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Free (Fun!) Webinar for Your School-Parent Group

Join VolunteerSpot's School-Parent Liasion, Jennifer DeFranco for a fun, insightful webinar that will help you grow your parent community, build participation, boost fundraising profits and spark action! 

10 Free Tools to help Power and Empower your School-Parent Group

Tuesday, September 17, 1pm CT 

Register Now

Every PTA leader is only as effective as the tools s/he brings to the table. Learn free tech tools that save time, boost parent participation and fundraising, build accountability, spark action and grow community. Learn effective tactics for using free power tools like VolunteerSpot, Google Forms, Dropbox, Donors Choose, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

VolunteerSpot at Back-to-School

8 Ways to Use VolunteerSpot at Back-to-School

The Back-to-School mania doesn't have to be so crazy! When it comes to coordinating and communicating with school parents, VolunteerSpot's free online signup sheets and parent scheduler simplifies the process and saves schools (and parents) hundreds of hours just getting organized! See how:

1. Back to School Night: Online signups are a must-have at Back-to-School night! Get more parents involved and on track by signing them up on the spot with VolunteerSpot's "Clipboard" app for iPad, or by simply sharing your online sign up links on your social channels and BTS Night materials. Back to School Night tips HERE

2. Classroom Helpers: Save hours coordinating classroom volunteer calendars and forget reply-all emails. Parents will LOVE teachers and room parents who utilize online signup sheets that let them commit on their own time from the convenience of their computer or smartphone. Plus, automated Reminders will keep everyone on track.

3. Organizing Committees: Prepare for the school year by encouraging parents to signup for areas they are interested in, like yearbook, fundraisers, media center, and more - with quick committee picker signup sheets. Click HERE for free signup sheet examples and best practices for coordinating your school committees.

4. Fundraisers: Fall carnivals, festivals, concession booths & auctions take a ton of hands-on support. Boost profits and turnout with VolunteerSpot's school volunteer scheduler. More volunteer support gets more parents involved, contributing, and turning your events into a huge success.

5. Going Green: More and more schools are turning their everyday classroom happenings and school events into eco-friendly activities with simple acts like ditching paper signup sheets and volunteer updates and organizing online. More 'green' ideas HERE

6. Library/Lunchroom Volunteers: School budget cuts and hiring freezes means a higher need for parents to help supervise recess, the media center and hot lunch programs. Save tons of time scheduling a whole semester of parent volunteers with free online volunteer calendars, click HERE

7. Fall Sports Snack Schedules: Last-minute trips to the grocery story and late night reminder phone calls are a thing of the past. With many football, soccer and baseball seasons underway, ongoing snack schedules are a cinch with VolunteerSpot's free parent snack scheduler, click HERE

8. On-the-Go: VolunteerSpot's updated mobile site and brand new iPhone and Android apps make contributing at Back-to-School a breeze! Check out more about VolunteerSpot on-the-go HERE

 

BONUS: Use VolunteerSpot at back-to-school and your school could win $1500! Details HERE

Apps & Tools to Help Any Teacher

Our Fave 5 Teacher Websites & Free Tech Tools

Teachers thriving in the digital age are pioneers in exploring online tools and apps to help manage their classrooms, curriculum, and time. To help, check our our fave 5 sites that all teachers should be checking out (and loving):

1. WeAreTeachers – This can literally be a teachers go-to online trove of information & resources to help with professional and educational development. There are resources on building curriculum, latest news and hot topics for teachers, grants and contests, and so much more. This site will soon offer a My Binder feature to help teachers manage all of their important information. WeAreTeachers also offers community blogs to help connect teachers everywhere! 

2. VolunteerSpot - Quickly and easily manage class helpers, p-t conferences, weekly readers, tutors, class party and field trip helpers, and service learning and exam proctors with free online signups sheets and parent scheduling.  Ditch the clipboards and simplify your life getting more parents involved with the convenience of signing up online from their computer or smartphone. Plus, automated reminders keep everyone on track!

3. EduBlogs – EduBlogs is an amazing blogging service that helps students, teacher and parents communicate in a safe and secure environment. Whether you want to connect with a classroom elsewhere or create your own classroom blog, EduBlogs ensures that every blogs content is for education only and no inappropriate ads or content will be available to the children. Blogging is also a great way to get the kids engaged and revamp classroom learning for the digital age.

4. Carson-Dellosa -  Carson-Dellosa makes learning fun by offering teachers (and parents and students) wonderfully creative products that engage young minds in super fun ways. Activity workbooks, stickers, worksheets, flash cards, puzzles, games and classroom decorations make Carson-Dellosa a one-stop shop for education materials. Commor Core curriculum materials also make Carson-Dellosa leaders in the education field.

5. Twitter -  A home for educators all ove the world, Twitter is connecting teachers of all grades and school types in weekly chats and twitter parties. Talking about best practices, blended learning, common core, flipped classrooms and more, twitter is a haven for teachers and school staff to communicate, collaborate and share. Additionally, Fast Follow by Twitter becomes a simple and reliable alert system for teachers to keep students and parents updated. To use it, all you need to do is setup a Twitter account and ask parents (and older students) to text Twitter’s shortcode of 40404 with the message “follow [your Twitter username].” From there, parents will start receiving all of your updates via text message in real-time.

6. Pinterest - (I know we said 5 tools, but we can't leave out Pinterest!) Last month, Pinterest announced the launch of Teachers on Pinterest, a hub where you’ll find everything from lesson plans for different grades, to classroom decorating ideas, and topics like fun with phonics. They are working closely with Edutopia — an online resource an thought-leader for educators—to build out this education-focused community on Pinterest.

Going Green for Back-to-School

5 Tips for "Going Green" this School Year

Going back to school reminds us of notebooks full of paper, colored flyers with the latest school updates & news being sent home, and countless sheets with math problems and vocabulary words. Is it possible to go back to school while still being eco-friendly? Of course it is! Even the tiniest of steps can make a huge different for the environment, and you can even save your school money on supplies. Keep reading to see what YOU can do to make this year a greener one! 

1. No more printing up sign-up sheets, use VolunteerSpot instead! All online, your free VolunteerSpot signup sheets & calendars keep classrooms paper free and get more parents involved with the convenience of signing up on their own time from their computer or smartphone. Automated 'green' email reminders help keep everyone on track too!
 
2. Encourage your families to attend your fall carnival/festival with their own reusable bag from home. Entice them with prizes or extra tickets just for being eco-friendly.

3. Make every school event a chance to recycle. Have apporpriate bins set up at big school functions and committee meetings (for bottles, paper, etc). Also be sure to encourage families to use their own mugs and cups for their coffee, juices, and hot chocolate at school community nights and fundraisers.

4. Change up your usual fundraisers for ones that feature “green” products like reusable labels, flower bulbs, all natural products, and fair trade coffees or chocolates. A new repertoire can be exciting for school families, help raise more money, and promote an Earth-friendly mindeset.

5. Start a Green Team! This team of parents and staff can help reduce, reuse, and recycle in every aspect of school and really make a difference.  To make things easy, you can use VolunteerSpot to organize the members and their duties. Check out green team ideas and signups, click HERE

 

Back to School: 23 Travel Tips For Carpool Safety

Have you ever chaperoned a traveling sports team? Or driven a group of tweens to a dance competition? Did it drive you crazy or were you prepared for the chaos a group of children in your car can present?

Everyone’s number one goal when traveling for a kids’ sports team or a competing dance, band or other type of group is not surprisingly to have fun!

But every parent’s main objective when transporting friends on the team should be all the kids’ safety and well-being getting there and back home again.

VolunteerSpot has teamed up with TravelingMom.com‘s travel experts to share their best tips for carpool safety.

TWITTER PARTY!

Join the Twitter Conversation using #TMOM and #VolunteerSpot Monday night @9PM EST to share YOUR best Travel Tips when transporting other people’s kids and you could win a gift card for your kid’s teacher.  

Click here for details and to RSVP.

23 TravelingMom Tips For Carpool Safety

1. Plan the Food
Pack healthy snacks, plan in advance to find a restaurant with the least greasy options.

“I try to keep a cooler of drinks and fruit handy - staves off requests for cokes and junk food from vending machines and concession stands.”—Teronya Holmes

2. Check for Allergies
“I always ask if they have any food allergies or sensitivities. Unless it's a child I know very well, I always ask each time s/he is with me because things might have changed since I last had them join us w/o their parent.”— Megy Karydes

3. Pack last minute often-forgotten items in a Carpool Kit

The kit might include a pair of scissors, band aids, extra pairs of game socks, hair ribbons for girls, a sewing kit, water bottles, sunscreen and bug spray.

4. Plan Out the Details

Meet with parents beforehand, spell out arrival time, rules and use a site like VolunteerSpot to schedule jobs, tasks, item needed, and even collect fees!

5. Have a Back-up Driver Plan
In case your child becomes ill or for some reason you need to cancel your trip.

6. Bring Water
Bring refillable water bottles and a gallon of water in the car. Keeping hydrated will always be important.

7. Make Reservations
Make reservations in advance if traveling with a large group of team kids. That goes for fast food restaurants too. If you know where you are stopping, alert them ahead of time.

8. Use Online Sign Up Sheets to Organize Snacks on Site
Ask parent volunteers to organize team meals or snacks at game sites or gymnasiums when necessary. Use VolunteerSpot's free online signups to coordinate other parents (who can sign up from their computer or on their smartphone or tablet); plus automated Reminders helps everyone keep their commitments! 

9. Eat Healthy in the Hotel
If staying overnight, give kids fresh fruit, yogurt, granola bars, and juice boxes to eat in their hotel rooms. Avoid late night junk food runs.

10. Don’t Wait Too Long Between Meals
Kids will eat pretty much anything if they wait too long between meals or snacks, help them avoid eating unhealthy food by keeping meals on time.

11. Communicate
Communicate with all the parents, coaches and even the kids throughout the whole journey! Create a list of cell phone numbers in case one of the cars on the caravan gets lost, or there is a change in a game or practice schedule.

12. Protect Yourself with Permission Slips
“I have parents fill out permission slips for me to take their kids’ out of state and permission to get them medical treatment. I have had seven kids in the car with me twice, and five several other times, and we bring a friend or two with us for most roadtrips.”—Julie Cohn

13. Pack a First Aid Kit

Create a safety kit determined by the sport or activity du jour. Band-Aids and antimicrobial creams, moleskin for blisters, ibuprofen (W/ permission from parents to use), bug bite and sun burn relief creams. If kids take prescriptions, get instructions and permissions from parent.

14. Hold Back Some Cash
Avoid problems with the kids’ spending money by holding back $10 from each kid, then later when they have spent everything and need a little to buy dinner you can save them!

15. Save On Breakfast Costs
Choose to stay in a hotel with free breakfast buffet each day.  

16. Save On Local Restaurants
Ask the hotel staff for tips about savings rates on restaurants nearby, maybe kids eat free on Tuesday nights with a paying adult?

17. Save On Gas
Download a few mobile apps like 'Gas Buddy,' that tell you where the cheapest gas stations are located.

18. Schedule Work Vacation Days
Schedule work vacation days for the group travel dates.  You want to be prepared in case your team or band ends up going to an extended tournament.

19. Use Social Media
Create a hashtag for your team and the kids can get in on the fun when sharing to social sites (most need to be 13 year old + to participate). Always be mindful of internet safety etc.

20. Pack Ear Plugs
“Tween girls and boys are LOUD!” –Deb Jamtot

21. Seatbelt Safety Reminders
“Make seatbelts mandatory even if you are carting teens. Don't assume your kids' friends will automatically buckle up. They "forget." For us, it requires an announcement.”—Kim Orlando

22. Pack an extra booster Seat
Keep an extra booster seat or ‘Travel Vest’ in your car in case a younger kid is riding with you or is too short for seatbelt guidelines. –Karen Heffren

23. Eavesdrop
“Turn the radio up in the back and down in the front. The kids have to talk louder and you can hear everything they say. Great way to get insight into what you may be missing in your kiddo's lives.”—Barb Likos

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We would love to hear all your travel stories and best organizing tips on Monday night, August 26^th @ 9PM EST. Click HERE for details

Follow #TMOM on Twitter.com or go to TravelingMom.com for details and to RSVP. If you don’t have a Twitter account it’s easy to create one! Follow @TravelingMoms and @VolunteerSpot for more tips.

 

 

About the author:

Carissa Rogers publishes her good and crazy stories on her personal blog GoodNCrazy.com. She also writes for TravelingMom.com and she is the TravelingMom Facebook Engagement Expert as well. When she isn’t traveling with her family you can find her volunteering in her new community in the Charlotte area! Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

Volunteer Scheduling | Association of Music Parents

Tools & Tips for Organizing Booster Club and Music Parents

VolunteerSpot is proud to partner with the National Association of Music Parents (AMP) this year to support the coordination and GOOD work of parent leaders and volunteers in Music Education. AMP and VolunteerSpot aim to make scheduling, signing up and reminding music parents a less time-consuming task, so ensuring that music and the arts remain an integral discipline within the education of students in America always stays the mission.

Booster Club & Band/Choir/Orchestra Parents have scheduling committments that extend beyond the traditional classroom hours. Check out our top tips for Music Parents to save time (and stress) in coordinating their activities and events.

1. Meeting with the director or coach (take advantage of those pre-school year meetings and rehearsals to get early buy-in from parents and get the calendar organized).

• Capture the groups needs - both on & off campus
• Build a calendar on your PRIVATE & FREE AMP VolunteerSpot page with weekly, monthly and special events & the related volunteer tasks
• Decide on best communication tools for the educator and parents - email, phone, newsletter
• Set a budget, if required
• Create committees, if needed - equipment/instruments, transportation, meals, permission slips, spirit

2. Publishing the calendar and communicating on many channels

• Send parents an email update from those early rehearsals letting them know a calendar and available jobs will be a Back to School night PLUS the can sign up early online or on the go!
• Post your calendar of events on Facebook & Pintrest - link to the private AMP signup on VolunteerSpot 
• Have parents ready with iPads or tablets to signup volunteers at Back to School night
• Let VolunteerSpot send your reminders for you!

3. Remember, get creative, have fun and be proud of your GOOD work!

School Volunteer Calendar

Online School Volunteer Calendars & Parent Scheduling

An active and successful school year requires an active, on-track parent volunteer community to help staff the library, cafeteria and hot lunch programs, school store, and so much more.

Coordinating parent volunteers in the digital age is an absolute cinch with VolunteerSpot's free online volunteer calendars and parent scheduling tools. Check out sample signups below and take a free demo today, click HERE!

Organizers, setting up your recurring volunteer calendars is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Schedule your volunteer needs for your base, or initial, school day.

2. Copy that first day's schedule to future school days where volunteers are needed.

3. And you're done! 

Invite volunteers to sign up with invitations or shareable signup links in email, social media, school websites, you name it.

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Parents can access the signup calendars from their computer, smartphone or tablet via the invitation or signup link provided by the organizer and fill spots in a few seconds.

Parent volunteers receive automated reminders and can check/change their spots anywhere at anytime by reaccessing the signup. This convenience of getting coordinated is proven to get more parents involved and lift much of the time-consuming burder off of school organizers.

There's no question about it - online volunteer calendars are THE answer this school year.

Get Started Now!

Back-to-School Ideas | Parent Volunteering

How to Be That Parent

Getting into the groove of back-to-school is no easy feat for parents. With these helpful tips & bright ideas, however, you'll be getting involved in no time. Check out an excerpt from guest blogger Allison McDonald below and click here to read her entire post.

By: Allison McDonald of NoTimeForFlashCards (This post originally appeared August 3rd, 2013 on NoTimeForFlashCards.com)

Last year my oldest went off to kindergarten and I didn’t have nearly as much time to volunteer in his class as I’d hoped. Parents are busy but kids and teachers need us to be involved. Children get more out of school when there are deep school to home connections.Volunteerspot works hard to make those connections easier than ever to make.

I was thrilled to hear about Volunteerspot’s free online signup sheets and scheduler to make organizing activities easier and faster for everyone. When they asked me to help promote their amazing back to school sweepstakes I was happy to jump on board.

Before we get to the rad sweepstakes let me share my 10 tips to be a great and involved parentthis year.

1. Get your kids prepared. The whole school year will be smoother if your kids are ready for it from day one.

2. Fill out your calendar NOW. Add items as they are emailed and sent home in notices but don’t forget the main calendar from the school district. That mid winter break in February won’t sneak up on you if you take the time to add it to the calendar now.

3. Find time to block off for each child’s class. This might be twice a year or twice a week but being involved is much easier if you have set time aside.

4. If you are allowed to bake, cook or bring snacks make sure you have an updated list of food restrictions and allergies before you even think about what to make or bring in. Let’s all make it easier on families with restrictions by limiting how many times kids need to be excluded or put in potentially dangerous situations.

5. Label everything. EVERYTHING with your kids’ names. That way when your kids lose something ( and they will ) it’s easier to get it back.

6. If you can don’t just send gifts to your child’s classroom teacher, send them to specialists, office staff, bus drivers… and simple thanks are just as much a gift as any expensive item. This doesn’t have to cost you a cent.

 

There's more! Read the entire post HERE

Volunteer Management Software | Watch D.O.G.S Program

Volunteer Spotlight | Joel Harris,  Hartland/Lakeside School District, Hartland, WI,  Watch D.O.G.S. program "Top Dog"

WATCH D.O.G.S. ® (Dads Of Great Students) is an innovative father involvement, educational initiative of the National Center For Fathering. It began in 1998 in a single school in Springdale, Arkansas and has since grown into a nationally recognized program that has brought hundreds of thousands of fathers and father figures into our nation’s classrooms and hallways. WATCH D.O.G.S. ® has created millions of “in school” volunteer hours and continues to have a tremendously positive impact on the educational process. 

Today, our Volunteer Spotlight shines on Joel Harris, who uses VolunteerSpot's online signup sheets to coordinate the Watch D.O.G.S. program in Hartland, WI.

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Tell us about your role as a parent volunteer leader.

I organize the Watch D.O.G.S. program at my son's school, and for the other schools in the Hartland/Lakeside School District. "D.O.G.S." stands for "Dads Of Great Students", and the program allows the fathers of kids in school to take a day off work and volunteer at their child's school, where they perform a variety of helpful tasks in their child's and other classrooms, and on the playground. It's a great way for Dads to get an idea of how their child spends their day, and to get to know their friends and teachers. The faculty also appreciates the extra set of hands and eyes, which provides a positive male role model presence, and helps bring a valuable extra feeling of security to the children.

 

How do you use VolunteerSpot to coordinate your parent volunteers?

I set up a calendar for the whole school year, and on each day, I create a signup spot for each of the three schools in the district where Dads can go to volunteer. I really appreciate the fact that the volunteers themselves can see which days are available for them to come in, and which days already have a volunteer. I also love the email reminders for the volunteers from VolunteerSpot, and the preview for the upcoming week, so I and the school's faculty know who's coming and when. Extremely helpful!

What other activities are you involved in as a volunteer or volunteer leader?

I'm also involved with my son as his Cub Scout Den Leader.

What’s one piece of advice you have for parent volunteers out there?

For organizers, I'd say don't be afraid to ask others for help, and be really clear what the volunteering job entails, because if you're simply asking for help in a particular position by naming the position, potential volunteers might shy away because they don't know what they'll actually have to do. Once people find out the nuts-and-bolts of a job, they'll often think "Oh, if that's all that is involved, I can do that."

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

It was very easy to set up and use (for me and all my volunteer Dads), with an attractive interface that is mercifully lacking in gratuitous ads. 

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We salute Joel 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].

 

10 Last Minute Project Graduation Ideas

Project Graduation Activities and Games

Project Graduation is a tradition for many schools across the country, providing an all night, alcohol and drug-free celebration for students right after graduation. Leaving a memorable and lasting impression for years to come, Project Graduation is all about having fun with friends.

Don’t miss our 10 fun, last-minute ideas for your Project Graduation night:

• Drum Circle - Everything from buckets, to hand drums even pots and pans makes for a raucous time students will love! Ask a musical volunteer to lead the group with a beat to follow and encourage students to join in and add to the rhythm. 
• Glow in the Dark Party - Hand out glow sticks, glow necklaces and bracelets that add a nightclub touch to your festivities and dance party.
• Kareoke Competition – Offer prizes to singers who encourage the most applause from the audience.
• Senior Viewing – Screen the Senior slideshow or a movie created from the students’ past year
• Bonfire - Weather and safety permitting, coordinate an outside bonfire overseen by a professional where kids can chill or even roast marshmellows.
• Graffiti Wall – Cover one wall in your venue with bulletin board paper, and provide sharpies for students to write messages and their favorite quotes from teachers
• Door Prizes – Connect with local businesses to offer big prizes like iPods and Kindles to raffle winners who attend
• Fortune Teller – Bring in a community fortune teller, psychic or tarot card reader who can offer innocent glimpses into students' futures
• Yearbook Sign – Encourage students to bring their yearbooks and provide pens for them to sign one another’s throughout the night; have a designated table where they can drop off and pick their yearbooks back up
• Photo Booth – String up a colorful sheet, curtain or banner for a photo booth; oversized props create a fun space for students to take pictures with one another – think jumbo sunglasses and fake mustaches

Scrambling to coordinate Project Graduation volunteers? Stress no longer! Free online sign up sheets from VolunteerSpot let you set up all your night’s jobs and needed donations online, invite parents to sign up from their computer or smartphone, and rely on automated reminders to help everyone keep their commitments.

Project Graduation Resources:

Project Graduaction How-to Manual

Last Minute Project Graduation Activities

Project Graduation Backround & Ideas

VolunteerSpotlight: Project Graduation

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week

A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.

~Brad Henry

 

From our VolunteerSpot family to your own school family, Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! We honor this special time to celebrate teachers and educators who are shaping the leaders of tomorrow and transforming lives daily - KUDOS for all you do!

End of School Year Planning

Ideas, Resources & Sign Up Sheets for Field Day, Project Graduation and Class Parties

The end of the school year can be a real 'test' of focus as things wrap up in a whirlwind of classroom activities and memorable goodbyes. For all your school's end of year festivities, turn to VolunteerSpot for free online volunteer coordination and awesome ideas!

Field Day: A great time to soak in the sun and let loose with students, Field Day is looked forward to by teachers as much as it is students. Make yours a success with our:

Field Day Game Ideas

Field Day Sign Up Sheets

5 Last Minute Field Day Musts

Field Day Ideas on Pinterest

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Class Parties: End of year slideshows, photo albums and teacher appreciation send-offs make end-of-year class parties events students will remember fondly well into summer. Make your class party extra special (and stress free) with online sign ups and these fun ideas:

3 FUN Class Party Additions

Class Party Art Projects

5 Fun Ways to Capture Classroom Memories

Class Party Sign Up

Classroom Party Ideas from VolunteerSpot

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Project Graduation: A very special time for Seniors to stay safe and have a blast after their big night! Lots of volunteer effort, local sponsors and creative activities make Project Graduation a community effort that makes a difference.

Last Minute Project Graduation Activities

Project Graduation Backround & Ideas

VolunteerSpotlight: Project Graduation

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Carnival Volunteer Sign Up Sheets

School Carnival & Festival Sign Up Sheets

Carnivals and festivals are some of the largest fundraisers that support schools, churches and nonprofits.  Their size and profitability, however, means they require LOTS of hand-on support from volunteers and coordinators.

From staffing games and booths, to selling tickets, finding sponsors, selling concessions, setting up and inevitably cleaning up, the sheer volunteer participation can leave any organizer overwhelmed.

Stress less and save yourself and volunteers time by coordinating your carnival sign ups online! Fast, easy and convenient, free online sign up sheets from SignUp.com are THE answer for getting more parents and volunteers involved, increasing turnout, profits and FUN!

How do I organize a carnival with SignUp.com?

We have two quick solutions for you:

Schedule an entire day's event needs on one calendar, from set up to clean up.  Generalize shifts for staffing booths/games by planning on letting parents know where they can help when they arrive for their shift.

The second solution is to set up separate activities for each large carnival need, i.e an activity for ticket sales, for each game, for concessions and so on. Our "duplicate activity" feature lets you set up one schedule for say, the Duck Pond booth, and then copy and rename it to set up shifts for say, the Baseball Throw Game. Find out more about this solution with sample sign up sheets and step-by-step instructions HERE.

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Don't miss our go-to app for coordinating your carnival sign ups! "Clipboard" by VolunteerSpot turns your iPad into a virtual sign up sheet you can pass around at your next carnival planning or parent teacher association meeting.  Fill shifts, capture volunteer information and ensure that parents receive automated reminders for their commitments! Download at the App Store today!

 

More Carnival Planning Resources:

6 Ways to Add Product Sales to Your School Events

Best SPRING Carnival Game Ideas

Non-Game Carnival Booth Ideas

Fall Carnival & Fall Festival Game Ideas and Resources

School Field Day Sign Up

Organize Class Parents for Field Day with Free Online Sign Up Sheets

Field day fun does not happen without a TON of preparation and class parent volunteers – save time and energy this year with free class parent scheduling software from VolunteerSpot!

Simply set up your online sign up sheet with parent volunteers needs, i.e. station supervisors, relay refs, snacks/water, set up and clean up.  Invite parents quickly via email, social media, or even a link on the school's website. VolunteerSpot takes care of the rest including automated Confirmation and Reminder messages to parent volunteers!

Field Day Sign Up (Volunteer View): Volunteers quickly click through the day the organizer has designated on the calendar, click to fill a spot by the shift they want and save – it’s that easy!

Quick Tip: Add a dose of 'wacky' fun to this year's field day with creative themes and props! Funny every-day items make great game supplies, e.g. plungers, rubber chickens, funny hats, and jumbo sunglasses. And encouraging classes to make up team names or wear chosen team colors gives the day an even greater school spirit!

 

FUN Field Day Resources:

Field Day Game Ideas

5 Ingredients for Field Day Fun (incl. Safety Tips)

School Field Day Ideas on Pinterest

5 Last-minute Musts for a Successful Field Day

Teacher Appreciation 2013

Organize Your Teacher Appreciation Activities | Free Online Signups

Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week May 6th to the 10th this year with creative activities that recognize your child's teacher and her commitment in the classroom! Free online sign up sheets help you organize parents for all your teacher appreciation events - check out sample sign ups below and get started today!

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Teacher Appreciation Brunch - Staff brunches and lunches are a much loved teacher appreciation event.  Organize food and flatware donations online - parents can use the Interactive Comments feature (comment bubbles on right) to leave a note of exactly what they are bringing.

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Teacher Appreciation School Supply Drive - Collect school supplies for your child's classroom and surprise the teacher with creative presentations like a school supply cake or filling a resuable and monogrammed tote bag. Click HERE for more great ideas like these!

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Teacher Appreciation Gifts - Organize parents to leave a gift daily for the teacher during Teacher Appreciation Week! Whether it's a hot latte, a gift card, or a heartfelt thank you note, a special surprise each morning will really show the teacher how much your parent group cares!

BONUS: Collect contributions from your parents on your VolunteerSpot sign up for a group gift.

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More Teacher Appreciation Resources:

Teacher Gift Ideas and Teacher Appreciation Ideas on Pinterest

Guidelines for Gift Card Giving

Low-cost Teacher Appreciation Ideas (Muffin Mania, Pie Day, Mardi Gras and more!)

Creative Teacher Appreciation Party Ideas

Clutter-free Teacher Appreciation Ideas