Teacher Luncheon or Breakfast - Hosting an event

Hosting a Teacher Luncheon/Breakfast

Before Event:

• Email school contact to check date availability in advance.  For us, we try to set all events for the year at the beginning of school.  As long as you have it booked a month in advance, you are okay.
• Staff Counts-We do events for the entire building, which includes Teachers, Custodial, Cafeteria, and Night Crew.  
• Email parents a donation list and volunteer list, two weeks an advance of date.  Re-email one week out.  Still need stuff-email volunteer coordinator to send to their email list.  Call dependable people for remaining items.  (For me, this is food and supplies like paper goods)  Have a good drop off point for the school for items the day of event.  I give parents the option to drop off items to my house the night before (helps working parents to be able to donate).  The morning of our event our drop off points are the front office and the teachers lounge by the student or parent.  Also, ask school where they would like dishes to go back to parents to go, and include place in email to parents asking them to have their name on dishes to be returned. *in elementary hospitality asked for recipes of items donated to make a cookbook for staff at the end of the year.  On every email I send out, I put my name and contact info.
• Email school contact to confirm event one or two weeks in advance.
• Make invitations for Teachers Boxes, our events are on Fridays, so invites go in boxes the Friday before event. (example below)
• Week of event, email person at school that has coolers (if ice or coolers are needed)
• Email person at school over janitorial, so they know decorations will be there overnight.

Decorate after school the date before:

•  Craft paper for the bottom of table (Skirting), and the top of table.  Also for the table tops staff will be sitting at.  Contact school principal for prior approval for use of theirs.  We get the all clear when we move into school, and it last for ever after!  Ours is located in the work room, in junior high it was in the library.
• Linens for top of serving table.  This is a nice investment.  If you don't have the budget, Craft Paper will do. Go to your local fabric store, and buy cheap fabric.  It makes table look nice.  My store is Wallie World.  Since we have no PTO I donated Brown, Black, White and a few other colors.  Think the fabric was $0.97-$1.25 a yard, and I got at least 5 yards of each.  It is was clearance, got what they had.  All my fabric is shiny because it was the cheapest.
• Have Boxes and Bowls for Height on the table.  (Up risers I call them)  Make sure they will be able to hold the dish stable.  Once placed, mix and match fabric over them on the table top only.
• We decorate the walls.  We set up a serving area, a drink area/dessert area, and a seating area. *check for plug outlets if they are going to be needed!
• Decorations:  Cheapest decorations are made out of Craft Paper!  Cut out large shapes that match your event.  Have someone that can trace from a projector. Or know someone that can kindda paint some clip art.  Also, when theme is set, ask Hospitality Committee if they have things that would work with them.  I can't speak for them, but I go on a house hunt before the event to see what I might have.  Even though we may not use it, its easier to bring it than to try and remember stuff the day of event.
• Dishes: I make a list of all the items I will need for the event.  If it is not at the school in our hospitality stuff, I bring it from home.  Cake Plates, Trays, Bowls, Drink Container, Serving Spoons, Pie Servers, Tongs, Butter Knives, Cutting Knives, and container for plastic forks.
• Supplies: Things we try to keep on hand, especially when decorating: Duct Tape (our favorite is the Contractors  Grade from Sam's), Scotch Tape, Stapler, Ziploc Gallon & Sandwich bags, Saran Wrap, Foil, Paper for labeling Food, Paper Towels, Dish Towels, Dish Soap, Dish Sponge, and Scissors.
• Drink: we like to provide a drink at our event.  Coffee, Tea, Lemonade, or a Crystal Light Blend are inexpensive ways to go.

Business Donations:  

• Make a sign, poster board or print on paper for picture frames to be displayed of area businesses that donated to your event, to be displayed at the event for Staff to see.
• Within two weeks after your event, send a personal thank you to all businesses that donated to your event.

• Email a contact at school with school wide email address and parents on your email list: Business Name, Phone Number, and Address.  (Example for parents (include a photo of event:  Hospitality would like to thank everyone for their donations that made this a successful event.  With out you, this would not have been possible.  Special Thanks to area Businesses for their donations:) 

Volunteers:  (This worked for us in Junior High and now in High School)
     Non Serving events:  Our School Hours are 7:25-2:15

• 6:15-7:45 Set Up-2 Volunteers
• 7:00-10:30 Finish Set Up-2 Volunteers
• 10:30-12:45 To Help Refill Things during lunch (11:06-12:36 our lunches)-2 Volunteers
• 12:45-2:30 Clean up what we can with out taking everything down before 7th period.-2 Volunteers

     Serving events:

• Volunteers for Serving Main Items-5 Volunteers, Depending on the rush time.  Breakfast Bar 6:30-8:30.  Lunch Event 10:30-12:45.

Hosting a Teacher Luncheon or Breakfast