NSDGAGENDA IDEAS

- Have families take a Polaroid picture at the
door and at the end write a hope they
have for the coming year.

- Place the picture on foam
core boards with a "family
tree" drawn on it.
Use this at other events.

- Have a sign-in form .

- Have snacks for families.

- Have a long sheet of butcher
paper on the wall with a list
of all of the volunteer
opportunities and a line below
each for families to sign up
(have parent and child's
name written.)
This public display of support
can be a strong tool for peer
pressure to get more families
to sign on.

- Have samples of the dress code
on display.

- Provide a raffle, or some type of game of
chance for families to get excited.

- Do introductions of all adults with who they
are, what their role will be in the coming
year, and one reason why they are part of
the XYZ School team.

- Have families to "partner Introductions".
This is a simple fun way to get people
talking. Encourage them to interview a
neighbor for One Minute. Have them turn
to another "pair" and introduce their partner
with one thing about that person. Now you have
a foursome who has gotten to know each other.

- ALWAYS talk about why you do the things
you do, like these introduction activities.
BE VERY TRANSPARENT . This can be the first
step towards developing the greater
capacity of your community.

- Present your school's mission or vision on a PowerPoint. Break it down for the audience to understand why that Mission or Vision.

- Talk about the patterns that your school is trying to interrupt. Explain "Why Change". This too is vital in the life of your school. Next year will have MANY, MANY challenges. You need your families to know this is a work in progress towards a greater goal for their child.

- FAMILIES NEED TO SEE YOUR WORK AS PART OF A LARGER SCHEMA FOR THEIR FAMILIES EVENTUAL PROGRESS TOWARDS A "BETTER LIFE".
Be political here. Be Honest. State the brutal facts, and describe the Vision to overcome them.

- Have student only and adult only sections of the agenda.

- Send kids off with adults to practice the school motto , answer hard to ask questions, and get special info about how to "make it at XYZ School". Involve student design team members in facilitating this section with adult support.

- Have parents do Q&A in Small groups or large depending on the number of available design team members. Try to have an "exchange" and not just a sit and git'.

- Tell them what you know. Predict what they will want to know and share how it will be developed over time.

- Say, "We've met with many parents and we know you are worried about...???" and tell them what you have planned for that concern. It goes a long way when they see you have foreseen their concerns.

- Bring the students and families together and have the students share what they learned .

- Have students perform the motto .

- Give a homework packet to be due at the first summer event.
Include:
**An Interests Survey for students
**A map to draw the route they will take to come to school in car, bus or walking. (This is especially helpful for incoming 5th graders who are new to the school.)
**A place to draw and write about a favorite book.
**A checklist of all the things they should have at home (include quite place to study) and brought in their backpacks to school to be successful.

- Ceremonialize the events by starting and ending the same way.
Perhaps start with a review of your community agreements and end with appreciations, or start with an inclusion activity (TRIBES) and end with a reflection of what people got out of the evening together.

- Provide printed materials of what the teams is developing.

- The more families know what to expect NOW the BETTER off the school will be.