Create a Fun Tradition To Wrap Up School Year
Before saying goodbye for the summer, it’s a great idea for PTOs and PTAs to host a year-end event at school, like a last-day picnic or ice cream party
. These celebrations help families say so long to the school year and wish friends well for the summer. Often, they can become beloved traditions that families happily anticipate and feel are as much a part of the school as recess and report cards.
If you haven’t planned anything yet, don’t worry. You can keep it simple, and you likely will find many families prefer it that way. Often, families are running out of steam by the end of the school year and appreciate a casual get-together that doesn’t cost money or require getting dressed up or baking dozens of treats.
Time permitting, groups can plan bigger events and we have many fun family event ideas on our site. Check our Events and Programs resource page for ideas that could be tailored for a year-end celebration.
One of our favorite year-end events is run by the Dads Club at Kermit King Elementary in Paso Robles, Calif. Each year, they host an overnight campout on the last day of the school. Dads and their children have a barbecue, play games, watch a movie, and then sleep in tents or campers on the school grounds.
Also, while you are thinking about a year-end school celebration, don’t forget your own team! Consider an end-of-year lunch for the board and committee chairs so everyone can have a little down time together (no planning, no agenda!). This as well can become an enjoyed tradition. For ideas on how to celebrate with your group, check our Facebook discussion.
