How To Get Involved at Kids' New School? (Brainstorm)

Our brainstorming group tacked the question of how to get involved and meet other moms at her kids' new school. One family was moving from a large public school to a small private school, and another family was moving from a private school to a different school. While some of the ideas involved volunteering, there are other creative ways to get involved, especially if you are not able to hang out on campus during the day. Our 20 minute brainstorm results:

• Read through the school website and get a feel for school politics, norms, processes 
• If there is a parent group, join
• Read newsletters from the school website or office
• Offer to help the teacher or room parent with an event or project
• Get on school or classroom email lists
• Be friendly ~ chat with folks in the front office, the librarian, the art teacher...
• Help in the library
• Help in the classroom by reading to the class, sharpening pencils, organizing artwork (just get in the door!)
• Organize a potluck lunch at a local park and invite families from your child's class
• Organize a card-making drive for parents to make cards for teachers, hold it at a local cafe
• Have a weekend party early in the school year for a small group of kids
• Be proactive, find something that needs to be done - and volunteer to do it
• Put your name on a carpooling list
• Attend school events
• Volunteer to help with a major school-wide event or fundraising activity
• Find out if the school has meetings or get-togethers after drop off, mom’s night out or parent get-togethers
• Start a mother-daughter book club
• Start a school chess club and invite parents to share in coaching
• Invite another new mom and her child for a playdate at your house or the park
• Invite another new mom for coffee
• If the classroom does not have a Yahoo Group, start one!
• If a family at school endures a crisis, coordinate meals or help from other families
• Focus on the classroom's current topic of study, do extra research and share with the teachers
• Write an article for the school newsletter related to your area of expertise
• Take photographs for the school newsletter or website

Check out more of our creative brainstorms!