Shop This Idea! Stock the Teachers’ Lounge: Meme Edition

The teachers’ lounge at Bridgewater Middle School in Winter Garden, Fla., recently got a sweet upgrade featuring the likes of Cookie Monster, Oprah, and Baby Yoda.

Everyone knows being a middle school teacher requires a thick skin and a sense of humor (IYKYK), so the BMS PTSO got creative and decided to stock the teachers’ lounge with snacks peppered with funny memes:

@ptotoday Stock the Teachers’ Lounge: Meme Edition #teacherappreciation #PTOlife #ptopresident #ptomomsoftiktok #ptapresident #schoolvolunteer #meme ♬ Printer print sound (ink-jet, room) - LEOPARD

With $130 from the PTSO’s budget and the rest funded through parent donations, the team was able to stock the lounge with snacks and drinks for 100 staff members. As for teacher reactions, Bridgewater PTSO shared, “They absolutely loved the memes! Money well spent!!”

The Cogburn Woods PTO in Milton, Ga., was able to stock its lounge for 85 teachers—not once, but twice this school year—thanks entirely to parent donations. PTO leader Jen DuFore shared that they used SignUp Genius to create a list of specific items for parents to donate (you can even download their list as an Excel spreadsheet). They also ran a PayPal campaign to raise money for perishables that the PTO used to buy yogurt, protein packs, hummus, guacamole, and more. The PTO raised enough money for a second restock, which they plan to do one more time before the school year ends. Check out their stocked lounge below!

@ptotoday Stock the Lounge vibes 📸 Cogburn Woods PTO in Milton, Georgia #PTOlife #ptomomsoftiktok #teacherappreciation #stockthefridge #ptopresident #schoolvolunteer ♬ When I Ride - Ashley Mehta

Below, we rounded up printable memes (just adhere to cardstock), along with a convenient shopping list of easy grab-and-go snacks and drinks your teachers will love.

 

Teachers’ Lounge Shopping List

• Individual bags of chips, pretzels, popcorn, crackers, and cookies

• Granola bars

• Protein bar variety (Clif, KIND, Luna)

• Individual packs of trail mix

• Welch’s fruit snacks

• Fruit cups

• Mini candy bars and breath mints

• Beef jerky

• Dried fruit or fruit leathers

• Microwave popcorn

• Instant ramen, such as Cup Noodles

• Yogurt cups

• Fresh fruit (bananas, mandarin oranges, apples)

• Nutella & Go snack packs

• Cheese, fruit, and nut protein packs, such as Sargento Balanced Breaks

• Hummus and/or guacamole cups

• Salami slices (individual packs)

• String cheese

• 12-count packs of soda

• Seltzer cans

• Starbucks drinks

• Naked juice

• Ice cream treats for freezer (chocolate-covered bananas, ice cream sandwiches)

• Keurig K-cups

• Creamer (include a dairy-free option)

• Sugar packets

• Disposable coffee cups and stirrers

Photo credit: Jen DuFore

 

Memes:

• The PTO stocked the lounge (featuring running girl)

• I’m into fitness...Fitness whole box of cookies in my mouth (featuring Cookie Monster)

• On my way to get a snacky snack (featuring Baby Yoda)

• When you open a granola bar...Crumbs, crumbs everywhere (featuring Toy Story)

• When someone asks me who ate all the popcorn

• You get a soda, you get a soda, everyone gets a soda (featuring Oprah)

• Chocolate comes from cocoa, which is a plant; therefore, chocolate is salad

• I’d be happier if these were snacks, but I suppose I need the nutrients

• Trail mix? Oh, you mean M&Ms with obstacles

• I’m done, I’ve had enough chips. Oh, look, chips! (featuring Dory)

• When someone leaves out free food in the staff lounge (featuring Joey from Friends)

• “Healthy snack,” Riiiiight (featuring Dr. Evil from Austin Powers)

• Did you ever stop to think that maybe coffee is addicted to me?

• I don’t always eat yogurt, but when I do... (featuring Dos Equis man)

• These pretzels are making me thirsty (featuring Seinfeld)

• When someone jokes about how much hummus you eat

• There is free soda in fridge (featuring Kermit the Frog)

• Bananas, we loveeeeee bananas (featuring Minions)

• Stressed spelled backwards is desserts

Tips

• Use SignUp Genius to request parent snack and beverage donations; if using an Amazon Wish List, make sure parents select the school address for delivery. (Download the donation list from Cogburn Woods PTO for 85 teachers and staff).

• Collect snack and drink donations during the morning carpool arrival with a cart.

• Stock the lounge after school when the fridges are empty to ensure there’s room for teacher lunches on top the next morning.

• Follow your school’s nut policy and consider any teacher allergies when selecting snacks.

• Purchase baskets from a dollar store to organize and store snack varieties.

• Make sure you’re subscribed to PTO Today’s Leader Lowdown newsletter so you don’t miss out on the free snack offers we give away throughout the school year!

Great times to stock the teachers’ lounge:

• Teacher Appreciation Week

• Testing weeks

• Conference weeks

• Back-to-school time

• One group shared that they do “Snacktober: All Treats, No Tricks” during the month of October—once a week, they stock the lounge with a variety of sodas and snacks.

• In January, when teachers return from winter break

• Valentine’s Day