https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 21 May 2026 21:35:30 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910616 Sat, 22 Feb 2020 21:07:47 +0000 Dandelion 2910616@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My sons school hands out little papers to bring to the restaurant and then the restaurant just collects them. Someone stops by the next morning and picks up the slips. We just write his name and teacher name in it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910309 Sun, 16 Feb 2020 16:48:50 +0000 graceandjoy 2910309@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Chiming in to say that we also do not so sign in tables during these fundraisers. Can’t it become digital somehow? I know it’s an honor system but maybe just have families confirm digitally somehow? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910254 Sat, 15 Feb 2020 17:40:53 +0000 Elizabear 2910254@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Is it possible to give an incentive for parent volunteers? Like two kids meals free or something? Or the parent volunteer's class gets a cookie party (in addition to the most participation cookie party). I'm not sure if that would be cost effective or not.. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910189 Thu, 13 Feb 2020 19:54:45 +0000 meadow 2910189@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really like the paper coupon idea!!!@Shantuck: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910127 Thu, 13 Feb 2020 11:09:45 +0000 Shantuck 2910127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Same as what others have said. Our school does this but nobody mans a table nor is participation rewarded. We are just expected to tell the cashier/waitress that we are with the school group for the school to get credit. While the cookie parties sound nice, it does seem pointless to have someone sitting at a table for 3 hours for that specific purpose. Could you ask if the restaurant could pass out a participation coupon that the kids could then bring in the next day at school for the teachers to collect (kids would write their name on it for credit)? The coupons could then all be sent home with your son and you could tally which class had the most coupons. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910125 Thu, 13 Feb 2020 10:42:05 +0000 erinbaderin 2910125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Are the cookie parties high enough value that somebody would try to cheat the system? Could the parents not just be in charge of making sure the kids only sign up once? Or maybe a generic inbox, and they send you a picture of the bill to confirm that they attended? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910124 Thu, 13 Feb 2020 10:29:16 +0000 krispi 2910124@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our school also does something similar with nights out at restaurants, and we also have no formal sign in process. Honestly, it gets so chaotic with kids and parents everywhere that I can't imagine trying to coordinate that. The only incentive that we have for participation is raising money for the school. If no one is willing to volunteer, I would explore dropping the cookie party or making the sign up more of an honor system. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910122 Thu, 13 Feb 2020 08:28:25 +0000 honeybear 2910122@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In principle, I agree with the parent who told you that manning the table is a waste of time. It is! However, I wouldn't have said that, because you didn't come up with this idea and it's not your fault there's a silly system designed to waste people's time in place. </p> <p>Since you're in charge of the arrangements, I think you can abolish the sign-in table and go with some simpler arrangement. (My feeling on things like this is that the volunteer who runs the show gets to make decisions regarding how it's done without interference as long as the main objective of the program/event is fulfilled, but you'll know the politics of your group best.) I would assume that most restaurants that agree to this type of thing already have some procedure for signing in in place. I'd ask them. If they've got a solution that eliminates the need for a table with volunteers, I'd go with that. </p> <p>FWIW, I think the PTA president is being unreasonable, but my position on things like this is that if no one is signing up to pitch in where there is a need for volunteers, then that event isn't really something the group is interested in. People will volunteer for the stuff that matters to them, and a volunteer-run group should be willing and ready to drop the stuff that the group clearly doesn't care much about. It doesn't matter if the president thinks the kids like the cookie parties. If they matter to the parents at your school, then they will step up to volunteer to make sure they happen. (You have to explain that the parties don't happen without volunteers. But as long as that's done, I'd say you've done your job.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910109 Wed, 12 Feb 2020 22:45:15 +0000 BadgerMom 2910109@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our school does this. I’m not sure if there is a participation award, now that you mention it. But they just have jugs by the registers with slips of paper for the students name and teacher. You fill it out after you order and throw it in the jug. No volunteers needed :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910107 Wed, 12 Feb 2020 22:15:16 +0000 MamaG 2910107@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>PTA Treasurer here. We do spirit nights but don’t take attendance or reward classes. I don’t know that it would really increase participation. We usually get around $200-300 from each event. </p> <p>There is a local restaurant that partners directly with the school. An employee tallies attendance and the restaurant rewards the class, but PTA is completely out on that deal. </p> <p>And we have really struggled with volunteers this year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910105 Wed, 12 Feb 2020 21:46:40 +0000 CObee 2910105@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our school does this too but they just tell us to mention to the cashier that we are with X school and the teacher’s name. They keep a tally at the register and someone with the school either picks it up or is sent it the next day. Never seems to be an issue with the employees taking care of it and we usually have super high participation :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910103 Wed, 12 Feb 2020 21:39:06 +0000 HappyBaker 2910103@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cat620: my first thought was to just remove the “most number of kids attending” being the class that gets the cookie party. I feel like if you just had the kids put their name on a slip of paper in a big jar or something, you could then pull a “winner” and their class gets the party? Then no one needs to really be managing the signing in part, and maybe you could just have a greeter there at the beginning of the event. Or alternatively also don’t have a greeter but have ANY PTA members who attend wear a sticker or button or special shirt that says they’re a volunteer so people know they could be asked random school questions. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910102 Wed, 12 Feb 2020 21:30:37 +0000 Pollywog 2910102@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My thoughts are longer shifts-- like 2 hours or eliminating the tables and instead do it virtually. Have them email you a picture that they were there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910100 Wed, 12 Feb 2020 21:24:06 +0000 bhbee 2910100@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Man this is tough. Whenever I’ve done pta type stuff it’s pulling teeth to get people to do anything like that. Kind of indirect approaches but two ideas- </p> <p>-#1 get two people on that committee so worst case you and that person split the duties in half, or you don’t both have to attend each one. </p> <p>-#2 Are there (older-ish) kids who could do this and get service hours? Our school has some type of service club, scouts maybe could use hours, not sure - I bet they would have fun being that person and might be more motivated to sign up. Not sure exactly but it crossed my mind so thought I would throw it out there! Good luck. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910099 Wed, 12 Feb 2020 21:16:30 +0000 Madison43 2910099@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cat620: Corralling volunteers sucks. As for the shifts, in my experience with these types of things it’s much easier to have 1-2 people work an entire event than schedule a lot of people for short time slots. It’s easier to manage for you, people get to put in their one night and be done with it, and you need much less volunteers overall. Can you go to the next PTA meeting and ask for volunteers there? It is much easier to get a yes when you ask someone face to face. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-spirit-night-advice#post-2910096 Wed, 12 Feb 2020 21:07:43 +0000 cat620 2910096@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm looking for advice and ideas from other parents of school aged kids. My son is in kindergarten, and his elementary school does monthly spirit nights at nearby restaurants. People eat there, say they are with the school, and then the PTA gets a percentage of sales.</p> <p>The lady who was in charge of the spirit nights stepped down, and I decided to take over, since I was wanting to get more involved in the school. She said all I had to do was confirm the spirit nights with the restaurants, publicize the event (through flyers and social media posts), and then manage the Sign Up Genius for volunteers for the sign in table. At every spirit night, they ask for volunteers to sit at the sign in table for 30 minute shifts while kids sign in on a little slip of paper. The class with the highest attendance gets a classroom cookie party, and the idea of cookie parties helps us get a larger turnout at events. The person at the sign in table is there to make sure the kids sign in correctly, don't cheat (try to get in extra entries), and be a friendly face when families arrive. </p> <p>I was under the impression that volunteers for this were plentiful, but since I've taken over, I'm lucky if I get 3 of 4 people to volunteer when I have 8 shifts to fill. The spirit nights are from 4-8 pm broken into eight 30 minute shifts. When nobody steps up to volunteer, I end up filling in, and this means spending 2-3 hours sitting at the sign in table at every spirit night, and I'm getting tired of it. </p> <p>I've talked to the PTA president, and she says I need to keep asking/pressuring people to volunteer, but I have posted on social media, sent emails, and even asked a few people in person, and everyone has an excuse as to why they can't do it. I get it - people are busy, but it's making me sad and frustrated. I even had a parent come up to me and say that she thought the sign-in table was a waste of volunteer time. I told the president this, and she said she doesn't know a better way to do things, since the kids get so excited about the cookie parties. </p> <p>Does anyone have any advice or ideas for me on how I can make this better? I feel stuck, and I don't have it in me to just say, "no, I won't do it." But at the same time, I don't think it's fair to me to have to fill in all the leftover spots. </p>