Wagon Train 2006

Wagon Train Committees

We chose to have two Wagon Train chairs, one for the luncheon, and one for set-up of the Oregon Trail.

2006 Wagon Train Chairs:

• Cheryl Krupczak - Oregon Train chair
• Elizabeth Richards - Luncheon chair

Trail Chair – organized anything having to do with the trail set-up on the ELD ramp including soliciting parents for additional props and decorations, filling out special event request forms to have things moved to the ramp, and organizing volunteers to set up and later, tear-down the trail props and put them back in storage. Also did the “Wanted” posters.

Luncheon Chair – organized the luncheon set up in the science wing hallway. This involved filling out special event request forms for table set-up, decorating tables, fresh flowers, and ordering BBQ pulled pork and wagon train cakes, and organizing volunteers for set up, clean up, and tear down. Note: Check with Ms. Mo regarding luncheon invitations.

2006 Committee Members: Pamela Adams, Kathryn Chan, Lucinda Chapman, Jewel Culton, Laura Draper, Nan Kennedy, Jenny McCartney, Page Morocco, Janet Saltmarsh, Shawn Sandor, Helen Weeks

Also: we sought the help of all 4th grade parents to provide items for the trail set-up and decorating the luncheon area, as well as people to help with set-up, clean-up, and taking down and packing away the props from the trail.

General Notes from 2006

Food – the teachers and children come up with the menu and each child is responsible for bringing enough for 15 people. However, you probably want to plan for the luncheon committee to order some type of “real” food for a main course. In our experience and from notes from past years, the menus from the children tend to have a lot of bread, side items, and desserts, and no main course lunch item. Elizabeth Richards ordered pulled pork BBQ from Sonny’s. It was a huge hit. She also ordered the two cakes (see photos later), which provided plenty for dessert.

Committees – as mentioned, we had two chairs, one for the trail and one for the food. For the trail set up, there are 14 stops along the trail. For each of the stops, we had a person volunteer to “own” that stop. They took care of all the details with decoration, getting it set up, and getting it taken down and stored away – they can certainly get other volunteers to help, but they are the “go-to” person. Giving each person ownership and control to do what they wanted with their “stop” worked out wonderfully! The creativity was astounding. And the actual work went much faster by dividing up the stops.

Money – there is an significant cost involved with putting on a luncheon for ~60 students, their parents, and siblings. Be careful about asking for donations! We used correspondence from past years that said “each child must pay $5, etc.” You can’t do that. You can, however, ask for purely voluntary donations. Costs involved include: BBQ, cakes, ice, drinks, cups, plates, flowers, keepsake gifts for the kids, and tipping Johnny and his 2 helpers ($20 each).

Tear-down – It is highly recommended that the teachers take the kids back to class afterwards and wait for normal carpool dismissal. It caused a huge problem with tear-down and with siblings from other grades who attended when they dismissed everyone prior to school getting out. Also, this gives plenty of time and many hands to help with clean-up, tear-down, and storing everything away for next year. Do make sure to have people specifically assigned to clean-up/tear-down.

Examples of Correspondence

Below is a list of the correspondence/documents that we either created (or wish we had!) for this event.

• Introduction email to parents –

It would be great to have an email early on that gives an overview of wagon train – what the kids will be doing in class, and that the event will culminate in a mock-Oregon Trail and luncheon with skits. [we had everything combined in one long email (see “wagon train email.doc”) Dividing up the info and requests for volunteers and props into separate emails would have been more successful]

• Call for volunteers for committees –

email out to parents asking for volunteers for the trail setup committee and luncheon committee

• Call for props and decorations –

email to all parents requesting props and items like saddles, horse blankets, wash tubs, etc.

• Luncheon Invitations -

Check with Ms. Mo about who should do this (some years she did them, other years the parents did)

• Wagon Train Special Events request forms – one for trail, one for luncheon

• Email instructions to parents for food assignments for luncheon

• Template for “Wanted” posters ( wantedposter.png for Microsoft PictureIt software)

Wanted Posters

File:Wantedposter.jpg This was a fun and popular keepsake for the kids. We also used them to decorate the trail and hallways for the luncheon. The project takes some time, but it’s something you can start right away.

Here’s how:

We brought in some western/country looking shirts and bandanas. Ms. Mo has the hats in her closet. If you’re doing all the kids at once, it helps to have 1 person assist the kids with costumes and getting the next group of kids, 1 person taking the pictures, and 1 person writing down the names and aliases

Took the kids a couple at a time and lined them in front of the yellow wall in the media center near the copy machine and took their picture with a digital camera

I used Microsoft “PictureIt!” software to crop the photos and change them to black and white. See the file “wantedposter.png” for the template.

In PictureIt! I’d place the black-and-white photo onto the template and then print it onto special paper (see below) and then delete the photo from the template and go on to the next photo

- Special Paper – I found this paper at Office Depot on Cobb Pkwy past Cumberland Mall. (100ct. Scroll Burgundy by Gartner Studios.)

- Committee laminated and cut apart the posters. Many hands made this part go quickly!

Other ideas: the “family portrait” posters done in 2004 looked great!