Welcome Back To School

First Day Festivities

2009-04-13T14:00:00.003-07:00

Make the first day of school extra special. Invite the mayor, the fire chief, and the police chief to be a part of an assembly. Request that they thank the teachers and staff. Also, ask that they motivate the students with inspirational speeches. Give all school employees, as well as your speakers, “Together We Create A Better Tomorrow” Lapel Pins. Pass out “Welcome Back: Believe, Achieve, Succeed” Stickers for all children to wear.

Knowing Them Better

2009-04-13T14:00:00.001-07:00

Organize a game of People Bingo to get your teachers and staff reacquainted with each other. Ahead of time, have everyone fill out a questionnaire with questions like “What is your favorite movie?” Create bingo cards that have five rows of five squares each. Place a fact about someone, such as “I was born in Florida,” in each square, but don’t include any names. Distribute the cards; tell participants to walk around the room, interviewing others to try to obtain the correct person’s initials for each box. The object is to achieve “bingo” (five across, down or diagonally). Award a Welcome Back Gift Bag Of Appreciation to the first person with bingo, and Together We Shine Travel Mug Gift Sets to the second and third place winners.

Wholehearted Marching

2009-04-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

Start the year off with an activity sure to receive attention: a parade. Have each class make a banner out of butcher paper. Tell the teachers to designate a few students to carry each banner. Provide the other students with helium-filled “Welcome Back: Believe, Achieve, Succeed” Balloons to tie on their wrists. Ask some staff members to carry Positive Promotions Banners, such as “Welcome To Our School Where Every Child Counts” and “Committed To Excellence-Dedicated To Education.” Lead everyone in the school on a procession through the streets…and don’t forget to wave!

School-Wide Mixer

2009-04-13T13:58:00.002-07:00

Provide students and parents the opportunity to interact with your school’s teachers in a relaxed environment. On the day before classes begin, hold a casual party. Put the PTO/PTA in charge of bringing snacks. Let children and adults mingle a while, then offer them the chance to participate in silly activities. Play fun kids’ music. Keep things light by awarding your teachers a “Wild About Our School” Stationery Set. Give out Promotional Pencils, imprinted with your school’s name or message, to thank everyone else for attending.

Updated Appearances

2009-04-13T13:58:00.001-07:00

It’s a new school year–help your teachers personally have a new look. Recruit hairdressers, makeup professionals and nail technicians willing to donate their skills. Bring in your teachers for mini makeovers. While haircuts and pedicures are taking place, hold drawings for gift cards from clothing stores (also donated). Hand everyone “You’re An Essential Part Of Our School” Manicure Kits. Express your gratitude to the makeover volunteers by giving them “Thanks A ‘Latte’ For All You Do!” Stress Relievers.

Group Getaway

2008-07-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

Hold a surprise “field trip” during your back-to-school teacher work day. At lunch time, load your teachers and staff onto a school bus and take them to a nearby park. Bring lunches packed in “Kids Are My Business” Insulated Lunch Bags for everyone. Pack ice and cold beverages in several On-The-Go Coolers. Have each person write down his or her name on a slip of paper and put it into a hat. Later that day, raffle off the coolers and allow time to relax in the grass before going back to work.

Pizza, Pizza, Pizza

2008-07-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

A pizza and root beer party is a fun way to ring in the new school year. Decorate your party place with the items in the Welcome Back Decoration Pack. Serve root beer in “100 Years From Now” Ceramic Mugs, which participants can take with them. Make sure to have a few lower-calorie, lower-fat pizza choices, such as veggie with thin crust, for the health-conscious members of your staff. While everyone eats, play festive music. Then give time for people to share “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” stories.

Thanks On Wheels

2008-07-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

On the first day of school, surprise your teachers and staff. Before the students arrive, push around a cart that carries coffee and easy-to-eat breakfast foods. Dispense the coffee into “Together We Create A Better Tomorrow” Ceramic Mugs, which everyone will enjoy reusing throughout the year. When someone walks up to get a mug full of coffee and a muffin, hand out an “Off To A Great Start” Mini Gift Tote With Stationery Set, along with words of gratitude. The gratitude will last longer than the coffee.

Boosting Morale Year-Round

2008-07-11T07:59:00.001-07:00

Enthusiasm shouldn’t be limited to August and September. Hold monthly drawings for prizes at staff meetings. Stock up on items that can be prizes, for example Attitude Is Everything Mouse Pads. Decide before ordering whether you will be giving away more than one gift per month. Also, have each meeting include an entertaining game, such as guessing the amount of beans in a jar. Choose small rewards, such as “Together We Make Our School Shine” Contour Grip Flashlights, for the game winners.

For Their Information

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See to it that all employees are “on the same page” as the school year starts. Organize a Welcome Back workshop. Pass out critical information at this event, such as new policies and changes to procedures. Show off any renovations or improvements done to the school over the summer. Place “Teamwork Makes Our School Great” Lapel Pins inside “Great Staff, Great Team” Mini Carryalls, and surprise everyone with this thoughtful and useful gift.

Driven To Succeed

2008-07-11T07:54:00.000-07:00

To inspire excellence, establish a Teacher Of The Month program. Let non-teaching staff members submit nominations of teachers they think have gone above and beyond. Ask that the staff members provide reasons to support their nominations. When you have each monthly winner chosen, recruit a parent volunteer to help you reward this teacher by chauffeuring him or her to and from school one day. Present a “100 Years From Now” Wooden Frame and a “100 Years From Now” Tote Bag to the honored person.

Music To Their Ear

2008-07-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

Get everyone’s attention with a rock-‘n’-roll theme at your first staff meeting. Affix paper music notes to the walls, and hang compact discs from the ceiling. As people enter, fill the air with rock music. During the meeting, toss “Our Teachers & Staff Rock” Guitar Stress Relievers into your “audience.” Make sure everyone receives a stress reliever by the end. Have “We Rock”Appreciation Pens in an empty case from a musical instrument. Let attendees take pens on their way out.

Looking Ahead

2008-07-11T07:46:00.001-07:00

Provide your teachers with an excellent planning tool. Purchase 2008-2009 School Days Monthly Planners for everyone. Before you distribute the planners, write major school events on the appropriate dates. And create a list with each teacher’s birth date. Place copies of the list in the planners. That way people can send warm wishes to others.

Say “Cheese!”

2008-07-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

Show off your employees’ shining faces to let the students and community see what a great staff you have! Gather your staff members for a group photo. Have them stand under a 6' x 4' Vinyl School Banner. Place brightly colored “Welcome Back: Believe, Achieve, Succeed” Balloons on both sides of your group to liven up the shot, and remind everyone to smile. Get several 8"x10" copies of the photo printed and hang them in the lobby, in the office, in the cafeteria, and in other high-traffic areas. When the students start school again, they will be greeted by the smiling staffers in the photos. For additional impact, send the photo to your local newspaper.

Good Morning

2008-07-11T07:36:00.001-07:00

Remind everyone of the possibilities that come with a new school year. Hold a Fresh Start breakfast. Decorate with fresh flowers and serve fresh fruit to eat. Give a motivational speech mentioning a few goals you’d like to see accomplished in 2008-2009. Extend your theme by handing out “Together We Help Students Bloom” Daisy Scented Candles and Laser-Engraved Apple Key Tags.

A Perfect Fit

2008-07-11T06:51:00.001-07:00

Begin the year with a team-building activity. Obtain a puzzle that has approximately as many pieces as you have teachers and staff. Bring everyone together. Let each person pick a piece. Then ask them to walk around the room and find people who have pieces that attach to theirs. Encourage participants to learn new things about returning co-workers and introduce themselves when they encounter new employees. When the puzzle is complete, reward everyone with “Essential Part Of The Team” Full Color Breakaway Lanyards and “You’re An Essential Part Of Our Team” Note Cube & Pen Gift Sets.