the staff appreciation luncheon....

Each year, the parent council at my childrens' school hosts a luncheon for the teachers and staff.

It is to show appreciation for all the little 'extras'  the teachers' & staff give to our children.

It's  held on a  regular school day in the gym during school lunch hour.

The teachers and staff really look forward to this special treat.

The honour of planning this event this year was entrusted to me.

{Um...probably 'cause I opened my big mouth last year and said that I would love to

organize & plan hot dishes instead of just sandwiches.}

In any case, it was my pleasure to plan this little party.

I chose an Olympic theme to tie in with the Vancouver Olympics.

And the students awarded the teachers 'GOLD' medals for different events as part of the luncheon entertainment.

The budget for this event is very small.  Just $100 is what parent council sets aside to cover decorations and supplies. We try to make the best of every dollar with carefully chosen,

but simple decorations.

I had an amazing  & super enthusiastic mother design these simple, yet elegant flower decorations for the tables.

Very lovely touch.

The parents of the school donate ALL of the food. It is strictly on a volunteer basis.

For the first time, parents were asked  to donate crockpot dishes if they could.

I was overwhelmed with offers of donations of crockpot dishes and desserts.

We have a fabulous group of parents at this school.

In addition to crockpot dishes, there are veggies & dips, salads, cheese trays, and bread.

The beverage station had water and punch available.

This was the dessert table. It featured all kinds of homemade goodies like tiramisu, cupcakes, carrot cake,

cookies, chocolate-dipped pretzels and fruit salad.

I tried the tiramisu. Yummy.

The carrot cake. Super yummy.

When the 'gold medal' presentation was finished, the students got 'High 5's' from the teachers and staff

for a job well done.

After the luncheon was over and teachers return to their classrooms, the volunteers sit down for a well-deserved break and lunch.

Then we pack up all the leftovers and load them into the fridge in the staff room  so teachers

can have a meal the next day as well.

On the day of the luncheon, I arrived at school at 8:30 am and I remained there until 3pm.

Needless to say, when the event was over, I was pretty pooped and my feet were killing me.

When I finally had a chance to sit down at 3 pm on a bench in the school hallway,

another mom arrived and announced that she was going for a 'walk' outside and did I want to come?

My response was, "Are you kidding me? I just had a 6 hour walk....all over the gym!"

But, at the end of the day, it was a really fun event and it was full of fun & laughter.

It was a most rewarding volunteer job.