any ideas for a picnic luncheon? Ideas for small gifts? how to serve foods?

Wow, so many great ideas and so many lucky teachers! Thanks for sharing the details of your themes & events - they will certainly inspire other leaders.

~Lisa



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We just finished a Mexican luncheon that was very successful and easy. We asked Room Moms or their parents from their class to each provide 1 thing... food, plates, etc... We had a set menu and parents signed up for whatever they wished to contribute. Our menu was rather simple: chips and salsa, bean dip. spanish rice, taco salad, cheese and pepper casserole, chicken enchilidas. Our favorite thing was dessert...we got colored plastic margarita glasses and put 1 scoop of lime sherbert in each, we colored sugar, Green and "salted" the rim of each glass with the green sugar and added a lime slice on the edge of the glass. We also placed 1 swizzle stick( Mexican themed...suns, hats, maracas, etc...) in each scoop. We decorated the area with Mexican Blankets, and hats. BIG FUN and BIG HIT!!

We feed our teachers breakfast on Monday. Cards and notes and small gifts on Tuesday. Wednesday we feed the teachers lunch. Thursday the teachers each have 1/2 day off ( some in the AM, some in the PM) with room moms and parents subbing. Friday the teachers get their gift bag of assorted goodies...Box of new pins, personalized stationary, Gift cards to their favorite store, highlighters, etc.

This year we made a giving tree where each teacher and staff member made a wish list for their class. We made stickers and placed each sticker on an apple and then on the tree. Parents could then get an apple that was in their budget. The kids loved giving back to their teacher. Don't forget the principal, secretaries, lunchroom staff, after/before care helpers, janitors. Everyone enjoyed getting somethings from their wish list.

We have also done a BBQ/Burger theme with great success. We used a bandanas, inexpensive straw cowboy hats and potted flowers for decorations. One of our favorite themes for our back to school luncheon was "Last Luau" (could also use it for the end of the year luncheon and all is "Splash into Summer"). We used luau decorations and gave each teacher a lei upon entering the lunch. The menu was a variety of salads (tossed salads, tuna salad & chicken salad with croissants, veggie and fruit salads). Some items were purchased inexpensively from Sam's and some were sent in by parents. I think the key is to make it fun, relaxed and add some personal touches - music, donated door prizes or notes from parents/students on the tables, a slide show of photos from the year - and it won't matter that you aren't serving steak and lobster.

Last year I did a "Our teachers are Stars" theme and decorated with Hollywood Movie star decorations which I found at our local party store and on Oriental Trading. We rolled out a red carpet, supplied big sunglasses (cheap ones) and had a star for each teacher on the red carpet. For food, we had variety platters of wraps, pasta salad, fruit salad and a local bakery donated a hollywood themed cake. They really enjoyed it and the kids thought it was neat seeing them with the glasses on. We also gave them a mini trophy.

Dawn-
Sounds like a fun theme! How about a jar of salsa? You could have kids create a new label for the jars or if you have someone creative in your group they could dress up the jars (like you do gifts in a jar ) and attach a thank you card of sorts.

~Lisa


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