Spring is here! (At least that’s what they tell us. Parts of Michigan got 9 inches of snow last week!) And many schools, teachers, and room moms will soon be planning the annual spring field day in the upcoming weeks. To make your event fun and memorable, incorporate recognition into your plans. 

First, streamline the planning and coordination of all the field day volunteers An online sign up sheet by VolunteerSpot saves time and makes it super easy to coordinate parents and volunteers.. They have a free web application that allows you to easily sign up and organize your volunteer efforts online. No more sign up sheets, reply-all emails, or confused volunteers. VolunterSpot will help you coordinate everyone. It even sends reminder emails to your volunteers! The easy-to-use system makes volunteer scheduling easier and increases participation.

Once you get your volunteers organized, remember to thank them for their time. A small gift as a token of your affection or a simple thank you card can make a volunteer feel sincerely appreciated. Plan your volunteer recognition ahead of time so you can recognize volunteers at the event.

At the end of the day, hand out Field Day Certificates to all the students who participated in the events. Presented in a certificate folder, this simple recognition of participation will give all students a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.

Students can earn Milestones for completing field day events. At the end of the day, students will have a collection of different charms to display on their backpacks or wear around their neck. Receiving a small token at each event will reinforce the behaviors and attitudes they displayed while participating: teamwork, positive attitude, collaboration, can-do attitude, and respect.

Incorporating recognition into your field day event will make the day memorable event for both students and volunteers! For field day activities and ideas, visit the VolunteerSpot blog.

Colorful foil certificates are perfect for Field Day participation certificates.  

 

 

 

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

Happy Administrative Professional’s Day! You did know it was today, right? And you have something very sincere and personal planned to recognize your organization’s administrative professional, right?

If not, we have you covered. Here are five quick, last minute ways you can recognize your administrative professional today.

1. Write a Thank You Note. Grab a thank you card and write a personal note to your administrative professional. Deliver it in person and say thank you for her many contributions to the organization – mainly making you look good.

2. Send an ePraise. If you’re not going to see your administrative professional in person today, send a free AdministrativeProfessional’s Day ecard. We created special ePraise cards for Administrative Assistant’s Day that will perfectly complement your personal note.

 
Send an Administrative Professional's Day ecard!

3. Treat her to Lunch. Take your administrative assistant out to lunch today to celebrate. Not only does she get a free lunch, but it also provides some valuable one-on-one time to get to know your administrative professional better.

4. Deliver Flowers. Brighten the day of your administrative professional by bringing her flowers today. You can quickly stop at a floral shop or grocery store to select a spring bouquet and vase that will fit on her desk.

5. Give a Gift. A personal gift is the best way to recognize an administrative assistant on Administrative Professional’s Day. Choose a gift that you know she will use for a favorite hobby, as a special treat, or every day. It’s not too late to order a gift. Deliver your handwritten note today, and surprise your administrative assistant with a gift on her desk later this week! 

For more gift ideas, check out these resources on Baudville.com:

From the Recognition Resource Center: Administrative Professional Appreciation Gifts
Our recommended Gifts for Administrative Professionals

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

It’s a prime opportunity for you to express your appreciation to your favorite teacher, and it’s only one week away! Teacher Appreciation Week is May 2-6, and it’s a time when PTOs, parents, and students, recognize the school staff that makes a difference in their lives.

In order to encourage more people to recognize teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week, we’ve launch a contest on Facebook to give five teachers $100 Target gift cards for their classroom and a bunch of goodies from us!

The nominees are now live in our Facebook Teacher Appreciation Week Contest photo album. Simply “like” the picture of your favorite teacher and encourage your Facebook friends to do the same. We will have a winner every day of Teacher Appreciation Week, so continue to like your favorite teacher all week!

In addition to the public recognition your favorite teacher can get in our contest (nominate them now!), give your teacher some in person recognition, too. Here are a few last minute Teacher Appreciation Week ideas you can still pull off!

 Create a homemade thank you card and personally deliver it to your teacher on Tuesday, National Teacher Day.
 Bring your teacher one of her favorite treats first thing in the morning. A fresh coffee is a sure fire hit!
 Fill a gift basket by asking each student to contribute a small gift.
 Make a donation to a charity in honor of your teacher.
  For more Teacher Appreciation Week ideas, we recommend PTOToday.com. They have a robust offering of teacher appreciation ideas for every budget!

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

As Baudville’s copywriter, I am responsible for a lot of the words you see in print, online, and in your inbox. Do you know what happens when you write about recognition day in and day out? You sometimes repeat yourself, without even knowing it. (And sometimes fully knowing it.)

When I realize this is happening, I usually try to spice things up a bit by interjecting ridiculous words into our marketing materials. They most often get intercepted and put back into my rotating arsenal of absurdities; but I still keep trying.

The other day, I was making a hard case that “hoopla” is a completely appropriate word to use when talking about trophies and certificates. I lost that negotiation, by the way, but I still stand behind my position. Though, I will admit that it might be a little too informal of a word to capture the sophisticated fanfare of an award celebration.

However, it is definitely not too informal to attach to National High Five Day, which is today—always the third Thursday in April.

Now, you might be thinking: this sounds familiar…

Well, it is, because I have actually written twice about the power of a high five. Once for National High Five Day proper, and once after I received a high five that came precisely when I needed it.

But my timing is perfect on this because, as it turns out, my desire to see hoopla in print and my love of high fives go hand in hand. Here it is, straight from Dictionary.com:

hoop·la [hoop-lah]
–noun Informal
1. bustling excitement or activity; commotion; hullabaloo; to-do.

When someone does something noteworthy at your workplace, it’s not only OK to make a big deal about it, it should be a requirement. It doesn’t need to be an expensive or shiny award. The important thing is that it’s on the spot and meaningful to the recipient.      

So, today, National High Five Day, surprise a coworker (or even a stranger) with a high five for a job well done. You’ll make their day and yours, too.

(Today is also my Birthday today; so, if you see me, you know what to do!)

Looking for other highly affordable (ahem, FREE!) ways to make someone’s day? Check out our free ePraise and Print & Posts!

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Allison is a self-proclaimed Copywriting Diva and has the certificate to prove it! She’s been writing for Baudville for two years and has worked in a variety of business settings for more than 17 years. Before becoming a professional writer 10 years ago, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!   

National Volunteer Week was last week, April 10-16, and many organizations celebrated their volunteers during the week with a party or event. The Women’s Resource Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, annually honors their volunteers during National Volunteer Week.

The Women’s Resource Center strives to improve women’s workplace and economic opportunities, and volunteers donate more than 2,500 hours a year coaching, mentoring, and working with the women who utilize the center’s resources.

The volunteers at the Women’s Resource Center make a difference in the lives of every woman who comes through their doors, and the organization knows how important it is to recognize their volunteers. “The Women’s Resource Center has been truly lucky to have these dedicated people land on our team,” said Lee Vandenberg, Volunteer Coordinator at Women’s Resource Center.

To celebrate their volunteers, Lee hosted a gardening themed event that used the lady bug motif in its decorations. Lee said the garden party was a huge hit!

Lee presented each of her volunteers with a Lucky Us Character Pin. She chose this pin because the story was “perfect for our presentation.” The connection with the garden theme certainly helped, too!

Express your appreciation for your volunteers, and they will remain dedicated to you and your organization. Employers, likewise, recognize their employees to help maintain and improve retention of top talent.

How did you recognize volunteers this year during National Volunteer Week?

Did you forget to do something during National Volunteer Week? It’s not too late! Check out our additional volunteer appreciation articles for tips and ideas.Send a Volunteer ePraise right now!

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.