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This Beginning of Year Welcome Event is for kindergartners, preschoolers and their families. It’s usually outdoors near the playground and takes place on a Friday evening in late August or early September. Because the event is so early in the school year, the Beginning of the Year event planning starts right away!! PTO Executive Board should contact the Beginning of Year event chairs in early August or as soon as possible!
The event is a great showcase for our Barnsdale spirit wear. At the very beginning of the school year, there will be a chance for families to order shirts and other items featuring our Barnsdale logo. The spirit wear orders are planned for delivery BEFORE this event, with the idea that the students wear their Barnsdale shirts to school that day and to the event that evening.
The PTO Board provides support but event chairs are responsible for planning and running the entire event. Chair duties include:
Managing volunteers (volunteers are supplied by the PTO via Sign-up Genius starting in August each year)
Contacting vendors and exhibitors for event
Coordinating supplies for the event (tables, extension cords, tattoos with sponges, sidewalk chalk, etc...)
Event set up and clean up
School custodial staff assists with tables and extension cords as needed
Online signups for volunteers will open at the beginning of the school year. Volunteers are needed for set up, photography, tattoos, and clean up. There is a generic template for volunteer spots, but if you need more volunteers, contact the Room Parent Board Members.
Typical Activities
Typical Activities
Tattoos (small Barnsdale owl tattoos)
All supplies (tattoos, buckets and sponges) located underneath the display case in the hallway
At least 3+ Barnsdale volunteers needed. This will be a very popular and busy station!
Library information: run by LG and LGP library staff
Call both libraries to secure their staff participation
Usually a shared booth
Simple games and activities, supplies provided by each library
No Barnsdale volunteers needed
Food
Bill’s has been a favorite vendor, providing hot dogs, chips and drinks
Bill’s handles all cash for purchases
Other alternatives have included food trucks and having families bring their own picnic
Food trucks handle all cash for purchases
No Barnsdale volunteers needed
Photo booth (optional)
Useful source of pictures for the yearbook!!
Props or photo frames helpful but not necessary
Candids and posed photos of Barnsdale students and staff only (no parents or siblings please)
At least 1 Barnsdale volunteer needed as photographer
All pictures should be sorted through before submitting for yearbook consideration. The yearbook chair will set up our site so parents / committee chairs can upload images to be included.
Playground play, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, music
The event will run quickly and will be over before you know it. Although the event chairs will have some free reign in planning the event, it is often easier to keep it as simple as possible. Kids are more than happy to be playing on the playground equipment and don’t need a lot of activities for this short amount of time.
*There is no rain date for this event; in the case of inclement weather, all activities will be moved into the gym and adjacent hallways.
Volunteer Communications
Volunteer Communications
The below email was sent the day before the event by the Room Parent Board Members to notify Welcome Party Volunteers.
The below email was sent the day before the event by the Room Parent Board Members to notify Welcome Party Volunteers.
Team,
Thank you all for taking time to volunteer for tomorrow's Welcome to School party!
If you volunteered for set up, please arrive no later than 5:00 pm. Chairs will be onsite around 4:45pm. Everyone else, if you could please be onsite about 10-minutes before the party starts, we'd so appreciate it.
Tattoo & Photo Booth - [names of volunteers for this assignment], if you can take the first 1/2 hour, a new team will come relieve you and take the second shift!
Popsicles - [names of volunteers for this assignment], if you could take the first 1/2 hour, we'll see if other PTO members can relieve you if needed (the popsicles will be the first thing to go!)
Hootie - [names of volunteers for this assignment], Allison will help guide you around in the Hootie costume! Hootie generally has a 6pm appearance!
Dress - If you have Barnsdale spirit wear, please feel free to wear it. If not, please feel free to wear red or yellow if you have it!
Weather report for the day of:
Timeline
4:45pm - Chair Arrival
5:00 pm - Set Up
Tables
Popsicles (may need a large cooler to put them in if needed) Drop them off in the freezers at the school prior to the day of the event)
Tattoos, spray bottles, sponges
PTO marketing (flyers for upcoming fundraisers or other activities as needed)
Chalk
5:20 pm - Volunteer Arrival
5:30 pm - Party
6:00 pm - Hootie
7:00 pm - Tear Down
Please let us know if you have any questions! Thank you all so much for sharing your time.
Prior Year Recaps
Prior Year Recaps
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