Our PTO traditionally hosts a "Welcome Back" Breakfast for the Teachers & Staff. We choose a fun school theme to decorate the room. We make school supply towers or "back to school" survival baskets for centerpieces then raffle them off to the teachers. We ask the local grocery stores for donations & use Sign-Up Genius (which is super helpful) to ask parents for donations such as: hot breakfast casseroles, spinach quiche, fruit salad, bagels, muffins, scones, breakfast pastries, orange juice & starbucks coffee boxes. It's a great way to welcome everyone back and they're super appreciative!
If any of the PTO/PTA organizations are coming back to school with generous funds that were not spent last year, and would like to start the year off with a bang consider doing this idea.
Purchase a supply of paper sacks (color geared to your school maybe) and fill it with a few supplies that the teachers would probably have to use their own $ to supply their classroom with.
Highlighters
Red pens
Black / Blue pens
Post it notes
Dry board erasers
Dry board markers
paper clips and
large clips to hold stacks of paper together
Staples
Rubber bands
small pads of paper (maybe has your school on it)
Package of lifesavers
(you don't have to get all these, but just a few would be appreciated).
PS: Maybe post a note on the outside of the colored gift bag (the inexpensive ones at party stores).
********
If you have a middle school or high school PTO/PTA, this note might be good to give to the teachers as the start of the year comes upon all of us.
It is better to build teenagers than to
repair Men and Women. We appreciate the "building" that you are accomplishing in the wonderful building (.....Name of school here....).
We traditionally do a Welcome Back Teacher Luncheon and usually do it on their Staff Day right before school starts.
Usually we do a light lunch, like salad and baked potato with iced tea and water as the drinks. Then maybe send them back to resume their workshops/staff sessions with goodie bags of cookies or such. Always we put a cute Teacher Appreciation wording on the teacher plates or on the goodie bags.
Maggie,
You're one up on us. We've never done anything for the first day back. Your ideas sound good though!! I also like the idea of having dinner for them on conference nights.
But I'm forcing myself not to tackle too much at once.
Jo
[This message has been edited by MightyJo (edited 07-19-2001).]