Utrust - Appreciating, Developing, and Supporting School Staff

Each of the three crews: Creative, Action, and Paparazzi Crews need an adult adviser to provide guidance  in planning and completing their work. They need to be taught how to do things, encouraged to put forth their best effort, stay on track and finish projects they start. They need the benefit of adult wisdom and experience as they discuss activities and procedures.

Some high schools  use clubs to serve as the three crews. For example, the art club as the Creative Crew; the student council as the Action Crew; and the yearbook staff as the Paparazzi Crew.

Action Crew Adviser

Action Crew Adviser (printable PDF)

All of the information needed to carry out the responsibilities as the Action Crew Adviser are included in each appreciation packet including an agenda to help keep meetings efficient and effective.

The Action Crew Adviser provides the following support to the students in their crew:

1. Select students to perform the announcements. Have them practice and then provide helpful suggestions to ensure they use inflection and humor to make them fun and interesting. Get permission from the principal for the students to make the announcements and let the students know what days the announcements should be made.
2. Rehearse with students how to make a phone call to community supporters who have agreed to help including sharing date, times and location items need to be delivered for the special day.
3. Have Action Crew members invite school groups to be a part of making at least one appreciation day special for the honorees. Break up the groups to ensure a group is assigned to each appreciation day throughout the year. Consider asking teams such as the basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, softball and baseball teams, Beta Club, FFA, and FCA, etc.
4. Ensure a marquee message is selected and students are assigned to put it up in advance of the appreciation day.
5. Make sure an Action Crew member informs the music teacher or other designated staff member when and where the students need to sing the song to the employees being honored.
6. Encourage each member of the Action Crew to write a sincere thank you note incorporating the theme to a member of the group being honored for each appreciation day. When possible, have them write individualized notes to every person in the group being celebrated.

The Action Crew Adviser plays a big part in making each appreciation day special for the honorees. The more enthusiasm the Action Crew members express in carrying out their responsibilities, the more fun it will be and the more it will honor those being celebrated.

Creative Crew Adviser

Creative Crew Adviser (printable PDF)

All of the information needed to carry out the responsibilities as the Creative Crew Adviser are included in each appreciation packet including an agenda to help keep meetings efficient and effective.

The Creative Crew Adviser provides the following support to the students in their group:

1. Ensure supplies are available for students to use to make signs, posters and decorate goodie bags for the honorees.
2. If candy bars or water bottles are provided as tokens of appreciation, have them make labels for them or use the ones provided in the packet.
3. Help the students display the signs and posters for the appreciation day in the appropriate areas of the school.
4. Work with other members of the A-Team on how the thank you notes and any tokens of appreciation will be presented to the honorees on the appreciation day to make it special.
5. Encourage each member of the Creative Crew to write a sincere thank you note to the honoree using the theme for each appreciation day. When possible, have them write individualized notes to every honoree in the group being celebrated.

The Creative Crew Adviser plays a big part in making each appreciation day special for the honorees. The more creative the Creative Crew can be, the more fun it will be and the more it will honor those being celebrated.

Paparazzi Crew Adviser

Paparazzi Crew Adviser (print)

All of the information needed to carry out the responsibilities as the Paparazzi Crew Adviser are included in each appreciation packet including an agenda to help keep meetings efficient and effective.

The Paparazzi Crew Adviser provides the following support to the students in their group:

1. 1. Ensure the equipment needed to film the preparations and celebrations is made available for use by the Paparazzi Crew whether that be by using personal cell phones or cameras or school cameras to capture the special moments.
   2. Plan with Paparazzi Crew members what photos and videos to shoot to tell a story.  Provide tips and feedback on video and photos taken by them.
   3. Help students package the photos and video taken into a keepsake for the honorees through a Youtube/Vimeo video,  Smilebox, Powerpoint or other available method.
   4. Have a member of the Paparazzi Crew participate in the presentations to honorees to present them with a card with information about the link to the keepsake and how to access it .
   5. Have Paparazzi Crew members upload the summary, pictures and/or video to the closed Facebook group Utrust Coordinators and to your System Coordinator. Click here to go to the closed Facebook group. 
   6. Encourage each member of the Paparazzi Crew to write a sincere thank you note to a member of the group being honored for each appreciation day. Use theme-related words and phrases.  When possible, have a Crew member write an individualized note to every person in the group being celebrated.

The Paparazzi Crew Adviser plays a big part in making each appreciation day special for the honorees. The more creative your Paparazzi Crew can be, the more fun it will be and the more it will honor those being celebrated.