Hospitality Events

So...May is always the busiest month in a school, and then Hospitality goes and adds more to it.  So, just wanted to share some Hospitality events from the month of May...

So, first, we have 2 teachers who are pregnant (well, now only one because the teacher on the right had her baby the day after the last day of school...talk about good timing!).  The grade level of the pregnant teacher hosts the baby shower, and Hospitality provides the food for the shower.  Because we were running out of time, we combined the baby showers into one, and doubled our budget for food.  Yay!  :-P

Every other month we have a Birthday Club event.  We celebrate the birthdays of the staff for those two months.  Usually a grade level hosts it, and we have the event in one of their classrooms.  However, due to time, we combined BC with a faculty meeting, and just had it in the library.  Hospitality pays for the food for the event, and the hosting grade level gets to pick the menu.  Our fourth grade team hosted the event, and they picked strawberry shortcakes.  They were delicious!  Somehow I only got one photo though.

For our Second Annual Hello Summer Bash, we went to the house of one of our Pre-K teachers.  We did potluck and just hung out and had lots of fun.

We also texted this co-workers who didn't come to the party.  That's our music teacher, one of our 3rd grade teachers, and myself making a "where are you and why are you not here?!" face.

What kinds of things does your faculty do at the end of the year?

Teacher Appreciation Week

So...I know Teacher Appreciation Week has come and gone, but I did want to share a few things that Hospitality did this year for Teacher Appreciation Week.

These folders and construction paper packs were donated to the school from Office Depot.  Our AP asked if Hospitality would like to use them as giveaways, so, of course, we did.  :-)

One of our Pre-K teachers (who is on Hospitality Committee) decided to spend her hard-earned money to buy every teacher a carnation, and then have her Pre-K students deliver them throughout the day.  The only people at school who know she bought them are her, myself, and our music teacher.  She told everyone they came from Hospitality...isn't that nice of her?  I have the best people on my committee.

This was our biggest thing for TAW.  We stuffed goodie bags for every teacher and teacher assistant at my school.  One of our third grade teachers got her students to decorate the bags, and then I passed them out Wednesday morning.  Inside the bags were paper clips, binder clips, pencils, glue, sticky notes, pens...and I feel like something else, but I can't remember.  Haha.

Also, I just wanted to share this little plaque that my Teacher Assistant got me for TAW...

I just love it.

She knows me so well.

December happenings...

So, as previously mentioned, I am the Hospitality Chair for my school.  December is our craziest month...so I just wanted to share what we did this month.  :-)

It's going to be a long post, so thanks in advance for sticking it out.

Every other month we get together to celebrate the faculty/staff birthdays from those two months.  Our Pre-K/2nd grade teachers hosted the November/December Birthday Club.  They put together a Cookie Decorating Party for us.  It was delicious!  The only problem was getting out of the chairs...adults are not meant to sit in chairs for 4 year olds.  :-P

 Every year we have a staff Christmas party.  This year, our Teacher-of-the-Year was our gracious Hostess.  We always have food, and play Dirty Santa.  Which, if you've never played that before, you should.  The blonde lady above is our principal.  She really didn't have a choice in the gift she chose, as one of our Pre-K teachers made a gift with her in mind.  The ornament she's holding has a gift card to amazon inside of it.  Along with pictures of our principal making the goofiest faces.  It was hilarious!

Yes, our faculty does play Heads Up!  Which, if you don't know what it is...it's an app by Ellen deGeneres.  Download it, you'll love it!

We started something new this year called December Eats and Treats.  Essentially it's a dessert potluck.  Everyone (that wants to) brings a dessert and puts it on the stage.  During lunch all faculty and staff members are free to go on stage and get some desserts.  I was a little worried at first, but more desserts showed up after I took these pictures.  And yes, that cake on the left was homemade by the wife of one of our 2nd grade teachers.

Last, but not least, we had an Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest.  This is the second year we've had it, and more teachers join every year.  The gentleman in the gray sweater with the face on it was our winner this year.

I just wanted to throw this picture in, because if I didn't have this lady (my music teacher) I wouldn't be able to do half the things we do for Hospitality.  She is amazing and is always willing to do whatever is needed.

Thanks for sticking out this long post.  I hope it gave you some ideas for things to do at your school.  If you do something different, I am ALWAYS up for hearing new ideas...please share!

Until next time!

Is your school hospitable?

So...I really don't know if every school does this, but every school in the county I teach in has a Hospitality committee.  It's done differently at every school, but the major similarity is that the committee puts together the Christmas activity (party, luncheon, whatever).

Anyway, for the second year in a row, I am the Hospitality Chair.  I love it.  I try to plan different events throughout the year to keep morale high in our teachers.  Our jobs are difficult, it's not easy being a teacher.  So anything we can do to bring some fun into our lives - I'm all for it!

One of the things we do is Birthday Club.  Every other month we meet (usually after school) to celebrate the birthdays of our staff.  Last year it was always cake, this year we're thinking about switching it up a little.

Also, we visit a restaurant (usually Chili's) on the First Friday of every month.  It's just a time to talk and see each other outside of school.  I LOVE it!  Spouses and kids are always invited.  Some months we're a small group, sometimes a big group.  It just depends.

Here are some pictures from our two events we've had so far this year:

These two ladies and I usually close out the First Friday fun.  This year we're allowed to leave at 3:15.  Which means we made it to Chili's at 3:30.  We didn't leave until 7.  Usually someone tells one of us that they were gonna come but they thought we would be gone.  We just laugh and tell them to text one of us next time...cause we're still probably there.  :-P

Are there any things your faculty does to raise morale and enjoy time outside of school?