Hi all,
Just an update on our Back-to-School night this past Thurs. It went pretty well! We didn't get the display case decorated like I'd hoped, but that was really minor. The linking theme went over pretty well. We also had a good amount of people sign up (including teachers!) to join PTO. Probably the best part was that PTO came across as a friendly and caring group of people... and FUN! We even had lots of fun teasing the teachers about joining. They were pretty receptive and fun! I think we're off to a great start. Now, if I could only calm down and start enjoying all of this. (I was a wreck giving my "speech" over the intercom.)
We also tried to show people that putting their name under a committee didn't mean signing their life away. It meant they'd get a call to help with an event - and that's what most of them wanted!
We didn't do the contest as you suggested, Tim. But we did have a list showing people's abilities and strengths and in what area that would be most useful. (Some were pretty simple, like enjoy talking on the phone? Try Room Parent, Hospitality or Nominating Comm. Or like shopping?, etc...)
My theme this year is the idea that number of members or especially number of people at meetings is not the end-all/be-all.
Instead, increasing the number of folks actively engaged with the school community is the end goal.
How about an opening of the year project where you send home an exhaustive list of possible ways parents could connect with the school (including a BIG place for write-in ideas from parents themselves)? I'm talking exhaustive. Read to kids once a month. Chair a committee. Attend a family night. Type a letter up for the fundraising drive. Collect a BoxTop. Give a presentation on career day. Big. Small. Usual. Unusual.
The contest would be for highest % returning a completed form. You then will have a ready-made database of parent abilities, availability and interests. Used well ("Hi Mary, I know you said you'd be available to speak to a class about your career. Can we do that on a Thurday in October?"), that database could be a great start for getting folks involved.
P.S. This is probably obvious, but just in case...
If you run a contest, you may need to make sure the winning class is based on a percentage and not a total number. At least in our case, not all classes have the size number of students. A class that gets 12 out of 22 families to join is not tied with one that gets 12 out of 16.
[This message has been edited by JHB (edited 08-22-2001).]
Jo, I like your ideas and I can't wait to hear how it goes. For us, it's the inevitable "snowcone party" contest. [What can I say? It's Texas. It's hot! The kids go to the playground in 100+ heat. Snowcones are a BIG incentive (and cheap, and easy)...]
Anyway, the class in each grade with the most (i.e., highest percentage) of PTO members by the deadline wins a snow cone party. We send flyers home, post charts in the hallway showing each the progress of each class, make announcements via the intercom, push it in the newsletter. Pretty typical stuff.
Hi Brenda,
First, as far as finding info on this site, I'd try searching the "Other/newsletter" or "Free for all" sections. For some reason, I don't always find things just doing a search. When you look thru the postings, be sure to change the section at the top so you'll see all of the topics.
Second, as far as ideas. I'll know after tomorrow night if our ideas work or not because that's our back-to school and we're starting our membership drive then. We have a theme, "Linking together for a successful year". Everyone who joins will make a paper chain and we'll link them together under each teacher's name in our front hallway. Our goal is 75% of families and teachers and every class reaching the goal gets an ice cream party. I'm not aware of them doing anything like this in the recent past, so I have absolutely NO concept of how it will go! We're also having back-to-school night BEFORE school starts (first time for that too). Hopefully I'll be gushing tomorrow night about how successful it was.
Oh, by the way, the PTA website has a bulletin board with a section on membership. www.pta.org
Good luck,
Jo
[This message has been edited by MightyJo (edited 08-22-2001).]
I am serving as the new president of our PTO this year. I have decided to have a 4 week membership drive. This will be the first time our school does this and I'm in search of any ideas or helpful info to get us going in the right direction. On Monday, Aug. 27th, we will be having our first PTO meeting and this is when I want to announce our membership drive. Please help!!
P.S. I searched all topics on this website and couldn't find anything on membership drives!!
