Parents of school aged kids- what sorts of events does your school have?

[SnuggleBuggles]

We are trying to plan out the rest of our year and I was looking for some inspiration on things I can do with my class (I'm a room parent) and on a school wide level. I know several families on here went to Fall Festivals at their dc's school. What else is on the calendar?

Thanks for sharing! I want to have some good ideas to play around with at a planning meeting. :)

Beth

[Melanie]

-Family potluck the day before Thanksgiving
-valentine's day HOMEMADE card exchange (must bring enough for entire class). The kids decorate a paper bag that week to bring cards home.
-Mother's Day Brunch (week before mother's day)
-"Spring Egg" (LOL) hunt (the kids also blow out eggs and dye them themselves that week, to take home)
-Last day of school family picnic in the play yard (Bring-your-own lunch)
-

[jenmcadams]

The following are the biggest events our PTA does each year...some are sort of ongoing programs and some are one-time events. Our school is a neighborhood public K-6 school of about 350 students.

**Paws in the Park** (August)
Dog Show, People bring their dogs, hang out and watch the search and rescue dogs and agility dog shows

**Fall Disco Carnival** (September)
Held indoors at middle school, dance contests, carnival games, food

**PTA Reflections** (Fall)
Arts contest (national PTA), we hold workshops in music, visual arts, photographt, etc.

**Talent Show** (November)
Huge deal...auditions are in late Sept, 6th graders MC the whole thing and do all the backstage, lighting, etc.; the actual show was on Friday night and the auditorium is packed. There were 40 acts...kids ranging from K-6th.

**Grandparents/Special Friends Day**
Day before Thanksgiving break, they let them come in the classrooms, meet the teachers, etc

**We Care/Holiday Helpers**
The PTA sponsors 5-10 needy families from the school at Christmas...our school is pretty middle class...a few wealthy families and a few needy families, but largely middle class

**Courtyard Club**
A group of parents/kids who help maintain some flowers and other facilities things at the school

**Hospitality Committee**
We have a group that provides meals, snacks and homemade goodies for the teachers on staff development days, evening conferences, etc.

**Yearbook**
Our yearbook has some student involvement, but is mainly done by a group of PTA volunteers

**Classroom Parties**
We do classroom parties for Halloween, Winter and Valentines for all grades. The K kids also do a Thanksgiving feast, Luau and an end of year celebration. The 6th graders have tons of continuation activities. K-3rd parties are held in the classroom or onsite, but starting at 4th grade, the parties can be held offsite.

**Science Fair** (Spring)
Non-competitive, entirely run by PTA

**Gala for Grown-Ups**
Silent Auction, fundraiser

**Gallop at the Grove**
Amazing 5K race that starts and ends at our school...big fundraiser; we also do a kids running program in the AM before school leading up to the race called Monday Milers

**Destination Imagination**
Team based problem solving competition

**Young Writers** (Spring)
Writing competition with workshops sponsored by PTA

**Class Level End of Year Programs**
For K and 6th these are super big deals, but most of the other grades also do some sort of play or music program at the end of the year

**Handbells**
PTA Sponsored

**Band/Music**
During school time, an option for 4th grade on up

**Spelling Bee**
Mainly run from inside the school for 3rd grade on up

**Clubs**
Drama club, geo club, chess club

**Other After School Programs**
We also have a ton of after school enrichment things sponsored by PTA that are generallly fee-based and run by private groups -- Art classes, Pottery, Spanish, Keyboards/Guitar/Drums, radKids (Safety program)

**Other Fundraisers**
Beyond the Gala and the 5K race, most of our fundraisers are super low key -- we do gift cards at Xmas, butter braids (but no class competition or incentives). $$ for class parties and the PTA largely comes from voluntary donations at registration. I love the fact that I can write one check at the beginning of the year instead of getting hit up all the time If a grade doesn't use it's whole party fund, it rolls with them to the following year.

Can you tell that I was in charge of the volunteer vouchers this year...so I had the list right at my fingertips. I'm amazed at how involved our PTA is and how many working moms are chairing some of the more time intensive projects like science fair. I don't work outside the home, so I'm pretty involved, but didn't do much PTA stuff last year, so I'm amazed at the crazy level of involvement. :)

[egoldber]

Oh goodness. They have so many. Some I can think off the top of my head...

Movie Night (usually one in fall and one in spring) where they do a choice of 2 family movies

Bingo Night in the winter

Spring Social

They also do "X School Night" at Y restaurant type events. Chuck E Cheese is the most popular one.

[dhano923]

Fall Harvest Festival (pumpkin sale and carving contests, bake sale)
Spring Carnival (game booths, food booths, have to buy game tickets, etc)
Grandparents Day (grandparents come to the classroom for an hour to see how the class runs then kids join them in the auditorium for snacktime)
Fall/Spring Recital (younger kids sing songs, older kids sing and do a short play)
Food Drive (several times a year, request canned goods from parents. Class that collects the most gets an award)

[MamaKath]

I am sure I will miss a ton of them, lol.

Through PTL- We have take home fundraisers, though this year they cut it back to 1 that already went home. They have fundraiser nights about once a month at various restaurants. Other events that I can think of (many fun, not fundraisers, they often provide ice cream for the kids when it happens)...

Grandparents Day (October)
No Tricks Just Treats (October)
Breakfast with Santa (December)
Teachers afternoon out/kids movie afternoon (Dec and May)
Movie night
80s Dance
All School AR Challenge (Last year was a dunk tank and I learned the very wet way that, yes, first graders can aim!, a couple years ago we had folks sing from the roof, not sure what this year will be)
Spaghetti Dinner and Talent Show
Awards Ceremony (May, last week of school)

Each class (not PTL) also has a Thanksgiving Party, Christmas Party, Valentines Day, Resurrection Party in addition to the Grandparents Day Party.

Clubs are run throughout the year. There is chorus, PB&J (a drama and Bible study group), science and engineering, film, girls club and chess club so far this year.

ETA- We also do other things like charitable giving mainly through offerings. Those are prayer, monetary, food, and clothing. The monetary gifts will be used this year to build a school in a 3rd world country. Also we try to do other reach out things at the Holidays. Last year we did Stockings for Soldiers; this year we will be sending Christmas cards to nursing home residents.

Some of these things change year to year, the 80s dance used to be a Sock Hop. The Talent show used to not be the dinner. And the offerings designation changes year to year.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Wow! There are a lot of great ideas to consider!! Thank you!!

Beth

[lovin2shop]

Just saw this Beth, so I thought that I would add two more that our school had recently and I thought that they were fun.

Bike Rodeo - kids rode their bikes up to school and the police came with engravers for the bikes. They also did helmet checks and safety demonstrations.

Science Night - the cafeteria was set up with several stations where they did science experiments for the kids to watch. The kids loved it.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Ds2's preschool does a 5K/10K/Family Fun Run and Pancake Breakfast in the Spring.

Ds1's school does...
Bingo Night in the Winter.
A Family Night/Auction weekend in the Fall.
Carnival in the Spring.
Mexican Fiesta in the Summer.

Thats all I can think of right now.
Amy