The Director's Planner: Week of August 19, 2024
It's time for our first edition of The Director's Planner, a weekly newsletter written exclusively for childcare directors.
Here is 1 weekly challenge, 2 tips & tricks, and 3 action items to consider this week!
1 Weekly Challenge
Take 15 minutes to walk around and snap photos of any children who will be leaving your program at the end of the summer. Or, let the kids capture their own experience! Pass around a digital camera or, for a nostalgic touch, use disposable cameras. You can now get disposable camera photos developed in both physical and digital form, and they look just as good as ever. (Check out one we took this spring with a disposable camera below!)
Afterwards, place the photos into an inexpensive mini album (my favorite is this 6-pack photo album for under $11) and let each child decorate the cover. For more ideas on how to create lasting memories, check out my post on DIY Photo Keepsakes for children leaving your program.
2 Tips & Tricks
I. Set calendar reminders for your key weekly and monthly tasks for the upcoming school year. Check out this list to ensure you cover the basics!
II. To boost the number of parents labeling their children's belongings, suggest websites where they can order inexpensive custom name labels or organize a large school order. Mabel’s Labels is highly recommended, but there are also cost-effective options on Amazon!
3 Action Items
I. Conduct the August fire drill. If you're in a tornado-prone state, also conduct your monthly tornado drill. If you don’t have an annual tracker through your state, grab my drill tracker below!
II. Clean up your inbox to start the new school year with a fresh slate. HERE are some best practices for email organization.
III. Order a "First Day of School" sign for parents to use when the school year starts. It’s a great way to reset expectations and get your community excited, even if your program doesn’t have a summer break!
*Tip: Make a generic sign that says “First Day of School” with the date. This allows parents to share any photo they take sans identifying information. Set it in a communal space and encourage photos to take, and share, photos as they feel comfortable doing!
And that’s it for this week. It’s as easy as A, B, C, 1, 2, 3!