Our school's is VERY INFORMAL, but it has worked great for all involved. Our student population is around 600 for the K-5 grade and it is an "open house". The school is opened for ONE hour. Parents and children alike are invited in to tour the entire school - not just classrooms (as this is the only time some parents get to see misc classrooms). Our local Kiwanis group helps by directing traffic. You go to your classroom, bring your supplies, stand in line to say hello to your teacher and then in your "cubbie" in a list of things you can do/check out that night. In the Lunchroom, you can pay for lunch meals, sign up for afterschool program, our boy/girl scouts each have a table for sign-ups and of course the PTO has a table right up front to display logo wear, fall fundraiser info, label collecting programs, and then the officers will greet with flyers like
1. Officer/Committee list
2. What has our PTO done in the last year
3. When our meetings are
4. Sign up sheets for the various events that we need volunteers for right away.
Then the children (and younger siblings) are given a treat (popsicle) on their way out the door, courtesy of the PTO.
It is a little crazy for that hour, but it gets the job done and gets everyone home to bed for the next big day. Hope this helps.
We have 2 BTS Nights. We start out with K-2. Then a few days later we do 3-6 with a different movie. These are both held after the new school year starts. We hold an Icecream Social the day before school starts, so kids can find their classroom, drop off their supplies and meet their teacher.
The kids are dropped off in the lunch room to watch a movie, if they want. Parents go to the classroom to meet the teacher. Our principal makes a presentation over the TV and then goes by each classroom. We also have sign-up sheets on each chalkboard for all of our big volunteer needs, so volunteers can show interest that night.
In our town high school kids need so many community service hours to graduate. We put out a call to the high school kids to help man our elementary school functions. As long as there are some adults it is fine. It helps when there is a shortage of volunteers. Maybe this is a route you could try for extra hep on your BTS night.
During our back to school night parents and children meet in the multi-purpose room.
At this time the principal, guidance counselor and usually the PTO pres. each do a short talk. Everyone is then dismissed to go to their respective classrooms. In the older grades
(4th-6th) the teachers usually meet as a team with all the parents and students. In the younger grades (where they just have one teacher) they meet in their individual classrooms. Kindergarten is actually done on a separate night so that it is not so overwhelming. They are welcome to come again for the big event. New families come about a week before at New Family Night. This is a much smaller event. Our school has aprox. 528 students grades K-6. We serve cookies and punch and or bottled water.
The teachers explain what will go on during the yr. and what is expected of the students.
Later in the yr. we have an open house for parents to come and view their children's
work. This is usually between the hrs. of 5:00-7:00.
We do not have a specific PTO registration. If you are a parent, grandparent etc. you are welcome to be a part of the PTO. During the first month of school we then send out a
volunteer form for things like Holiday Shop, grandparent's day, RIF, Daffodil Days etc.
Then our volunteer coordinator compiles a list from the volunteer forms with names and phone numbers for each event.
Volunteering in the classroom is separate and done by the homeroom coordinator and the teacher. Library and cafeteria vol. are also done seperately.
We have a very dedicated group of PTO volunteers and are always looking for new ideas and faces!
Have a great school year!
I totally agree with Vmomo3. Why be so stingent to the "no kids" in the classroom rule?
One idea you might try is to have tour guides for the night. It can even be some of the older students (they would love this). Maybe start the evening off with the tours where one goes to the gym, another to the music room, another to the computer room, etc. Have the tour go around and maybe end up at the teacher's classrooms.
I'm sure you could go a different route than the tour groups, but the point is that if you change up the evening you can resolve all of the problems that you are experiencing. Volunteer requirements would be minimalized. No need for games, or big screens, etc. You can still have volunteer parents used as question answerers. This way after the teacher presents what they want to, there would be others besides the teacher that can answer some of the parent's questions.
Anyway, that is what I would do if in your situation.
Our back to school night is a meet the teacher night, where the school is open and parents and students tour their room and say hi to their teacher together. They drop off their school supplies and then head to the cafeteria to free ice cream. The PTO table is set up there and we have registration. This year will will also have our spiritwear on display and for sale.
Families come to school during the three hours that is good for them, no scheduled times.
Also, the volunteers I chose for that event are ones who have had students at the school several years and know all most all of the teachers. The teachers know most of the PTO parents and will know that we are in the school, and that we are signing up new members.
