VIP Week

Each week I choose a child to be the VIP for the week.   This is similar to the "Star of the Week" that others do.  It is a fun way to celebrate and get to know each student in your class!  I have found that once the initial work is done at the beginning of the year, it is a very simple weekly activity.  The great part is that it is one bulletin board that is always new each week!  For those teachers who don't have a lot of bulletin board space, you might be able to use a cupboard door.  You can be as fancy as you would like with decorated cheerleaders with real pompoms, or you can do it up by simply having a VIP space for the T shirt to be displayed.  Your choice! 

A letter and paper (butcher paper) T shirt is sent home the week before each child's VIP week informing the parent that their child will be the VIP the following week.   The letter gives them an outline of activities we will be doing to celebrate their child's VIP week.  The letter also gives ideas on decorating the T shirt.  I make a sample tee shirt that I decorate for myself that is on display for the parents to see at our Back-to-School Night in September.   The teacher is the first VIP!  I make the sample showing pictures of my  family and my interests.  I keep the same VIP T shirt for several years---until it is really outdated!

One of the things that we do during the week is make a VIP book for each child.  The book is made by all of the children in the class.  This becomes a real treasure and keepsake for the VIP!  We interview the VIP and ask questions.  I write the answers in the blanks as I interview the VIP.  Then, each child illustrates a page for the VIP.  These pages are bound into a book with a cover--"Three Cheers for______."  See the sample cover below.  You can make copies of the book covers for the whole year. 

A small banner is made in black line and colored.  Banners are optional since most of the children include their name on the T shirt.  The banners can be decorated by the teacher, child or parent volunteer.  I usually had a volunteer do all of the banners at the beginning of the year, and they were always ready to go each week.  After the banner was colored, I cut around the name and mounted on construction paper before laminating.  This was given to the child after their week of being VIP.

 

I have a bulletin board for our VIP to display his/her tee shirt for the week.   I also make a small banner with the VIP's name on it for the bulletin board.  The one below did not have a small banner. 

 

 

I have put together a package of all the things needed to do the VIP of the Week for teachers.  It will include the following things:

 

1.  Two VIP banners are given for you to choose.  You can print the black ink banner and use whatever color you would like.  Or, use the red banner if it fits your color scheme.  The banner is two sheets of paper that you will need to put the together.  I tape the two pieces together with transparent tape and mount on a piece of contrasting colored construction paper for a border. Laminating keeps the banner for several years! 

 

 

 

                                         

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 3. A sample tee shirt pattern for each VIP to decorate can be mailed through snail mail.  Or, you can draw your own pattern.  If you would like to have a butcher paper copy of the T shirt, let me know. 

 

 

 

 

4.  A sample letter as a pdf file is given that you can duplicate for the VIP to take home to the parents informing them that their child will be the VIP the following week.  It also includes many different ideas for the parent to use to help celebrate their child's week.  There are ideas of activities for each day of the week provided in the letter.  You can use this letter or use it for ideas to make your own week of activities. 

 

 

 

5.  The VIP book has 25 pages of fill in the blanks.  These pages are completed in an interview of the VIP.  These fill-in-the blank pages can be duplicated.   You will need one page for each student to decorate for the VIP.  In other words, if you have 23 students, you will need 23 pages for the VIP book.  I send a copy of the book to our reprographics department to have all of the books made at the beginning of the year.  I am then set for the whole school year. 

 

 

There is one cover for girls and another for the boys.  (See small pictures of the boy and girl book covers.)  The black line pdf has a blank space for you to fill in the VIP's name.  You may use colored pencils, markers or crayon to color in the booklet.  I have always asked parents to decorate these each year.  However, you might choose to have the VIP of the week color in his/her own book cover.  I ask one parent to color all of the booklets each year in September and have them ready for the whole year.  I do the same thing with the banners that I decorate for the bulletin board.  If you are interested in having these custom made name banners done for your class with your students' names done in black print, let contact me. 

***If you are interested in having these black copies made for your class, the cost is $.50 per book cover.  They will personalized with your students' names.   

 

I have found the VIP of the Week is a very easy program to set up.  I have made changes over the years and found that It takes a bit of organizing at the beginning of the school year, but then it is all ready to go each week.  I have a fresh bulletin board every week that is very low maintenance!  All I have to do is hang up the VIP T shirt and the banner.  The kids and parents love the activities, and the books are a lifetime treasure for each child!  One of the teachers had a great idea of saving all of the T shirts for Open House to display at the end of the school year.  Wish I had thought of that! 

 

If you are interested in ordering the VIP package, the cost for the access link is $15.  If you would like a paper copy of the T shirt pattern sent through the mail, (snail mail) it is $5.00 extra.  Paypal is offered and is a faster method of payment.  I will email you the access link as soon as I receive payment.  If  you would like to pay by check or money order, please let me know by email. 

If you have any questions about how the VIP of the Week works, please let me know!  You can email me at lcritchell@ kinderteacher.com ( without the space)

 

 

 

     VIP Paper T shirt that will be sent through U.S. mail.

  

 

 

Bulletin Board Cheerleaders

***Please note that the shadows are my camera and are not on the paper!

I have had lots of requests for patterns for the bulletin board cheerleaders.  The boy cheerleader is approximately 30 inches tall and the girl is 35 inches with the pompoms extended.  The cheerleaders can be colored with your own school colors in chalk, crayons, or paint, etc.  I have always laminated them to keep from year to year.  If you would like the 3-D effect, the pompoms can be purchased at Walmart or Oriental Trading Company.  The price for the set of cheerleaders is $15.  The cheerleaders are shipped in a poster type box to avoid folding!

*** $5 Extra charge for shipping to Canada.

 

 

VIP Buttons

  For more information about ordering VIP Buttons:  CLICK

 

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