Zoe Girl
10-14-15, 10:10am
I just pulled data and my program really is booming, My average daily attendance last year in September was 40 and this year it is 60. That is due to higher numbers in our childcare program which are generally easy additions, but also adding more programs early like homework club and a choir that has 40 kids registered.
The growing pains are that I got a lot of things done by a lot of personal attention to people and I simply can't do that this year. I have a running group that parents have needed to go online and register so we get the $10 rate. Only 6 out of 16 have and now the registration is closed. The coaches have been talking to parents and giving them information but they are not responding. So that means the girls lost out on a t-shirt and race. I could run around today trying to fix this but I have other work to do as well. In previous years I would have personal contact with every parent, this year they practice on the day I have over 80 kids in programming. The coaches are telling me to relax but I realize I have to get used to a new way of doing things as part of that. The only thing I feel bad about is the parents who are used to more personal information and I just saw that it is not sustainable. So I need to re-train the families, I have been doing that with my paid program. I am sending them to the financial office this year without getting involved, and we have new people so it is going well on that end also.
However I still have plenty of families in all categories that do not get me registration forms or check the flyers I send or email home. That is universal to some extent. I am going to trust that my numbers will stay high enough without going too far out of my way.
On another note, my volunteer job of teaching mindfulness in the classroom is going great and I am squeezing in another classroom after a teacher sought me out. Yeah! Who knows where that is going career wise but I still find I have enough time and energy to do it without stress.
The growing pains are that I got a lot of things done by a lot of personal attention to people and I simply can't do that this year. I have a running group that parents have needed to go online and register so we get the $10 rate. Only 6 out of 16 have and now the registration is closed. The coaches have been talking to parents and giving them information but they are not responding. So that means the girls lost out on a t-shirt and race. I could run around today trying to fix this but I have other work to do as well. In previous years I would have personal contact with every parent, this year they practice on the day I have over 80 kids in programming. The coaches are telling me to relax but I realize I have to get used to a new way of doing things as part of that. The only thing I feel bad about is the parents who are used to more personal information and I just saw that it is not sustainable. So I need to re-train the families, I have been doing that with my paid program. I am sending them to the financial office this year without getting involved, and we have new people so it is going well on that end also.
However I still have plenty of families in all categories that do not get me registration forms or check the flyers I send or email home. That is universal to some extent. I am going to trust that my numbers will stay high enough without going too far out of my way.
On another note, my volunteer job of teaching mindfulness in the classroom is going great and I am squeezing in another classroom after a teacher sought me out. Yeah! Who knows where that is going career wise but I still find I have enough time and energy to do it without stress.