Teacher appreciation week sign-up
Teacher appreciation week is a PTA's busiest five days that are not a fundraiser. Each day has a theme, the staff lunch has to feed everyone in the building, and families want to help without being handed a job they cannot do. One sheet for the whole week, by day, keeps it in one place.
- Free
- No ads
- No accounts for anyone
- Pastries2 of 3 leftMaya R.
- Fruit2 left
- Coffee & cupsFullDev K.
- Handwritten notes from each class1 left
- Mains4 left
- Salads2 of 3 leftAisha B.
- Desserts3 left
- Drinks2 left
- Snack cart treats4 left
Count everyone
The most common mistake is planning for teachers only. Count every adult in the building: classroom teachers, aides, specialists, office staff, custodians, cafeteria staff, the nurse. The custodian who unlocks the gym for every event should not find an empty table at 1pm.
For a staff of 50 at a shared lunch, plan for roughly 5 mains, 4 salads, 4 desserts and drinks. Each family brings one dish, and a full tray feeds 10 to 12 people when it sits next to others.
A theme a day
Keep the themes simple and the asks small:
- Monday: breakfast in the staff room
- Tuesday: handwritten notes from each class
- Wednesday: staff lunch
- Thursday: a snack cart that goes room to room
- Friday: flowers or a small gift for the staff room
Families with little time or money can join in on note day. Ask room parents to collect the notes from each class.
Limits stop the pile-ups
Without limits, you get 15 desserts and two mains. Put a number on every line, and once desserts are full the next family sees it and picks something else. Keep an open "Anything else" line for families who want to bring something you did not think of.
Allergies and logistics
Ask the office whether any staff have allergies and say so at the top of the sheet. Tell families where and when to drop off. Usually it is the office by 10am, with the dish labelled with what it is and the family's name, so it gets back home.
Timing
Share the sheet three weeks ahead. Remind families two days before their day and again on the morning. If a family has to drop out, they can cancel from their own link, and whoever is first on the waitlist gets an email.
A ready list
The starter text above covers a full week. Paste it into Dibs, change the themes to suit your school, and share the link in the PTA newsletter. Families claim a line on their phone with no account and no ads. If you show "taken" instead of names, families who can only help a little are spared any comparison.
Teacher appreciation week sign-up: questions
When is teacher appreciation week?
In the US it is usually the first full week of May. Many schools hold their own version at other times of year, so check your school calendar.
How much food do we need for a staff lunch?
Count every adult in the building: teachers, aides, office staff, custodians and cafeteria staff. For 50 staff, plan around 5 mains, 4 salads and 4 desserts as one dish among many.
What do teachers like best?
Notes from students come up again and again. A free lunch they did not have to plan is a close second. Give one day of the week to notes.
Can families give money instead of food?
Dibs does not take payments. Add a line like 'Gift card for the staff room' that families can claim, and arrange the gift card yourself.
Related templates
Class party sign-up sheetPlan a class party with one sign-up sheet: snacks, drinks, craft supplies and two parent helpers, each with a limit.- Room parent sign-upRecruit room parents and class helpers for the whole year on one sheet: party leads, reading helpers, field trips and more, each with a limit.
Potluck sign-up sheetMake a free potluck sign-up sheet with a limit on each dish, so you get mains and sides, not five brownies.- Classroom supply sign-upTurn the classroom wish list into a sign-up sheet: each supply with the quantity needed, so families can see what's still missing.
- Office holiday party sign-up sheetPlan the office holiday party potluck in one link: dishes with limits, drinks, decorations and cleanup, with no ads and no accounts for coworkers.
Make yours in a minute.
Start from this list, change what you need, and share one link. Nobody needs an account.