END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR
SCHOOL CULTURE ACTIVITIES FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
The end of the school year has finally come — now is your chance to cement the work you’ve done all year long! With graduation and summer vacation on the horizon, this is a season of built-in opportunities to create powerful experiences. Take advantage of them, then bask in the recognition YOU receive for creating positivity and heartfelt traditions. Start with a Senior Walk — this month’s Culture Challenge! Recognize seniors and reinforce graduation as a BIG deal by organize a parade of your soon-to-be grads.
Then, reinforce the relationships made throughout the school year with an epic Staffulty vs. Student Game! Think relay races, “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader Live” or a Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament.
See more details about end-of-year activities by clicking the title of each idea below.
RELATIONSHIPS
Thank You Day: Reinforce relationships by organizing a day in which every member of the school community writes a thank you note to another person in the school. This quick activity helps everyone to recognize the many acts of kindness that occur during a school year.
CULTURE & CLIMATE
Staffulty vs. Student Game: Reinforce the relationships built this year by organizing a competition that includes Staffulty and students, like an athletic event, games, or something like “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader Live”
MAKE IT HAPPEN!
STAFFULTY MORALE
Year-End Celebration: Reward Staffulty on the final duty day by celebrating them with a special experience such as lunch from food trucks or a trip to the local bowling alley.
First Days of School – video and discussion: Use this The Green Room professional learning episode at a staff meeting or PD day to get your Staffulty thinking about how to kick off the school year in a special way next fall.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Name-Your-Own Awards: Recognize students who exemplify your schools values by giving them an award named after your mascot (i.e. The ICE Awards – Identifying Colonel Excellence). Look for ways to include students who may not receive academic awards.
Graduation – video and discussion: Use Season 5, Episode 9 of The HarborTM by Jostens episode to reinforce the importance of graduation and the importance of community support in achieving a large goal like this.
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Senior Walk: Recognize seniors and reinforce graduation as a Big Darn Deal by organizing a parade of seniors, decked out in caps and gowns, down school halls. This tradition truly tugs on the heartstrings!
This activity has been selected as part of the Culture Challenge. Do it, enter the sweepstakes, and you could win $500 for culture and climate activities at your school
GET RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR EFFORTS!
All schools who do one Monthly Playbook activity for each month of the school year and track their school culture and climate efforts are eligible to be a Jostens Renaissance School of Distinction.