Hello...I am new to this forum and I thought I will give you my experience. I am a Pres of a PTC of a PreK-4 school with 311 students. I asked people what would help them get out to a meeting and they all claimed the problem was what to do with the kids. We started child care, in which we pay a middle schooler to keep the kids busy, and it has had no effect on attendance. It is just a convenience to those that already attended. Oh, well, what can we do?
Anyone who has added childcare in the last couple of years - did you have increased meeting attendance after you began providing child care? Or is a convenience for the parents that already attend?
We have our meetings in the evening. Many students are required 16 community service hours for their CCD classes. We have 8 meetings a year, that run 2 hours long.... and these kids earn their 16 hours and we pay nothing. Easy!
We got the gym teacher to stay after school for one hour for our 4 meetings... PTo meeting are right after school. WE call it Mr. Maxie's Sports Camp... kids love it... he does it for free and kids beg their parents to attend the meeting so they can go to Mr. Maxie's Sport Camp!!
Our meetings are from 4-5 pm once a month, two additional meeting are held in the evenings but without the Sports Camp.
We also started a Forgien Language Club... same time as the meetings. So some kids can choose SPanish Club or Sports Camp!!
I forgot to add that we do pay the girls $10 each for their time. Our HS also has a Key Club, NHS, and service learning class that might be possible to glean responsible young adults and they would use the time as community service.
Our elementary principal is also the high school girls' softball coach and she recruits players, two for each meeting. They are supervised by our school district's Way to Grow Coordinator. We try to offer an agenda for the kids (i.e. For two months, they have been coloring paper placemats for the residents in our local hospital's long-term care. A local restaurant donated a case of the placemats and we supply markers and crayons.) But on really nice evenings, they go out to the playground. I think it is very important, from a responsibility point, to have an adult supervising.
We also allow all children of our meeting
attendees.
We provide a light snack and a beverage also, that's for everyone, not just the kids.
