Hubby was Cool Kindergarten Dad once by taking his racecars and trailer up to the school. When the kids came out to the parking lot he was wearing his fire suit, let them sit in the cars, look through the trailer, the works. When they lined up to go in he started one of the cars and drove it (slowly and responsibly) through the parking lot so they could hear how loud it was! A week later he got a huge manila envelope in the mail full of hand made cards, many of them with drawings from the kids showing him in his blue and white racer suit. He said he was going to quit his job and go on the kindergarten circuit because those cards were worth more than any paycheck ever!

I've also had many opportunities to volunteer at various schools. Overwhelmingly, I love the cards and drawings from the kids, the teachers stopping me in the hallway to say "Thanks! You're the BEST!", things like that.

Like mum24kids gifts make me uncomfortable because of the money spent.

I've only attended one volunteer luncheon and I was so uncomfortable. At that time I was new and only an "occassional" volunteer. I went into the room not knowing anybody and lacked the confidence to stride into the established groups sitting around.

My work for a community center was rewarded two years in a row with a packet of seeds for perrenial flowers and a very lovely poem. It was such a beautiful reminder every year when the flowers returned!

One of the best volunteer appreciation gifts I ever got was from my daughter's class when she was in kindergarten. The teacher had all the children make me cards. Each one was original and special. They drew pictures of things we had done together or wrote me messages(teacher helped or I might not have deciphered some). I couldn't help but cry when I went through them all and then I took them home and made a special garland to hang them on. I still have those cards and my daughter is in 7th grade.

Several of our teachers have their classes make thank you cards to the PTO after events. We love sharing them at meetings.

I guess I want to say that doing the small personal thank yous are the best way to make a volunteer feel appreciated. Most of us aren't there for the "BIG" recognition plaque or such, we're there because we want to help. Just knowing someone noticed is enough.

We do a end of year party and everyone that volunteered throughout the year comes. The staff of the school all cook/bring food and drinks and also raffle prizes (which are in most cases they solicit donations). They always have enough so everyone that attends get's one.

When I took on the job of volunteer coordinator this year, I did so with the caveat that I could get rid of the longstanding "volunteer of the month" recognition. It tends to be a very cliquey thing, even if the teachers nominate/vote on the parents to get it. I do recognize volunteers in the newsletter every month, but it's more random--you're just as likely to be pictured if you came to serve the Thanksgiving lunch or if you come into the classroom to help 3 times a week.

I've always liked the end of year luncheon or breakfast provided by the staff idea, but what I've liked even better is when the kids have made stuff for me. One year there was a teacher who sewed situpons for the volunteers, and had all the kids in the class put their handprints and names on it ("thanks for giving us a hand this year"). Another year the teacher put together a booklet of pictures of the volunteers and kids taken throughout the year, and the kids all signed it. Even just a handwritten note is great!

I've had teachers buy me gift certificates for Borders or Starbucks, and they're great, too, but for some reason that just makes me feel vaguely uncomfortable, or guilty, or something like that. Given teacher salaries, and knowing that they have to spend so much of their own money on supplies, having them spend money on me just makes me uncomfortable, even if it's a small amount.

I think it is great that you want to recognize volunteers, I am a strong advocate of doing so. I would like to warn you however of doing a volunteer of the month award. The problem that I see with this is how do you decide, who decides and do you really think you can recognize certain ones without hurting others. Say your school is in session 10 months, you would only be focusing on ten if you do one a month, in a school where there is alot of volunteering that could hurt feelings.
I think that most people do it because they want to, I also believe that if Mr. Jones can only give two hours a year that he shouldn't be made to feel less important than the volunteer who puts in 60 hours a month. I would go a different route, take your school wide volunteer list, get pictures of all of them. have a volunteer wall and recognize so many of month with the goal of doing them all by the end of the year, take profile info and post cute things with their pictures. Recognize volunteers as specfic groups in the school newsletter every time it comes out, don't just focus on pto volunteers, hit up all volunteers.
Write columms in newletters, newspapers, pto mintues, web site, etc. about school wide volunteers. If you can find a way to do the monthly volunteer great but i do caution about making sure that all volunteers are treated equal. Just the other night at our monthly meeting a new mom said it was so nice to know that she was welcomed even though she can only do a hour a month, she felt that she wouldnt be welcomed and had her friends telling her that volunteering will suck your time up. It is important to market that two hours a year can make a difference. I applaud that you want to recognize volunteers...

[ 11-15-2006, 09:20 AM: Message edited by: pals ]

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Good-bye