This month I want to highlight Academy of the Americas, a public pre-kindergarten through high school of Detroit Public Schools, as a school that has a variety of ways to recognize, appreciate, and value school staff.
The following is a list of a few of the morale boosting ideas the Academy of Americas has implemented:
Friday coffee hour before school every week
Recognition at the end of year with lunch and certificates
Weekly notes with inspirational quotes
Treats such as cookies where staff can build own snack bags
Custom bookmarks
R.O.A.R. (Reliable, Outstanding, Adaptable, Resourceful) Shout-out certificates to recognize staff member’s dedication, passion, and hard work at the school
At the school, there is a social committee that takes care and plans the events. When establishing a program, it is important to have such a committee made up of classified and certified staff. Ultimately, this committee will: develop and plan the different programs that will be used as well as decide on what and how staff members will be recognized and appreciated (events, prizes, announcements, etc.)
Keep in mind that administrators should be part of this committee and entire process including being at each event and issuing the rewards to staff members. While receiving recognition and appreciation from other staff members/colleagues has shown to improve morale, as written by Bob Nelson in his books Work Made Fun Gets Done! and 1501 Ways to Reward Employees, ideally administrators are “captains of their ship” and should be leading the way. Staff members know funds are limited and certainly don’t expect their administrators to pay for everything. This is why the committee is important as they can find different ways to fund such programs or largely incorporate rewards that are free and/or inexpensive such as what Academy of the Americas did with the R.O.A.R. certificates.
What is being done at Academy of the Americas is working. One of their staff members said, “It is very thoughtful and appreciated.” The R.O.A.R. certificate certainly made this staff member’s day as this person felt valued for the work being done.
Our foundation wants to thank and recognize the Academy of the Americas for their dedication to improve morale for its staff. In addition to displaying our own shout-out through our website and social media, we have given them $50 to help towards their existing program. Great work!
Please mark your calendar for August 26, 2024 where the R.O.S.E Foundation has scheduled a fundraiser with the goal being to branch out to other districts with grant funds. It will be in-person as well as broadcasted live on Facebook, so anyone around the country can participate. The fundraiser will include a silent auction with something a little different, an Artisan’s Fair Exchange. If you are someone that is artistically or creatively talented and would like to make something to donate to our fundraiser, please email us at: rosefoundationawards@rosefoundationawards.org. Also, if you are like some of us who have talents in other areas besides making something physical to donate, you can always contribute a monetary donation to the Recognize Our Staff Excellence through our website.
Last but not least, we want to thank those that volunteer for our committees as well as those of you viewing, sharing, and/or liking one of our social media pages. Please know that we never take what you do for granted. Thank you!!!
Comments