A guide to celebrate
SRP Recognition Day
SRP Recognition Day is celebrated on
the third Tuesday of November every year.
This guide provides tips, templates and useful
resources to plan and celebrate this event.
For more information and resources, visit www.nysut.org.
Dear SRP Leader:
School-Related Professionals Recognition Day is Nov. 17, 2015, in New
York state. It is a well-deserved honor for the hard-working women and men
who are the heartbeat of our schools. SRPs educate, transport, feed and nurse
our students, administer school offices and maintain school facilities — all of
which provide a safe and nurturing environment for student-centered learning. They work tirelessly throughout the day — often beginning the day before
sunrise to prepare our school buses and school buildings for students.
NYSUT wants to ensure that Nov. 17 is a special day in your district. To
get you started, NYSUT is pleased to provide the enclosed Celebration Guide,
which is filled with promotional tips and resources. Also enclosed are “SRPs
Essential to Education” buttons, a poster and a flier for display. Please encourage your members to wear and display these items proudly. They speak to our
professionalism and our unity. They remind us all that being a union member
— to be a part of something bigger than ourselves — has value.
Whether your SRP unit decides to create its own celebration, to work collaboratively with your affiliated teacher unit, or to work with your district and
parent-teacher association to create a memorable celebration, the ideas inside
the guide can help you create a memorable celebration day. You may also wish
to be creative in finding your own ways to celebrate this SRP Recognition Day.
If you would like more materials or if you have questions, please contact
NYSUT’s SRP Coordinator Margaret MacCartney at: 800-342-9810, ext. 6318,
or by email: [email protected]. Your successes and feedback are important to us. Please let Margaret know how you celebrated SRP Recognition
Day, so that we can share new ideas and creative ways to celebrate this special
day with our more than 90,000 SRP members.
In Solidarity,
Paul Pecorale
Vice President
SRP Recognition Day
School-Related Professionals (SRPs)
SRPs are dedicated, hard-working professionals who help educate,
care for, feed, transport and keep our children safe and healthy. SRPs
make sure our school offices run smoothly and keep our schools clean
and secure. Their ranks include bus drivers and attendants, clerical and
secretarial workers, custodial, maintenance, building and grounds
workers, food service workers, health services, paraprofessionals, teacher
aides, teaching assistants, security guards and monitors.
In New York State, the third Tuesday of November is designated as
SRP Recognition Day. In appreciation of how vital these hidden heroes
are to a child’s education, NYSUT continues to develop materials to
highlight SRPs, and to provide ways to communicate their roles within
the education community. This booklet, and other resources which can
be downloaded from our website, www.nysut.org, helps provide
recognition and to give everyone a chance to say “thank you.”
It is our hope that the suggestions in this guide will give your local
ideas of different ways to celebrate this day. It provides some history of
the law, ways to communicate, sample letters, templates for a news
release, letter to the editor, legislator invitation and tips for celebration
activities that have proven successful in the past.
Please share your stories and your successes. If your local has
photos, news or needs additional materials for celebrating SRPs, contact
Margaret MacCartney at NYSUT Headquarters: 800-342-9810, ext. 6318,
or by email: [email protected].
History
The celebration of School-Related Professionals Recognition Day is
the direct result of a resolution submitted by more than a dozen local
unions at the 2002 NYSUT Representative Assembly. Resolution 48
“School-Related Personnel — Employee Recognition Day” was approved.
Years of advocacy by the NYSUT Legislative Department were
rewarded with SRP Recognition Day signed on a yearly basis. The bill
creating a permanent School-Related Professionals Recognition Day was
signed into law in 2007.
School-Related
Professionals Recognition
Day shall be celebrated
on the third Tuesday of
November, often during
American Education
Week.
NYSUT urges every
school district to use this
day to celebrate and
honor the work of all
School-Related
Professionals —
inside and outside
the classroom.
Ways to celebrate
n F
ood — Ah, food — the universal celebration tool! Some districts
provide cider, donuts and coffee, others provide a full breakfast or
luncheon, and still others have fresh baked goods in the staff room
for the day.
n Presentations — Several boards of education recognize the SRPs
by presenting the leadership with a rose and certificate at a public
meeting.
n Resolution — Some locals give each SRP member a copy of the
legislative resolution along with a flower or chocolates.
n Interviews — One teacher had her students interview each SRP in
the school. These were then posted in the school halls with a Polaroid
photo of each. What a great way to involve students in seeing the
contributions that all school employees make.
n G
ift Bags — Several districts and union locals make gift bags for
each SRP. Try to purchase union-made or made in the USA products.
The contents can include items such as gift certificates for ice cream,
thank you stickers, coffee vouchers, candy kisses, pencils, pens, etc.
One idea: have the students decorate the bags!
n Letter to the Editor — Send a letter to the editor of your local
newspaper. Let your community know the work that your members
do and that they play an integral role in a child’s school day.
n T
rade Duties — At one school, the teachers traded lunch time
duties with the aides and monitors. While the teachers oversaw the
cafeteria and playground for all the lunch periods, the support
staffers lunched and snacked in the staff lounge.
n A
Teachable Moment — Some schools involve their students by
asking them to thank their school support staffers for all the work
they do. This brings understanding of who and what an SRP is and
how important their jobs are.
Communicate well
Get the word out!
Suppose you gave a party and nobody came? Well, if you don’t advertise
a special event, how do you expect people to know about it and join in?
Included in this booklet are several suggestions and tips for getting
positive recognition. One-on-one conversations are also an excellent way
to engage people.
NYSUT provides a poster and a flier you can use, or you can be creative
and make up your own about your SRP local — hang copies in strategic
places in the community and your schools!
Check your school calendar to see if School-Related Professionals
Recognition Day is pre-printed on the third Tuesday in November. If not,
give your district a call and let them know that you would like it included
on the calendar for next year. (Make a note to give them another call in
July as a reminder.)
Who are the people/groups that you want
to reach?
n S
chool administration (principals, assistant principals, etc.)
n Teachers/supervisors you work with
Teacher union leadership
n n School superintendent
n Community
n PTA / PTO
n Media
Spread the word.
Many of these groups are
happy to be involved in a
special type of SRP
“thank-you” for a job
well done!
Preparing good content
Make a good first impression, and make sure they know who you are.
Many schools and locals use acronyms or nicknames, but when you
engage others in the community, be consistent with your identity. Use
words that convey your message and images that make a positive
impression.
What to include:
n The five Ws of your event: who (your local), what (the event), where, when and why (for SRP Recognition Day)
n P
hotos with brief, informative captions about your event
n Q
uotes (usually from your local’s president or chief communicator)
How to use it:
n N
ews releases sent to the media
n L
etters to the editor
n A
rticles sent in to newsletters – including your local’s
n P
osters and fliers
n B
log postings
n W
ebsite
n S
ocial media
Engaging the community:
n P
articipate in school open houses
n F
orm partnerships with community
groups
n P
lan and participate in volunteer initiatives
such as gathering donations for food
pantries, boot/clothing drives,
breast cancer walks, etc. Be sure to identify
your local and your members, wear union
apparel if you have it.
Words to share
School-Related Professionals are dedicated and
hardworking. The many titles that make up the
term SRP (— bus driver, monitor, custodian,
school nurse, secretary, teacher aide, to name a
few —) show the depth and breadth of the
important work they do in our schools and for our
students each day. Our SRP members are a vibrant
part of our schools, and of the NYSUT family. Their
advocacy and support enriches our union.
— Karen E. Magee, NYSUT president
They see to all needs of our students.
They transport, feed, organize,
re-enforce lessons, keep children safe
and healthy, and school environments
clean and running smoothly. Indeed,
our schools could not function without
SRPs’ dedication and hard work.
— Paul Pecorale, NYSUT vice president
SRPs make a difference in the everyday
achievements of all students and in the
operation of our schools. Regardless of their
job titles and along with their regular duties,
SRPs provide the much needed extra support
to students whether it is listening, encouraging,
assuring or assisting with extra-curricular
activities. SRPs are multifaceted.
— Jo Ann Sweat, Buffalo Educational Support
Team, chair NYSUT SRP Advisory Committee
We bring the kids to school. We take care of
them in the classroom, on the playground, in
the lunchroom, in the offices, in the halls. We
feed them. We take care of the medically
fragile, the emotionally disturbed, the gifted,
the talented, and everyone in between, yet
no one knows who we are. We have to
explain why what we do is important.
— Lorretta Johnson, AFT secretary-treasurer
SRPs play a huge part in the life of our
students. Whether on the front lines or
behind the scenes, every SRP is important
in the smooth running of our schools.
Thank you for all the hard work. You make
a difference every day!
— Margaret MacCartney, NYSUT
School-Related Professionals coordinator
I started my education career as a lunch lady and a
paraprofessional in a Head Start school. The teachers I
worked with saw me as part of their team, and when I
became a teacher I made our school support professionals part of my team. I wouldn’t have been able to do my
job as a teacher without the army of bus drivers, school
secretaries, technicians, paraprofessionals, cafeteria
workers and custodians working right beside me. We are
a family, in our union work and in our school work. There
are no unimportant people in a family!
— Lily Eskelsen Garcia, NEA president
News releases
If you are planning an event and would like media coverage, send out a
news release at least two weeks before your event. If your event coincides with American Education Week, let the media know. For additional
news release tips visit www.nysut.org.
Use the template on the next page to create your release.
You will also need a contact list. You can send your news release to your
weekly community newspaper, to the community section in your larger
local daily, to the television news stations in your area and to radio
stations. Check your telephone directory for listings or search online,
using “media” + “your city, NY.” Call each outlet and get a contact name,
fax number and email address and ask how they would like to receive
news releases. Many outlets accept emailed news releases — either in
the body of the mail or as an attachment. Some prefer faxes and others
prefer snail mail. (Write down this information — assemble your own
media list that can be easily updated each year.)
Whatever method you choose, remember to send your news release so
that it arrives two weeks before your event. At the bottom of your
release, type: “-30-” to show the editor where your news release ends.
Follow up with a phone call or email one week before and then a
pleasant reminder the day before the event. If you call, always start by
asking if he or she has one minute to listen to your story idea. If the
answer is yes, be brief and polite. If the answer is no — thank them and
say you will call back later.
This will ensure your best chance at media coverage.
Send a news release to all the schools in your district and to your district’s
communications specialist or publicist for inclusion in their newsletters.
News Release Template
For more information contact:
[Your name, your phone number]
For Immediate Release:
[Your school’s name] to honor SRPs with [type of celebration]
School-Related Professionals Day, November [Date]
[Your city, N.Y., Date] — It’s official — the third Tuesday of November is
New York State School-Related Professionals Recognition Day. This year
the date is [DATE].
To celebrate [your school or district name] is planning [describe your
event, for example, a student art show]. [Your school name] has been
decorated with student artwork, photographs and essays celebrating the
contribution of all our SRPs. [Your school name] principal [name] will
open the exhibit with a ribbon cutting at 5 p.m., with reception to follow
immediately. SRPs and the public are invited to tour the building and
view the art show.
School-Related Professionals (SRPs) are the dedicated support staff that
make public schools run smoothly. SRPs help educate, transport and
feed children, and keep children safe in school. They are the bus drivers
and attendants, aides, teaching assistants, cafeteria workers, secretaries,
health services personnel and custodians.
In 2007, the bill creating a permanent School-Related Professionals
Recognition Day was signed into law. This legislation was co-sponsored
by Assemblywoman Barbara Clark, D-Queens, and Sen. John
DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse. School-Related Professionals Recognition Day is
celebrated on the third Tuesday of November, often during American
Education Week.
-30-
Invite attention
Sample Letter to the Editor
To the editor:
[Date] is School-Related Professionals Recognition Day in New York
state. The third Tuesday in November is the day designated by the state
Legislature as a special statewide recognition day for School-Related
Professionals. SRPs work long and hard each day — working side-byside as partners in education with other school staff on both the front
lines and behind the scenes every day.
SRPs help to educate your children and keep them healthy. SRPs safely
transport children to and from school, keep our buildings safe and
clean, run the offices efficiently and provide nutritious food.
Who are the SRPs? We are your school bus drivers and attendants,
cafeteria workers, teaching assistants and aides, school nurses, maintenance and grounds keepers, clerical and support staff in your schools.
Don’t forget to say “thank you” to an SRP today!
(Signature)
(Name)
(Address)
(Phone number)
Sample Invitation to your Legislator
You may invite your federal, state and local legislators to attend your
event by using the following template. Be sure to give the exact location,
date and time of your event.
You can find legislators online at:
https://mac.nysut.org/find-my-elected-officials.
The Honorable John Smith
New York State Senate
[Address]
Dear Senator Smith,
Thank you for your support in making the third Tuesday in November
School-Related Professionals Recognition Day in New York state.
School-Related Professionals (SRPs) are dedicated, hard-working
professionals who help educate, feed, transport and keep our children
safe and healthy. SRPs make sure our school offices run smoothly and
keep our schools clean and secure.
To celebrate, [name of your school or sponsor of event] invites you to
attend the [name of your event and details] on [date and time]. We
would be honored by your presence.
SRPs include bus drivers and attendants, clerical and secretarial workers,
custodial, maintenance, building and grounds workers, food service
workers, health services personnel, paraprofessionals, teacher aides,
teaching assistants, security guards and monitors. Please join us in
celebrating this important day.
Thank you for your continued support of School-Related Professionals
Recognition Day.
Yours truly,
[Your name]
[Title, Local]
[Address]
Helpful photo dos and don’ts
n C
ontent — Look for opportunities to take photos of members in action,
especially doing things of which you’re very proud. Assemble a bank of
pictures; collect photos of individuals and group shots from various
events, in posed shots and spontaneous situations.
n Messaging — Think about the story that the photo is telling,
and include important elements if possible.
n Interesting images — Get photos of people doing something,
not just “grip and grin” posed portraits. Include details of who the
subjects are and what’s happening in the caption information.
n What else is showing — Consider the background of your photo.
If there’s a school banner or sign, make sure it’s legible. If there are items
which aren’t relevant to the photo or are visually unappealing, move
them out of the way before taking the picture.
n Make it real — Use a camera if you can. Smartphones can grab a quick
snap of a situation, but it’s difficult to get good quality images.
n Outside — Don’t shoot with the sun behind the subject. The camera will
pick up on that brightness and everything in the foreground will be in
shadow. Try for an angle where the sun is shining toward the subject,
from behind or to the side of the photographer.
Inside — If you’re shooting inside, try to get as much light on the subject
n as possible. Use the flash on your camera if needed.
n A
void blinks — If you’re using a digital camera, take two or three shots
of a good image; that way, if someone blinks, you still have the shot.
“Enriching
the learning
experiences
students
in
“Children
need
role models
ratherofthan
critics.”
their classrooms and schools”. — Catalina
Fortino
- Joseph Joubert
NYSUTthanks
ELT thanks
NYSUT
SchoolSchool-Related
Professionals
Related Professionals
for
for being excellent role models
being
excellent role models
FIND OUT HOW NYSUT ELT CAN WORK FOR MEMBERS DEDICATED TO EDUCATION
FIND OUT HOW NYSUT ELT CAN WORK FOR MEMBERS DEDICATED TO EDUCATION
Visit www.nysut.org/elt or call 1-800-528-6208
Visit http://www.nysut.org/elt
Call 1-800-528-6208
Your source for quality professional development.
Your source for quality professional development.
SRP Recognition Day
School-Related Professionals work
side-by-side as partners in the
education of our children
n bus drivers safely transport students to and from school
n secretaries keep offices running smoothly and efficiently
n teaching assistants and paraprofessionals help educate
n nurses and other health care staff keep students healthy
n building and teacher aides assist with care
n cafeteria staff provide nutritious meals
n custodians keep the school clean
n maintenance staff keeps it all running
n security keeps everyone safe
NYSUT is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members, representing
pre-K-12 teachers; school-related professionals; higher education faculty;
professionals in education; human services and health care; and retirees.
For more information and resources, visit www.nysut.org.
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