It’s about HOW you do it. Your orientation was strong. It had “WOW!” You felt it. Everyone did. So…what about the rest of the year? How do you make sure that every event you host gives freshmen and 6th graders that same sense of WOW! you delivered on orientation day? Well, it just so happens that there are others who have the same question, so we’ve compiled some brilliant ideas from other Link and WEB schools to inspire you.
Basketball Shoot Out – Creekview Ranch Middle School
This year Creekview Ranch Middle School in Rocklin, CA, created a standing date for their WEB leaders and 6th graders. Every Wednesday morning before school they would all hang out in the gym’s game room and occasionally the gym. A good idea and…where’s the wow?
They felt the void too, so in late September, the WEB leaders decided they wanted something a little more organized. They wanted some WOW. They made posters advertising a basketball shoot out. They chose gift cards to Jamba Juice, Starbucks, and iTunes as prizes. The day before the shootout they assigned WEB leaders to specific roles (recruiters, cheerleaders, rebounders, line organizers, hand stampers who ensured 6th graders would only shoot once, etc...).
On the appointed morning there were 20 or so basketballs available and the 6th graders had 10 minutes to practice shooting as kids filtered in. Then, at 7:40 sharp the competition began. 6th graders took turns shooting - there were two taking shots at the same time, one at each basket. The WEB leaders were awesome at encouraging everyone to participate and making everyone feel special for trying! At the end the WEB Leaders declared three 6th graders the winners…and one was a total air ball that bounced and made it in after the bounce! WEB leaders agreed that he totally deserved a prize! As the warning bell rang, WEB leaders cheered all the 6th graders as they hurried to class. Talk about a fun morning of WOW!
Scavenger Hunt – Saguaro High School, AZ
Compliments of Reitz High School, Michelle Peacock at Saguaro High School decided to host their first ever school-wide Scavenger Hunt. They created a list of questions from Link Leaders, teachers, administrators and other staff members. The list included “What was the 2011 Senior Gift?”, “Which teacher has been at SHS the longest?” and “Where do you find the nurse and what are her hours?” Having generated the questions, they began a series of announcements to generate buzz! Finally on spirit week, Link Crew worked with Student Government to hand out the list to all freshmen in their English Classes. They had one week to gather answers and turn their completed sheets back into their English Teacher on Friday. Link Leaders went through and scored each sheet noting which classes had the most correct!
They ended with a series of prizes for individual accomplishment as well as class prizes. The winning English class got a pizza party by the Link Leaders and the winner teacher won a $10 gift certificate to Target. And everyone involved spent a week getting more connected to their school!
As we move into the year, it’s important that your program continues to create a culture of community and success through Social Follow Ups. Remember, it doesn’t have to be a HUGE event (although it can be). It does, however, need to have WOW.
WOW! is the feeling you create for kids as they enter your event, experience it and then exit. WOW! needs to be present every step of the way.
ENTER:
How do you want them to feel as they walk through the doors of your event? How do they know things have started and that they are a part of it!? The last thing you want is freshmen/6th graders ambling into an event, looking around and wondering what the heck is going on. What you want is students arriving, being greeted, seeing clear direction and feeling the anticipation of what’s coming next.
EXPERIENCE:
What will make your event stand out amongst all the things your students get to participate in? What will they remember about the event? The visuals? The energy? The way it made them feel? Think about this as you plan your event and let it drive your vision.
EXIT:
How will they know the event is over? What will they be thinking as they walk away and why are they thinking it? How did you bring a sense of purpose to the event? What type of closure will help communicate that purpose?
It’s crucial to keep that Link Crew/WEB connection alive all year long, it’s what will make change at your school. And, whether it’s a huge Follow Up or a Leader meeting, WOW! is what makes it meaningful, fun and memorable.
