OK, I'm a little late (didn't think school would EVER start again!). We do a teacher lunch, with the PTO members bringing the food--we dividie it up and sort of treat it like a potluck, but the teacher's don't bring anything. Actually,it's not just the teachers but the entire school staff that's invited. We have had it in the school lunchroom. However, this year one of our members lives in a condominium complex with a "community room" that was really nice so we had it there. I think the teachers and staff liked getting away from the school for their special holiday lunch. It seems like there are various subdivisions and housing areas where these kind of facilities are available. It's nice to be off campus, but still not have to mess up anybody's house!

The teachers in our elementary school have a party at a restaraunt during the evening. They pay their own way and anyone else they may bring. To my knowledge, the PTO has never been approached about paying for the party. The teachers may view that as an inapropriate use of the PTO funds, as they are aware that the majority of funds are spent for the students.

The PTO board members have customarily brought in goodies and placed them in the staff lounge. We have less than 400 students and the staff always appreciates this nice gesture paid for out of our own pockets. I brought in a large tin of homeade white chocolate dipped pretzels. There always seems to be enough goodies for all the staff since most board members participate.

I think the volunteered party in a home is a lovely idea, but I'm not sure if I could find anyone willing to do that in the pre-Christmas frenzy. We just asked parents if those who could would take baked goodies into the staff lounge Monday (Tuesday was our last day before the holiday), and I put up a large (homemade) card from the PTO over a bowl of peppermint canes and made a crock-pot of spiced cider. Everyone seemed hugely appreciative--but then, I don't think we've done anything at all in the past, so maybe it's all in the conditioning!

In our elementary school, I think we need about 50 desserts. Sometimes the PTO has to buy/scrounge a few, I think it works out fairly well.

In the middle school, involvement is much tougher to solicit and we don't have as good of access to the parents. No room parents, no directory, no single point of contact. Miscellenous stuff sent in packpacks rarely gets to an adult. Less than 25% of our families are on the email distribution list...

The PTO does this at Thanksgiving & Christmas for middle school. For Thanksgiving, we needed about 80, got about 50. The PTO went and bought the extra.

I have mixed feelings about this activity. What bothers me is there's HUGE disparity in what teachers get. One donation may be an elaborate home-made cheesecake that looks incredible. Another may be a cheap package of grocery store "bakery" cookies, obviously mass produced and having little taste.

But, both the teachers and the other active PTO people seem to love it, so that's all that matters.

Excellent ideas! It is too late for this year, but hopefully we can do this next year. I just hope I can get the level of participation that goes into this! How have those of you who have done this faired on that?

Both of my PTOs (elementary w 500 kids, middle school w 900 kids) are doing dessert lottos.

Parents are asked to send in a baked good on a certain date, the goal being to get one per staff member. (If we run short, the PTO buys some stuff.) The desserts are numbered and then teachers draw numbers to see which dessert they won. It's very popular.