Group Getaway

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.