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Valentine's Day Fun

STRING HUNT

Divide the staff into teams of two or three. These might be grade-level teams or, maybe even better, teams that involve staff members who do not often collaborate. Cut red and pink yarn into various lengths and hide the strands all over the school. Staff members will search for strands of yarn throughout the day. Periodically, team members will meet to tie together the pieces of yarn they have collected to form one long continuous piece of string. At the end of the day, all staff members will gather (at the regularly scheduled staff meeting?) to learn which team made the longest string. The winning team is awarded a Valentine's Day prize.

Diane Hodges
An award-winning educator, highly acclaimed speaker, and bestselling author, Dr. Diane Hodges' weekly Looking Forward to Monday Morning columns present a wealth of ideas administrators can use to drive staff members happy!

Diane is a frequent speaker at national and state conferences, including those of the national principal associations (NAESP, NASSP). In high-energy, humorous sessions, she unleashes dozens of ideas for promoting staff recognition and appreciation and for creating a climate of fun in the workplace. In addition, schools and school districts frequently call on Diane to share ways in which staff members can create more fun and appreciation for one another… in just minutes a day.

Diane is the bestselling author of Looking Forward to Monday Morning, Looking Forward to MORE Monday Mornings, Quote This!, Laugh Lines for Educators, and Grin and Share It! -- all published by Corwin Press.

You can learn more about Diane, purchase her books, or book her for a presentation in your school or district at dianehodges.com.

VALENTINE'S MATCH

Make Valentine's Day hearts in a quantity equal to half the number of people on your staff. Cut those hearts into two pieces, each in a unique way. Attach half of each heart to a sheet on which the following instructional poem is printed:

Good morning, dear friends. Happy Valentine's Day!
We hope you slept well and are ready to play.
All of us know that we need one another,
Our hearts aren't complete without each other.

Attached is a heart, cut in a special way.
You must find its match by the end of the day.
We'll all wear our hearts in hopes we will find
That one special person who is one of a kind.

Bring both matching halves to the office to see
The treat we have for you. It's special -- and free!

Put one of the heart halves and a copy of the poem in each staff member's mailbox. During the day, each person has to find the staff member who has the half of the heart that matches theirs. At the end of the day, the pairs come to the office to receive a special treat such as a chocolate heart candy.

QUOTE THIS!

May this Valentine's Day be filled with love, understanding, and contentment as you journey through life with those you hold dear.
~ Darly Henerson

Find more quotes for educators in my book Quote This!

Drive your staff happy!
Diane