<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> Have you walked up to a man picking up his kid after school and asked him for his help? I have discovered that sending home letters asking for help might reach more people, but a face to face request for help is much more effective? What about all these women that will help, don't they have husbands? Why don't they ask their husband to pitch in? What about your husband? male teachers? The maintenance workers? <hr></blockquote>
I have BEGGED with flyers to our parents and personal plea's. We ended up Paying someone plus my husband donating his time. The person we are paying is the husband of a teacher FROM ANOTHER SCHOOL! They are still working on it (with 3 days left of school). I just want it done with - it's sad that no one at are school was willing to help. We have the $ at our school but 'everyone is too busy'. Couldn't you just scream when people tell you that?!?! I guess I knew it would come down to my hubby.
Our Parent Club just finished replacing/installing our new playground. It was soooooooo much work. We looked into clubs helping w/ the install (Lions Rotary etc..) but that never worked out. We ended up paying the rep. we bought the equipment from to draw out plans fot us & sent out tons of flyers asking for help..... We have 460 kids & about 10 parents showed up the 1st day, about 7 the next day, the project was carried over to the next weekend where only 4 people came to help (including the principal) Then again to the next week with the same few parents helping!!! We really thought it would never get finished, we had caution tape up so the kids could not play for weeks... After all was said & done we did get help from a couple dads that are in construction others just followed their directions & worked really hard!!! Still today we have a few small fixes to finish. But the kids love the playground!!!! Good luck! [img]smile.gif[/img]
Just 2 thoughts...
1. Our local National Guard helped us build, dig, cement, and move our playground (our old building was sold and our elementary school moved up to the old intermediate school which didn't have much of a playground).
2. Make sure you know who is responsible for the UPKEEP of the playground equipment you purchase/build. We built a huge wooden climbing structure with slides etc... and found out that the school would not maintain it. We even offered to buy the sealer and supplies they just needed to have the custodeon spray it down over the summer and the school's reply was "It's yours and your responsible for the upkeep."
We have the opposite problem. We were fortunate this year to have raised a nice amount of money and would like to invest it in playground equipment and improving the playground. We are willing to hire someone to install it,and have plenty of parents and even teachers willing to help, but we are having a hard time getting the ok from the Board of Education to purchase it. We have filled out all the necessary requests and paperwork and can't get a straight answer. It is now April and we still don't have anything up. Before you know it the school year will be over. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make it happen? :confused:
Have you walked up to a man picking up his kid after school and asked him for his help? I have discovered that sending home letters asking for help might reach more people, but a face to face request for help is much more effective? What about all these women that will help, don't they have husbands? Why don't they ask their husband to pitch in? What about your husband? male teachers? The maintenance workers? Can they do it if the PTA rents or borrows the equipment neede?
Find a construction project in progress nearby and visit the site. Tell them your problem and find out if they can help or recommend someone to help. Get proactive. Don't just let equipment you have already paid for just sit there becuase no one has responded to a letter sent home.
Have you contacted the company that you purchased the equipment from? Maybe they could send out a persoon to help organize and tell people what to do. We recently installed our playground and had lots of parent help but we has a company rep there to direct us. I would send a note home letting the parents know that if you don't receive the man power that is needed then it will not get done at all. Also, contact local construction companies and ask if they would be willing to donate some time on the weekend to help with this project. It wouldn't hurt calling the local newspaper and asking them to run a story about this. They are always looking for stories to run and you might just get the community support you need. Good Luck, let us know what happens.
