5 Tips to Keep It Stress-Free

Teacher Appreciation Week is here, and while parents do enjoy getting in the spirit of recognizing and thanking their children’s teachers, we all know it can be a hectic week on top of already busy family schedules. If you’re staring down another week-long teacher appreciation extravaganza and biting your nails, find some relief in these 5 stress-free tips:

Teacher Appreciation Ideas1. Connect with your room parent. Be prepared with what to expect and communicate with your room parent to clarify when and where you can donate/help. If there is a daily expectation of parents, i.e. bring in a flower on Monday, potluck dish on Tuesday, small gift on Wednesday, etc, be ready and leave reminders for yourself on the fridge, the mirror, your phone, you name it!

Does this sound like you? “My son told me two minutes before carpool pick up that it was ‘give your teacher a flower’ day at school. I panicked, ran across the street to my neighbor’s backyard and clipped some of her wildflowers. I ran back to the stop and the carpool mom is waiting there, sees the flowers in my hands and asks if I can go cut her some!” - Delia T. of Virginia and mother of 3

2. Use VolunteerSpot’s free online signup sheets. Coordinate the teacher appreciation potluck, donations for gift baskets and classroom helpers with VolunteerSpot right from your desk! Easy online scheduling, 24/7 access for class parents from their computer or mobile device, plus automated reminders make it the go-to, stress-free solution for wrangling class parents for all the important week’s activities. Click HERE to get started

3. Know the rules. Don’t get caught in a PTA kerfuffle; know the teacher gift rules before you go shopping. Is there a dollar limit you should be aware of? Are gifts to be given on a certain day of the week?

4. Get inspired. The most meaningful teacher gift is something that comes from your family’s heart. A few simple searches on Pinterest for boards like this one with tons of teacher gift ideas give you inspiration for creative DIY presents, cute free printable signs and gift tags, as well as fun ways to wrap up a simple gift card. Check out more Teacher Appreciation Ideas over on VolunteerSpot, click HERE

5. Involve your kids. Ask your child to draw a picture or write a personal note about what she loves best about her teacher. Your child’s input will wipe away any stress that might come with contributing to Teacher Appreciation Week.

Posted at 03:30 AM in Classroom Activities & Party Ideas, Volunteering at School | Permalink

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NEW! Campus Plan from VolunteerSpot

Organize Your Entire School with VolunteerSpot Today!

Bring an even more powerful VolunteerSpot to your entire school with our NEW Campus Plan! Click here

VolunteerSpot hVoluntterSpot_Campus_Plan_375as revamped the way schools network their online sign ups with the brand new CAMPUS PLAN!

Now room parents, school staff, teachers and volunteer coordinators can:

  • Share Premium upgrades with ALL VolunteerSpot organizers from their school
  • Customize MULTIPLE group pages with school logos and pictures
  • School-wide tracking & signup progress across multiple activities

Click here now to get started!

Premium upgrades for all your school organizers means hours tracking, capturing extra info from volunteers/parents, adding assistant organizers to activities and more. VolunteerSpot's Campus Plan is THE solution for  coordinating parent volunteers - in the classroom, lunchroom, media center, for fundraisers, book fairs, bake sales, you name it - get started today!

Special $99 limited-time offer available, upgrade today! 

   

Posted at 03:30 AM in How 2 VolunteerSpot - Tips, Tricks and Technical, Online Sign Up Feature Friday, Volunteering at School | Permalink

Tags: campus plan, organize school volunteers, premium upgrades for schools, school volunteer calendar, volunteerspot campus plan, volunteerspot for schools, volunteerspot upgrade

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Coop Preschool Management

Best Practices for Volunteering at Your Coop Preschool

Choosing a cooperative preschool for your family? You’ll be making a great choice for you and your children as you are introduced to a truly collaborative learning environment. Coops are known for their strong sense of community and family bonds that are built during the preschool years. While traditional coops require additional hands-on parent involvement, they provide a wealth of opportunity spending time with children in the classroom working side by side with the teachers. Coop parents love this glimpse into their child’s new world!

Boy paint handsSuccessful coops are a happy blend of parents, teachers, and children working together.  Sustaining a well-oiled coop machine and cohesive parent community can be difficult, however, as participating families come and go year to year (yes, one day your child will go to kindergarten!). Relying on volunteers for hands-on support with school functions while finagling differing personalities and new input into how to operate and organize, well, let’s just say maintaining harmony can sometimes be a challenge.

Director of the Takoma Park Cooperative Nursery School, Lesley Romanoff, shares that a “clear purpose or vision” as well as a “formal outlining of member expectations” are key foundations to lay for any effective and sustainable coop board.  Find these and more best practices below for strengthening your volunteer operations today as well as laying the groundwork for future success:

  1. Strong Foundation: Does your board have bylaws? It is a good idea to dust these off every year and ensure they are still applicable, current, and in line with your school’s mission. 
  2. Leadership: Does your executive team serve 1 or 2 year terms?  To maintain continuity, consider 2 year roles for executive positions with overlapping terms to avoid starting from scratch each year. 
  3. Effective Committees: Create committees that will best serve your school, maintain classroom and school operations, and be enjoyable for your parent volunteers. Popular committees include: Teacher/Staff Relations, Development /Fundraising, Family/Community Events, Public Relations, Facility Management, Membership, Health & Licensing.
  4. “Vices” & “Elects”: Establish your leadership roles with a successor in mind. Many organizations have “vice” or “elect” officers shadow and support the current officer and move into the title role the following term. Keeping consistency at the board and committee level will help ensure there are no gaps or steep learning curves to overcome.
  5. Talk to the Parents: Ask parents what they are interested in – poll parents at the beginning of each school year to learn about interests, hobbies and skillsets. Ask parents to rank their top 5 assignments – this makes it easy to place volunteers in activities they enjoy!
  6. Iphone5 Mystery Reader SignupCommittee Assignments: Don’t burn out your hard workers by continually asking the same parents for their leadership. Many coops require that all parents serve on a committee as part of their obligation to the school – this is a great way to rotate leadership and get everyone involved. Free online signup sheets make it easy to help parents express interest in the committees they would like to be a part of. With computer and mobile access, VolunteerSpot’s free scheduling tools and committee picker get more parents involved; and automated reminders keep everyone on track!
  7. Set Expectations: Be sure to let your volunteers know what they are getting into! Keep job descriptions up to date, and discuss goals, objectives of the committee, and anticipated time commitments in advance. 
  8. Document and Organize: A necessary evil that luckily is made much easier in the digital age. Ditch the dreaded, out of date binders and turn to time-saving online resources – like Dropbox or Google Docs – to save on money as well as paper! You’ll be able to prescribe which members have viewing access and which members can make changes to your documents. 
  9. Embrace technology: Preschools today have access to an amazing number of free resources that can help make board and committee responsibilities more efficient. Be sure to check out free online signup sheets and mobile apps from VolunteerSpot to get your parents organized, collect contributions and make your committee planning a breeze!
  10. Board Bonding: We all enjoy working with people we know – don’t wait for school to start to get to know one another. Consider a board retreat several months in advance of the school year for planning AND to build camaraderie between members. Carving out large chunks of time can be difficult so summer planning playdates can also be effective and fun for kids.

Preschool is a magical time and coop organizations let you play magician. Your participation in school committees and volunteer efforts ensure the success of the school and the students. Following a few best practices can make it enjoyable and successful for all – now and in the future.

Posted at 03:30 AM in Volunteering at School | Permalink

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5 Great Tools to Get your School Parent Group Organized!

Apps & Websites to Power Your PTA & PTO!

What's on your school parent group's resolutions list for 2014? Getting organized always tops the list and what better way to coordinate your 2014 then streamlining PTA and PTO communication and event planning digitally. Check out our 5 favorite apps & tools for getting organized:

Digital Volunteer Manager1. Dropbox: Share important documents, pictures, videos and files in the cloud with Dropbox! Free up to a certain amount of memory, Dropbox lets parent leaders upload and share files with the click of their mouse or tap on their screen phone; field trip permissions, spring carnival check list, volunteer orientation documents - you name it, you can share it!

2. VolunteerSpot: Coordinate school parents and classroom helpers in a snap with free online sign up sheets from VolunteerSpot. Quick online scheduling, easy access from a computer or smartphone and automated reminders make coordinating parent volunteers and helpers so easy (and less time consuming). Click here to try it out now

3. Hootsuite: Is your school resolving to be more 'social' this year? It's easy with social update scheduling tools from Hootsuite! Share online sign up links, fundraiser news, classroom updates and more on twitter with Hootsuite as well as catch a feed of twitterers you follow in addition to trending topics and hashtags you're interest in, i.e. #ptchat.

4. DirectorySpot: Manage your school directory on the go with DirectorySpot! Say goodbye to hunting for the school directory in the glove compartment or the kitchen -- your parents will love instant access and quick connections to other school parents wherever they are.  All apps have school spirit and are customized with your school colors and logo or mascot. More info here

5. Trello: Project management is a breeze with the comprehensive but simple-to-use Trello tool. Set up To Do lists, tasks, reminders, alerts and even share important documents with fellow school leaders and parent volunteers; great for planning big fundraisers, ongoing school campaigns and more.

 

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted at 03:33 AM in Personal Organization Tips, Social Media for Schools & Nonprofits, Volunteering at School | Permalink

Tags: getting your pta organized, getting your pto organized, pta app, pto app, top apps for pta, top apps for pto

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Reasons to Volunteer with PTA

5 OTHER Reasons to Volunteer with PTA {giveaway}

By Fawn Rechkemmer of InsteadOfTheDishes.com (This post originally appeared on Instead of the Dishes Sept. 2, 2013. Find an excerpt below and the entire piece here)

Now that school is back in session, I’ve started volunteering for PTA again.  Actually, I enjoyed it so much last year that they talked (suckered) me into being the Volunteer Coordinator this year. So, I’ve spent some time thinking about what the perks are for volunteering at your kid’s school. Of course, everyone knows the obvious reasons, like helping teachers, improving the academic experience for everyone, and so on, and so forth.  But, I’ve also come up with five OTHER reasons why you should consider becoming a PTA volunteer. Shutterstock_48737962

1. There’s a uniform.  Ok, there’s not really a uniform, but most schools have “spirit wear” which is basically a t-shirt with the school’s name/logo/mascot on it.  It’s so nice to climb out of bed and not have to think about what to wear on the days I’m volunteering.  I just put on my spirit wear (hrrmm, the red shirt or the black shirt?) and go!

2. You meet people.  We were new at our school last year. While volunteering, I met lots of other moms and people from the community.  It was an easy way to feel less like a newbie, and it was easy to talk to most of these folks because we had guaranteed things in common – kids in the same school and a vested interest in making that school a great place. I also got to know some of my child’s classmates.

3. It can provide brainless quiet time.  Ok, so working the cotton candy machine at the fall festival turned out to be sooo not brainless.  But, when I work at school during the day making copies and cutting triangles out of construction paper, it gives me a dedicated block of time for quiet.  No cell phone, no laptop.  Just me and my thoughts.

4. Get to know the teachers.  I’m not talking about creating friendships, because hey, they’re super busy working.  But, I’ve enjoyed learning which teacher teaches what. Of course I tend to pay close attention to the grade levels my children are in and the one they will move up to the following year.  I don’t mean to sound like a hover parent, but I like having a basic idea of what a teacher’s personality is like without having to rely on my children to paint the picture. (Because then all the teachers would be “fine”.)

5. See what kids are learning in the classroom.  When I walk the hallways, I see artwork and writing projects that I wouldn’t otherwise know about. I get a sneak peek of the 3rd grade music program when they practice in the gym.  When I make copies, I find out that my kindergartener will be reading Pete the Cat: I love My White Shoes. I even get ideas for activities to do at home!

There's more! Read the entire post over on InsteadoftheDishes.com!

Also, Find Fawn on Facebook and Twitter

Posted at 03:30 AM in Back-to-School, I Support My School, Volunteering at School | Permalink

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