GRATITUDE COLLAGE
At El Camino High School, each student took a moment to reflect on what they were thankful for... and then we designed a GRATITUDE COLLAGE for all to see! A few weeks before Thanksgiving we distributed the die-cuts to each teacher in a manila envelope with the directions taped to the outside of the envelope. The directions are simple: have each student and staff member write down something or someone they are thankful for.
- Derek Padilla, Director of Activities at El Camino HS, CA
Share your #BetterTogether story that uniquely engages staff or students: https://rb.gy/54eecb
Thanksgiving Staffulty Builder
It's November and with Thanksgiving a few weeks away, we are releasing a NEW Staffulty Builder that you can easily incorporate at your staff Thanksgiving Feast, Fall Pot-Luck luncheon, or upcoming staff meeting. Getting the staff together for a Thanksgiving meal is wonderful; however, so often once the plates are filled and it’s time to pick a seat, staff members tend to sit with their own department or stick with their closest friend. What if instead, you used a meal together as an opportunity to build relationships across the staff? What if everyone walked away having learned just one more thing about another colleague and have a chance to share a little more of their story?
STAFFULTY-GIVING CONNECT CARDS
Purpose: To build relationships among staff by encouraging them to share part of their story
Time: 10-15 minutes in small groups
Space: Designed for discussion during a Thanksgiving meal or fall staff meeting around tables
Supplies:
Cards: pre-print off a few sheets of the Staffulty-giving Connect Cards (8 different questions). Cut them into individual squares
Bowl: place the cards in a bowl in the middle of each table
Tips:
If you can pre-assign one rock star staff member to each table to help get the questions started, that will set it up for success
A few minutes into the meal/meeting, simply ask people to take turns pulling a question and answering what is on the card
Optional: If you feel staff will sit in silos, consider numbering each chair available in the room. As people walk in, have them choose a number from a bowl and ask them to sit at their numbered seat
DOWNLOAD the Staffulty-giving Connect Cards and let us know how it worked at your school! Share pictures from the event on our facebook page HERE.
#BetterTogether
Do you need more ideas to build relationships among your staff? Check out these 12 Staffulty Builders.
The End Zone Club
At Colfax High School, we wanted to create a family friendly event at Friday night football games to encourage more staff to attend. We established the CHS End Zone Club where parents, staff, and community members can enjoy a BBQ and watch the game together. We also created a theme for every home game to further involve, recognize, and honor members of our community, including: veterans, first responders, cancer survivors, charitable organizations, feeder schools, and alumni.
- Paul Lundberg , Principal at Colfax HS, California
Share your #bettertogether story that uniquely engages staff or students: https://rb.gy/54eecb
3 ways to honor staff at the start of the school year
How will this year feel different for staff on campus? What tiny ways will they be reminded over and over again they are deeply needed and valued? What ways can they be surprised and delighted this fall?
Here are 3 ideas to consider:
Written words: What if each administrator or school leader took a portion of the staff and wrote them a personal note thanking them for a great start to the year and wishing them an incredible first semester. Imagine if a staff has 100 staff members and 6 - 8 school leaders divided the group up and wrote a short note - all delivered about the same time. Perhaps have a student take it by their classroom like a class pass - a different way to receive a thank you note. Just a tiny little reminder they matter on campus.
2. Impromptu staff meeting: Imagine if each faculty member was invited to an “impromptu” staff meeting in the next ten days. When they arrive in the library, drama room, or another “non-traditional meeting space,” they are met with an ice cream sundae buffet, a little music, and are told there is no formal agenda. This would be a great way to say thank you during the first few weeks of school.
3. Drop in validation - Have each administrator make it a goal to find a way to publicly praise a faculty member every day - either verbally in front of their class, their team, or via social media. One principal said he created a google sheet with every faculty members name on it and kept track of who was celebrated and how often. He said that allowed him to keep track of who was getting recognized, it was super powerful!
Do you and your team do something unique to celebrate staff during the year? We would love to have you share the idea on our School Culture By Design Facebook Page or use #schoolculturebydesign when you post pictures.
Looking for activities to use to build up trust within your staff? Consider Staffulty Builders, a digital resource with 12 simple activities to use during staff meetings, department meetings, or other informal meet-up’s on campus.
A Simple, yet illuminating THANK YOU
This “simple, yet illuminating” idea comes from Amy Besler, Director of Secondary Education in Elk Grove, California reminding us of the power of a simple THANK YOU.
Prior to Amy’s current role, she was the principal at Bear River High School and did tremendous work on creating great school culture not just on campus, but also within the community.
A little from Amy:
“As principal at Bear River High School, I worked on a weekly basis with a diverse group of students upon building our positive culture. Each week, we would perform some sort of culture-building task based on ideas generated by the group. At one point, we realized that our celebrations (which were many) focused almost exclusively on students and staff and that we rarely did anything to show our appreciation for our families.
To that end, one afternoon, we made general appreciation cards geared toward parents/families and headed to the parking lot near the end of the school day with baskets of treats (cookies, muffins, fruit, etc.). The students approached parents in their vehicles who were waiting to pick up their kids from school and offered their appreciation, a note, and a treat. I hung back at a distance, very much like a parent of young kids on Halloween, prompting them along to approach each door (and reminding them to smile and say “thank you”!).
This experience was simple, yet illuminating.
I was shocked at how skeptical our parents were about the students who were approaching them. They all seemed quite sure the students would be asking for a donation of some kind. Several folks waved the kids away altogether. Many of the parents were reluctant to accept the treat, for fear that the request for a small donation would immediately follow! One gentleman noted, “This is the first time I have ever been approached by Bear River students not asking for money.” That was truly an eye-opening revelation. To keep our programs thriving, we ask and ask and ask of our families and community partners, but how often do we show our gratitude for them in return? In the end, the parents were so thankful (bordering on shocked) and our group realized that we needed to continue to do more to show our families how much we appreciate their support and involvement.”
OUR QUESTION FOR YOU:
What could your campus do to show appreciation for a group on or off campus who does far more than you may ever see? Maybe like Amy’s school is it family members or community members. Or maybe you have them covered and after assessment it could be the custodian, landscaping crew or security guard? No matter who the group may be, we encourage you to take a little time and say THANK YOU. After all… we believe it truly takes all hands on deck to build great school culture!
SHARE WITH US:
Do you already host appreciation events or do you plan to try this one out? We would love to have you share your inspiration on our facebook page here or by using #schoolculturebydesign on Twitter.
Elfie Selfie
ELFIE SELFIE Challenge
Looking for a fun and UNEXPECTED idea to leave students talking at the end of the semester? Consider the Elfie Selfie Challenge.
Sarah Burress, the Activities Director from Clovis East High School in California shared the idea they started a few years ago!
A little from Sarah:
“In order to spread holiday cheer, we bought the Clovis East Principals life-sized costumes and they graciously agreed to dress up to be Elves on the Shelf. They started before school by positioning themselves on a roof somewhere, frozen as if they were an Elf on the Shelf. Then, each passing period, they switched locations on campus. In front of them we had info for the Elfie-Selfie Challenge, which had students and staff take their best selfie and submit it to our school’s Remind messaging system. This was a fun way to get students involved and also a quick way to get more students signed up for the Remind (which gives them the daily bulletin, important announcements, etc.).”
When did it happen?
They did it the Friday before Holiday Break. Since the principals were constantly moving locations to make it fun, it took up most of their day.
What types of prizes did they give away?
They gave away 5 total prizes and a few honorable mentions. The prizes were a variety of spirit items (hydro flasks, t-shirts, etc.), as well as a pair of dance tickets. The kids were just excited to have their picture sent over social media as the “winner.”
Our team here at Learning For Living believes that amazing culture is a series of tiny actions sprinkled all throughout the year. This is just one example of how Clovis East is creating a school no one will want to leave!
The question for you: What can your campus do in the next few weeks to leave staff and students talking about your culture?
It could be an Elfie Selfie challenge, hot cocoa for everyone or simply telling someone you are grateful to have them part of the team.
SHARE YOUR IDEAS:
Are you doing something fun or unique at your campus to build great culture? Share it on our School Culture By Design Facebook page today!