ADMINISTRATIVE SUGGESTIONS
TO DEFRAY COSTS AND FOSTER PARENT ATTENDANCE

Suggestions to defray costs:

1. Explore the possibility of Frequent Flyer Miles to provide plane transportation.  Are there folks in the organization who travel frequently and would contribute mileage for the speaker?

2. Charge $5 or $10 per family.  There is support for the idea that a presentation is believed to be more worthwhile if folks pay something for it.

3. Advertise in advance that there will be a "Free Will Offering" collected during the presentation OR that there will be a designated container for "Free Will Offering".

4. Advertise in advance that an arm’s length of raffle tickets will sell for $5.00.  The winner will get half the proceeds; the balance will be used to defray speaker costs.

5. Solicit grant money from a local business or corporation.

6. Involve parents in donating fresh baked goods, finger foods, etc. for "take home".  If your school has a program of Parent Service Hours, credit two hours for each donation.

7. If your school has a Room Parent Program ask those representatives to create a basket of age-appropriate items to chance off or to create a silent auction of items.  Showcase the "goods" to the students the week before the presentation.

8. Sell cupcakes, ice cream, snacks, raffle tickets or chances during a school recess or lunch period.

Suggestions To Foster Parent Attendance:

1. Visit classrooms.  Tell children that a special kind of doctor (a soul doctor) is going to come to speak with parents.  Tell them that this doctor explains to moms and dads about how to make hearts and souls happy.  Ask how many students would like to be happier, to feel good about themselves, to be closer to God, and to have a peaceful family life.  Challenge them to be "soul apostles" and urge their parents to come to the meeting.  Repeat this reminder in homework assignment books and through public messages.

2. Send advance notice to parents about the meeting.  Tell them that the speaker writes for publication and is a public speaker on formation education topics that were suggested by 400 parents during a research study.  Tell them that parents throughout the United States have appreciated the message and that the presentation will include lots of practical tips that parents and students contributed during the research.

3. Send home a sample of the Parent Partnership Handbook from Today’s Catholic Teacher magazine.  In a cover letter or an inclusion on the school communication memo tell parents that the author of that feature will be speaking on ideas like those in the sample.

4. If your school has a program of Room Parent Representatives, give the representatives a script and ask them to telephone each family to relay the scripted message.

5. Give no homework on the evening of the presentation.

6. Provide childcare.

7. Advertise a celebration party (pizza, video, game hour, story telling, free-read, etc.) for the class who has the highest percentage of family participation.

8. Advertise a "free dress" pass for a specified day or a "chance" on some prize for any child whose parent was in attendance.

9. If your school requires Parent Service Hours, credit hours for parent home preparation and presentation attendance.


***  Arrange to video tape the presentation or audio-tape it so that parents who miss it can still benefit.  This is especially helpful to parents who are involved in providing childcare services during the session.

DrPatMcCormack@aol.com
©Formative Parenting. All Rights Reserved.