Sorry to reactivate this thread - people are asking me about it again!

This was posted under the "boo hoo" breakfast thread and I think it's a great idea.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> I also would like to incorporate another idea I read on this board. On the same morning as the "boo hoo" breakfast (first day of school), have volunteers in the student drop off area handing out coffee and bagels to the parents who stay in their cars and drop off their kids before speeding off to work. We won't ask for anything in return at the time. Just say "Thanks for choosing our school. Let the PTA know what we can do to make your child's school experience richer." Or something like that.

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You are heading in the right direction!! PTO's should be fun and that seems like a fun and awesome way to serve your parents at your school. I think if we can get people over the old mindset of the 1950's PTO and show them it's not a 12 year every day commitment for involvement we will get a lot more parents in the door. Go you!!!!!

Okay, put your ego aside, we're NOT RECRUITING here.

These drive-thru experiences are for parents who have had a bad experience with school, or themselves had a parent who talked down school.

We're trying to ease the school stress (with a non-threatening jesture) so they don't wind up sending the same message they may have received to their children.

We're trying to reach those Parents who would rather have a root canal than step through the school doors, little alone step on school property. They are nervous just being in the building. (we truly have parents like this, and I'm sure you do too. look around or ask your school office staff)

This is an absolutely NO PRESSURE move - just walk up to the car, stick a cup of coffee or bagel in their face, wave and say "have a nice day". That's it, that's all. Parent outreach at the first basic level.

We're not trying to get them to run for President, or chair the bake sale - that will NEVER happen.

We just want them to have a non-threatening neutral experience associated with school.

Who knows, maybe after a few good experiences and seeing the Parent Group having a blast delivering coffee, they might BAKE something for the Bake sale.

Then the next year, they might WORK the bake sale and then a year after that - after they see how much fun the Parent group is, they might CHAIR the bake sale. But then, that's in a perfect world, and this may take longer.

It's just our way of taking the first step to reach out.

SO, with that being said, I still need feedback on this Drive thru donut idea.

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We've never done anything like this--I'm wondering though if you go to them, what incentive do they have to get out of the car?

We included drive thru bagels and a carton of milk with our first day of school celebration last year. We packaged a bagel and packet of cream cheese in a baggy tied shut with curling ribbons of our school colors. Two parents with decorated wagons handed out the goodies while the students ran in to join our celebration activities. It was our first year doing this so a few parents were looking for the "hook" (What do you want now?...) but we'll definitely do it again next year.