I have to agree, my heart started pounding, my eyes started twitching, just reading about your ideas. Love them yes, but I could not even consider them unless I was sure that the help would be there.
Our Pajama Reading Night was my favorite family night last year!
We invited families to school for a dinner of strawberry waffles, sausage and orange juice... then, a special school group called the Mad Muse performed Native american tales for eveyone. Then, we had different reading areas set up. Famillies could choose which story they wanted to listen to. We had our community librarian, our school librarian, teachers who read in english AND spanish, police officers, fire fighters, our principal and our school counselor all read some great books!
In between stories, we raffled of various prizes... including some of the books that were being read that night and slippers (to go with all those cute pj's everyone was wearing!) We also set up a photo backdrop that looked like a kid's bedroom for family photos... this was a big hit. I wish I could post one of the photos here!!!
I LOVED THIS FAMILY NIGHT!!! We'll be doing it again this year.
I would love to hear details of Family Reading Nights! Some have talked about PJ reading nights. What has worked and what did not work!
Also, anyone had an author visit? Who? Cost?
(Please share details here on the boards -- ed.). I look forward to hearing from you.
Kathy
Holly, I am totally exhausted just reading your plans for the year. Please make sure you're going to have plenty of help. Are you wanting to add ALL of the extra things or decide on a few that everyone wants? Please remember that it's not your sole responsibility to do everything. If help backs out it's ok to say we can't do it. DO NOT try to do all of this on your own. Oh, I am remember my burn out by Christmas last year. Not pretty! Good Luck to you! You have great ideas and your enthusiasm is refreshing!
Oh librarymom I can soooooooooooo relate! I TOTALLY understand your frustration. We have a school of 715 students and at our meetings besides the board we usually only have a parent or two show up. Granted, I know that having parents participate in the event rather than a meeting is better than nothin'.... but what everyone doesn't seem to understand is that the "few" that are there ALL THE TIME plan everything. It takes just as much work to try to hunt people down to take care of things as it does to plan a whole event. Granted... I know that it is very hard for people to "commit" to chairing a committee (I have always been one of those people), but how hard is it to just say..."I'll help with this event" and then when there is someone in place of heading it they can already have a list of people to work with? Anyway...... I'm sorry I am just going on and on and on....
Another thing... has anyone else on here felt like they are the only ones working on things over the summer?
As for this original post topic (because I just decided to go off in my own tangent).... we don't have a lot planned for this upcoming year. I would like to have more "FUN" nights incorporated into our schedule. As far as our fundraisers.... those aren't all perfectly laid out either. I am just a little bit nervous because I feel like we are just doing things as we go along, and that's not how I want it to be. So far this is what we have....
Back To School Night
Ice Cream Social (THANK YOU Holly for the idea!!)
Fall Fundraiser ~ catalog sale
Spell-a-thon or Walk-a-thon
Trunk or Treat actually put on by our local Mom's Club at the school, but I would like the PTO to help with the event, since $$ raised will go to the school.
Fine Art's Festival (school activity, that parents can come and enjoy)
That's it...... pretty sad, eh??? Actually I was just reading the post again.... what FAMILY FUN NIGHTS do you have planned? Looking at ours, none. The Ice Cream Social was my idea that I brought to the board, and was ADAMIT about having it. Basiclly I'm not really sure if they all wanted to do it or not, but I didn't let up and I finally persuaded everyone. I ran with the idea and am planning the whole thing myself! The plan is to "sell" dinner at a minimum cost and provide FREE ice cream to all who attend. We will raffle off prizes as well. My hope is that this will go well and open the eyes of others and encourage more Family Fun Nights in which they would like to help participate and or plan. Wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please make sure you're going to have plenty of help. Are you wanting to add ALL of the extra things or decide on a few that everyone wants? Please remember that it's not your sole responsibility to do everything. If help backs out it's ok to say we can't do it. DO NOT try to do all of this on your own. Oh, I am remember my burn out by Christmas last year. Not pretty! 
Good Luck to you! You have great ideas and your enthusiasm is refreshing! 