What is a Sunshine Committee?

If you've been around here a while, you might have noticed that I have a passion for helping administrators, teachers, and volunteers keep school staff morale high. This is because I was the leader of the Sunshine Committee in my own school for many years and saw firsthand just how valuable this practice is. But what exactly is a "Sunshine Committee"? If you've been wondering, I've got answers! Today we're talking about the what and how of Sunshine Committees. And. . . how it can help boost staff morale and motivation in your school! 

What is a Sunshine Committee Anyway?

First things first... what exactly are we talking about here? A Sunshine Committee is a group of people who are charged with the task of spreading a little sunshine to teachers and other school staff members regularly. Their goal is to tune into the pain points of school employees and come up with creative ways to make work more enjoyable, supportive, and fun for everyone. As the leader of this group for many years at my own school, I have to say... it's a pretty good gig! 

I was also a teacher, so I knew firsthand what my teaching colleagues were facing. But beyond this, it allowed me the unique opportunity to learn what other school staff members struggle with and how to help them as well. Remember, a school is made up of much more than teachers. We have support staff, nurses, secretaries, administrators, custodians, specials teachers, counselors, cafeteria workers, and more! All of these people play an integral role in the health and culture of the school environment, so it's key that we do our best to consider each and every one of them! 

Why You Need a Sunshine Committee

So why do we need this group in our schools? Well, simply put... to help staff stay motivated, feel valued, and foster a sense of community. We all know that teaching and working in schools is harder than ever. School workers are faced with new challenges every day and carry a very heavy load. If we didn't focus on building community or boosting morale among staff, what do you think would happen? 

I think we all know that it's likely that we would end up with a group of unmotivated people who feel undervalued. No one wants this in their school climate! Instead, the Sunshine Committee is strategic in ensuring that events and parties are planned to help make work more fun. Team building activities, contests during staff parties, or monthly potlucks can truly go a long way when it comes to boosting morale!

Getting Started

So, you're ready to take on the task of recruiting and organizing a Sunshine Committee in your school - YAY! Let's dive into how you can get started. 

Members of the Sunshine Committee

Members of the Sunshine Committee are typically volunteers and other staff members. In my school, we needed at least one team member from each grade level or staff team to ensure that the views of that section of our school were conveyed. When recruiting members, I think this is a great place to start as it will ensure a well-rounded group! 

Roles of the Sunshine Committee 

Every school is different of course, but in general, one of the most important jobs of the Sunshine Committee is to plan parties, events, and even condolences for staff members in a time of need. This can cover a very broad range of events. In my school, our Sunshine Committee was in charge of the following:

• Seasonal Parties (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.)
• Monthly Staff Meeting Activities (team building, games, contests, etc.)
• Hospitalizations, Illness, or Funeral Donations or Gifts (flowers, cards, etc.)
• Retirement Celebrations 
• Weddings & Baby Showers

This, of course, isn't an exhaustive list, but rather a way to get you thinking about how a Sunshine Committee could serve in your school. Consider the needs of your school, where things seem to be lacking, or how you could make staff feel more excited to be at work. These are all great questions to ask yourself as you begin navigating how to put a Sunshine Committee in place in your school. 

More Support to Build Your Sunshine Committee

If you need some more ideas and support in setting up a Sunshine Committee then this resource is for you. Inside, I walk you through the specifics, or the nuts and bolts, as I like to call them, of putting together a Sunshine Committee. I share many of the policies from my own school to help you put together a committee at your school! 

How to Stay Organized in Your Sunshine Committee

One of my best tips for running a successful Sunshine Committee is to stay organized. Like really organized! When I was head of our committee, I used a year-long planner to make this easier. Inside my planner, there were tons of pages and prompts to help keep me focused on the goals decided upon by the members of the committee and ensure that nothing fell through the cracks! Here are some of the pages I used to stay organized:

• monthly calendars 
• monthly informational pages 
• recognition trackers
• quote posters

All of these pages are included in my Year Long Staff Morale Planner. This resource is ideal for principals, administrators, and leaders of the Sunshine Committee. Once I started using it, it was SO much easier to stay on task with our goals!  I put all of these pages together in a 3-ring binder to help me stay on track. My favorite of these pages is the monthly information sheets. They include fun celebrations, a monthly challenge, a quote of the month, and other great little tidbits that kept me organized. 

I also included some blank pages for staff meeting ideas, checklists, reminders, wish lists, and anything else that popped into my head! Over time this binder became my command station that was filled with everything I needed for a fun month with staff. When a new year began, I always enjoyed flipping through to grab ideas and reflections to apply to the new year. 

Plan Engaging Activities to Boost Staff Morale

Once you've got your planner all set up, it's time to start filling those pages right?! I have an awesome, FREE resource to help you plan for the whole year without spending hours searching for fun ideas. Simply follow this link to download a free Staff Morale Catalog.

Inside, you'll find ideas and resources for every month of the year and every occasion. No matter what you're looking for, there's likely something inside for you! Make sure to take advantage of this freebie as you begin your journey setting up a Sunshine Committee in your school. Not only will it streamline your planning, it will provide inspiration in those months when you need it most! 

Save This Post

Be sure to pin this post on Pinterest so that you don't lose track of these tips and ideas for setting up a Sunshine Committee in your school!