I love new ideas!
Yesterday, while waiting to get LASIK (more on that later), I stumbled upon a great idea in a parenting magazine. My reading choices were limited but I'm glad I picked up that issue.
In it, a mom was discussing fundraising ideas for her child's school. Many of them we already do (collecting box tops, asking for classroom donations, hosting movie nights) but one of them was new:
I'm super excited to bring this idea up with my art teacher and Sunshine committee. The article suggested charging admission, but I think it should be free for families to come into our school. Families would walk around and see students' art displays. Choir could perform. Student council members could lead tours and act as ambassadors.
As a school, we could charge for "wine" (grape and apple juice) as well as cheese and crackers to make it more like an official art night.
Perhaps works of art could be auctioned off to benefit our school. We could also sell ceramic tiles that families could paint to use in a new school mural.
I envision something like this:
I'm hoping I get the green light from admin and that others are on board!
What fundraisers does your school do?
My previous school essentially became a self-appointed turn around school. Over ninety percent of my previous staff, including my principal, left for various reasons.
I did my research and interviewed at one school which prioritizes reading and is quite close to my new home. They did quite well last year on standards and have a diverse population. They are still a Title 1 school but with an incredibly supportive community, which will be a nice change.
When I went for my interview, there were dozens of high school students coming over to volunteer and parents helping in the office. Immediately I welcomed this change and the thoughts of never grading Aimsweb progress monitoring probes again danced in my head.
My interview went well and I was hired, which was a huge sigh of relief. I was the last of my grade level to secure a new position. One teacher is headed to teach third grade with several other staff members (oddly at the elementary school my boyfriend attended many years ago). Another is leaving the district for charter schools with her husband. A third member of our team is headed to an elementary school close to her daughters' daycare to teach departmentalized math and science, which her masters degree is in. Our special education teacher is following our former principal to her new school, along with several other teachers. We are all on to better things and I was finally, with a sigh of relief, welcomed into this club.
It was hard to tell my students I was leaving, but since they are all moving to middle school, I stressed that we all need change.
My mentee in third grade and his wife had interviewed several places but were struggling to find positions at the same school (their requirement).
I knew of one opening at my new school and quickly inquired about the possibility of another with my new principal. I passed along her contact information to the married teachers and was thrilled when they had interviews.
I was even more excited when they were both hired at my new school. He will be teaching third grade again while she will be back in general ed in second grade, which she's previously taught. Adding to my excitement is she will be in my pod and only a few doors down! I was thrilled when I got her Facebook message sharing they'd both been hired.
If possible, I was even more excited when my new principal texted to let me know she adored them and hired them both. She thanked me for recommending them to join our school family. This sense of support is such a refreshing change. How cute is she?!
I love that I'm going to a new school where everyone is excited to go to work. I love that there is such a community feel and that two of my favorite teachers from my old school get to join me at my new one!
Onward and upward!
