How a School Principal Makes Her Super Party Successful

School fundraising groups that use our Super Party Prize Program as their fundraising incentive have been experiencing higher sales results than those who use traditional prize programs. They understand the value that this sort of prize program brings to their school. Their students are more motivated to sell from their sales brochure because they understand that if they reach their fundraising goal they will be going to an exciting event with all of their friends in a few short weeks. While our Super Party has been an extremely invaluable prize program for years, our most successful schools understand the importance of planning and organizing their event before it happens. Preparing for your Super Party is as important as experiencing it as we have additionally talked about how to maximize your event experience in previous articles.

We recently met with a principal who has been using our Super Party for years to help make her school fundraiser successful and she offered to share a couple of letters that she has been using to prepare her parents and staff for the event. She understands the importance of preparing everyone ahead of time so that everything happens exactly as she envisions.

Letter that goes home to her parents:
“Dear Parent/Guardian,

We have a few schedule changes on Friday due to our school fundraiser Super Party. In order to have qualified to attend the Super Party, your child had to sell at least 8 items. Please note the information below:

1. Students must wear tennis shoes and may come in shorts that are at least mid-thigh length. If your child is in 3rd – 5th grade and wears shorts shorter than this length, parents will be contacted for a change of clothes. If parents are unable to bring a change of clothes, the child will not be permitted to participate.
2. Sunscreen is recommended. Sunscreen must be placed on child at home; school personnel may not place sunscreen on students.
3. The Super Party ends at 2:30; therefore, students will return to their homeroom before dismissal.
4. P.E. and lunch schedules have been altered on this day to allow all who qualify to participate in this event. Your child’s P.E. time will be from _______-________; and your child will be eating lunch from _______-________ in the classroom.
5. If your child did not qualify to participate in the fundraiser, the P.E. and lunch schedule are still in effect. Your child will remain in his/her classroom or assigned classroom within the grade level and will participate in station activities. We want this day to be a FUN DAY for all!!

We are looking forward to celebrating their success in participation of the school fundraiser. Parent volunteers are welcome; you must have cleared our school district background check; so please contact _______________.”

Letter that goes out to her teachers:
“Attached you will find the letter that is to go home to parents no later than Wednesday (teachers will need to write in P.E. time and lunchtime before sending home), the schedule changes for this day (lunch, library and P.E.), the number of participants attending/not attending the Super Party as well as volunteers, and “Safety Rule Requirements” for this event. Teachers will also be receiving the list of grade level students that will be participating in the Super Party so that the correct bracelet can be given to the child. Below are a few items to keep in mind so that all are prepared for this event:

1. Review all information in packet so that you are informed about the day’s events.
2. Teachers must pick up bracelets from ___________ on Thursday (during planning).
3. Teachers are to distribute bracelets to students by 12:15 p.m. Please verify students receive the appropriate bracelet by reviewing the student list provided to you.
4. Super Party will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m.; teachers assigned to students participating are to report to activity with grade level posted on it. Every 15 minutes a whistle will sound to move clockwise to the next activity.
5. Volunteers must report to event no later than 12:15 for a safety briefing and responsibilities/duties.
6. The event will end at 2:30 p.m. with all gathering under the pavilion for a recognition ceremony and money machine.
7. After the recognition ceremony, students must be walked to homeroom classrooms for dismissal.”

Her expectations are clearly spelled out so that everyone knows what will happen. Although this might seem like a little more work, this principal has realized the value of preparing everyone ahead of time for the Super Party. As a result, her school fundraiser as well as her Super Party that follows always runs smoothly and ends up creating lots of fun memories for her students, parents and staff. However, the ultimate payoff is that most of our schools that use a Big Event prize program usually end up only having to do one school fundraiser a year! Now that makes it all worth while, doesn’t it?