Bolin Elementary Book Fair Procedures

Bolin Elementary Book Fair Procedures Purpose: The purpose of the book fair is to encourage a love of reading and access to good books for children and families of Allen ISD. Funds raised from the book fair should be used to further reading opportunities for children and families of Allen ISD. This could include, cash money used for other programs (literacy nights, book authors, etc), purchasing books for teacher classrooms with Scholastic dollars, purchasing items to enhance the school library through Scholastic Catalog or other items/activities approved by the Board. I. Chairman Responsibilities a. You must become a member of PTA each school year. b. You must complete a Volunteer Registration form for Allen ISD (each school year beginning in August). Go to www.allenisd.org, choose Volunteer Registration under the Hot Topics drop-down box and complete the online application process. You will receive an email notification that your registration is complete. Please keep this for your records. c. You must complete a Plan of Work and turn it in at the August Executive Board Meeting. If this is not completed, your position will not have a budget. See Attachment 1 Plan of Work for an example d. Be sure you review and are familiar with the By-laws and Standing Rules. These are your best resources for responsibilities related to your position. See Appendix I By-laws and Appendix II Standing Rules e. Additional resources can be found at the Texas PTA website or your Scholastic Representative. See Appendix III Book Fair Resources f. HAVE FUN! Your position is all that you make of it. II. Scheduling a. Work with school administration and fellow PTA board members to determine the time and frequency of book fairs for your school. b. Book fairs generally run a full week with at least one family event during the book fair. c. Book Fair Schedule of Events a schedule events needs to be developed for each book fair to include the following: i. Setup this usually takes a full day and is typically done the Thursday prior to the book fair ii. Teacher Preview a full day is usually set aside for teachers to preview the book fair and choose books for their Wish Box and is typically the Friday prior to the book fair iii. Student Preview usually 2 full days are set aside

III. Plan of Work a. A Plan of Work is completed each Fall and outlines the book fairs scheduled throughout the year. This plan is submitted to the board for approval. The Plan of Work should include the following: i. Goals for each book fair scheduled to include: 1. Gross sales 2. How profits will be taken cash or Scholastic dollars or combination of cash and Scholastic dollars (not applicable for BOGO fair) 3. Planned expenditures for profits (books for teachers, PTA programs, library needs, etc) ii. Action Steps for each book fair including completion dates to correspond to start and end dates of each planned book fair, any workshops or online training planned to prepare for the book fairs, etc. iii. Planned Expenditures this should include any money needed for decorations, advertising, etc. (should not exceed $100 per book fair unless a special event or expenditure is planned in conjunction with other PTA planned events or goals) iv. Resources used for each book fair i.e. Scholastic representative, Scholastic Toolkit, etc. v. See Attachment 1 - Plan of Work IV. Theme a. Scholastic has themes for Fall and Spring each year with clipart, decorations and lots of great activity ideas b. The Chair can choose any theme that is appropriate and they feel would help build excitement for the book fair with students, families and teachers c. Make sure to include money in the Plan of Work to use for decorations (usually no more than $100 per book fair) V. Promo Kit a. The Scholastic Book Fair Representative will provide the Chair with a promo code before each Book Fair for 1 free item (up to $100 value) from the Scholastic catalog b. The Chair should request this from the Representative (if not provided) 4 to 6 weeks before the scheduled Book Fair c. The Promo Kit can be a decorating kit, book set to raffle at a PTA meeting to promote the Book Fair or for volunteer appreciation. d. Promo kit items need to be ordered at least 4 weeks before the scheduled Book Fair to ensure delivery in time for the fair VI. Advertising/Promoting a. 4 weeks before the fair - Bulletin Board. Contact your school representative (administrator, bulletin board chair, etc) to determine if there is wall space for a bulletin

board to advertise the book fair. The bulletin board should be up 3 weeks before the fair. b. 3 weeks before the fair send information to the appropriate person/s to include articles in the newsletter, on the PTA webpage and social media about fair dates/times. Be sure to include dates/times for any special events. There are several pre-printed documents in the Fair Files in the Scholastic Toolkit that can be easily modified for this purpose. c. 2 weeks before the fair - Scholastic will send enough flyers in the Promo Kit to send home in student folders. There is space on the flyer to add dates/times. Usually a 2 x4 shipping label fits over this space perfectly. i. Send information to the appropriate person/s promoting the special event/s during the book fair. ii. Put up posters included in the Scholastic promotional kit up around the school to advertise the fair. Check with school administration to get permission to place these around the school. d. 1 week before the fair Print a ½ page flyer (there are good samples in the Scholastic Toolkit) for student folders. This will be the final reminder about the book fair dates/times. i. Send a copy of this flyer the appropriate person/s to advertise for this week. ii. Send an email to the Principal to send out to teachers about Teacher Preview day and Student Preview sign up. iii. Place Student Preview sign-up sheet in teacher s lounge or other location specified by the school VII. Volunteers a. Responsibilities i. Straighten books and restock shelves ii. Assist students with wish lists and book choices iii. Run cash register and help students/families complete purchases b. Finding Volunteers contact the Volunteer Coordinator 3 weeks prior to the event with the number of volunteers needed each day, number of shifts, etc. c. Setup usually need 2 to 3 volunteers throughout the day in 2 hour shifts d. Teacher Preview usually need only 1 person throughout the day e. Student Previews usually need 2 to 3 volunteers throughout the day in 2 hour shifts f. Sale Days 1 volunteer until they start serving lunches, then 2 volunteers the rest of the day g. Evening/Family Events these need additional volunteers and assistance after the event ends to help count money to make a deposit i. PTA meetings 2 to 3 volunteers ii. Fall Festival 3 to 4 volunteers in 30 minute shifts iii. Other events 2 to 3 volunteers h. Teardown 3 to 4 volunteers for 30 minutes WatchDogs are a good resource for this i. See Attachment 2 Sample Volunteer Schedule

VIII. Financial Procedures a. Tax Exempt - Whenever possible, use the Tax Exempt Certificate when purchasing supplies for a PTA function. This is for two reasons: i. We are a Tax Exempt organization, and ii. You will not be reimbursed for sales tax charges on purchases made for PTA b. Depositing funds record all deposits of PTA funds per your PTA guidelines i. All monies must be counted by two PTA representatives and recorded on the Itemized Funds Receipt form. Both representatives must sign for counting. ii. The PTA Treasurer cannot be one of the two counters for the Itemized Funds Receipt form. The PTA Treasurer will complete a separate count before taking monies to the bank for deposit. iii. Money is NEVER to be kept by an individual overnight. Funds that cannot be turned over to the PTA Treasurer immediately need to be placed in the safe. (the only exception to this is Petty Cash used for change. See Section VII.e. Petty Cash) c. Disbursement Voucher This form is used whenever a check is needed to pay for services to a contractor or third party vendor. i. This form must be signed by the person requesting the payment and the PTA President. ii. The appropriate Invoice must be attached before payment is made iii. The check is made out to the vendor. d. Reimbursement Voucher This form is used whenever supplies, food, etc. have been purchased by a chairperson or their designated representative for PTA purchases. i. List individual items purchased and place of purchase and the budget line item to debit on the Reimbursement Voucher. ii. This form must be signed by the CHAIRMAN and the PTA President prior to giving to the Treasurer for reimbursement. iii. The Original Receipts must be attached to the voucher showing the itemized items listed on the Reimbursement Voucher. iv. The total amount requested for reimbursement must match the receipts attached to the Reimbursement Voucher. v. The Treasurer cannot complete the reimbursement without the signatures of the PTA President and the Chairman of the program for which the items were purchased. For example, if the money being reimbursed is coming out of the Programs budget, but the items were purchased by the Ways & Means Chair, the Programs Chair must sign the form as Chairman. e. Petty Cash used to make changes for book fair purchases i. Amount - $150 1. Pennies 4 rolls - $2 2. Nickels 2 rolls - $4 3. Dimes 3 rolls - $3 4. Quarters 4 rolls - $40 5. $1 bills 49 - $49

6. $5 bills 8 - $40 ii. Request using Petty Cash Request Form from President and Treasurer at least 1 week prior to the event iii. Petty Cash Reimbursement Pull out the amount requested in Petty Cash at the end of the Book Fair. 1. This money is counted separate from the rest of the deposit 2. Bill denominations do not matter 3. Complete a Petty Cash Deposit Form to reimburse the Board for the Petty Cash advance f. Nightly Count at the end of each day, money must be counted and only $150 left in the cash registers to start the next day i. Change and small bills should be left but it does not have to match the original petty cash denominations ii. There must be a 2 nd counter present to verify the amount left for petty cash iii. Money over and above the $150 needed for petty cash should have a deposit form completed and placed in the safe. See Forms Folder iv. Notify the PTA treasurer that there is money in the safe for deposit v. Make a copy of the completed deposit form for Book Fair records vi. Lock petty cash in the cash registers and take the keys g. Morning count before opening each morning, open cash drawers and count all money to verify $150 remains in the drawers i. There is no need for a 2 nd counter for the morning count ii. If there is a discrepancy, notify the PTA President and Treasurer IMMEDIATELY if any money is missing from the cash registers h. Financial Report completed at the end of each book fair in the Chairman s Toolkit i. YOU MUST HAVE A FULL REPORT INCLUDING ALL DAYS OF THE BOOK FAIR FROM EASY SCAN TO COMPLETE THIS REPORT ii. Log into the Chairman s Toolkit iii. Click on the Tool Menu and Financial Form iv. Follow the step-by-step instructions to complete the form v. Check to make sure the totals on the Preview match your total sales vi. Once everything is entered correctly, print the invoice vii. Using the completed invoice, fill out a Disbursement Request Form requesting the balance owed to Scholastic viii. Give a copy of the Invoice and Disbursement Request Form to the PTA President for approval ix. Give approved Invoice and Disbursement Request Form to the PTA Treasurer for payment x. Keep a copy of both forms for your records IX. Fund Raising a. Scholastic Dollars Each book fair will earn Scholastic Dollars that can be used to purchase books and other supplies. It is up to the PTA Board to determine how these funds will be used. Listed below are ways these funds may be used.

i. Volunteers can earn Scholastic Dollars to spend at the book fair. Typically $5 for each 2 hour shift. This usually adds up to about $200 Scholastic Dollars during the course of a weeklong book fair. ii. Contact the school counselor about students who may not be able to purchase books. You can either award a specific dollar amount per child or designate a particular number of books they can purchase using Scholastic Dollars. Note: this is usually advertised throughout the school as a drawing for free books so students won t be singled out in a negative manner iii. Purchase library-bound books or other items for the school library iv. Designate Scholastic Dollars for teachers to purchase books for their classroom. Note: When doing this, make sure the books are marked as property of Bolin Elementary and teachers are clear that the books belong to the school. If the teacher leaves, the books stay at the school. b. Cash Profit - The first book fair of the year (Fall book fair) is used as a fund raiser for PTA. All profits can be taken as cash. This option will typically earn.40 profit for each dollar spent at the Book Fair. The goal for this book fair is set in the Plan of Work submitted to the Board at the beginning of the school year. See Section II: Plan of Work X. Scholastic Resources a. Book Fair Representatives Scholastic has Field Representatives and a Book Fair Consultant assigned to your school to help with many aspects of your book fair i. Book Fair Consultant can help with restock orders, special book requests, changes in book fair dates or type of stock sent for each book fair ii. Field Representative can help with training, book fair setup, training volunteers, register training, new books/resources from scholastic, marketing, etc. b. Chairman s Toolkit - comprehensive tool to manage book fair. Includes: i. History - data from previous book fairs including # of books sold, total dollar amounts and profit earned ii. Scheduled book fairs list of all book fairs scheduled iii. Marketing materials downloadable files and clipart to promote book fair iv. Schedule/Calendar to-do list in calendar or schedule form to help you prepare for your upcoming book fair v. Resource catalog theme kits, volunteer appreciation gifts, books, teacher resources vi. Fair Financials this is the report completed by the chairman at the end of each book fair (within 10 days) Note: Must have a copy of the Full Report for all days of the book fair printed from Easy Scan to complete this report c. Workshops Scholastic provides a variety of FREE workshops throughout the school year to help book fair chair s be successful with their book fairs i. In-Person 2 hour workshops are held at various schools in the area, usually during a weekday morning. These workshops provide information on new promotions or events, great tips for themes and best practices

ii. On-Line recorded training presentations available through Chairman s Toolkit. Provide information on new promotions or events and theme tips d. Easy Scan this is the cash register used by Scholastic during your book fair i. Registers are setup for your specific book fair with your fair id, sales tax information and BOGO information (during BOGO only) ii. Registers can take cash, check debit cards and all major credit cards iii. Reports there are several reports available in and Admin section 1. total sales by day or range of dates 2. # of books sold (this can help with restock orders) 3. Full report includes total sales broken down by sale type (cash/checks, credit/debit cards), tax-exempt sales, invoiced sales this report is used to complete your Scholastic financial report at the end of the book fair iv. Easy Scan instruction book has step-by-step instructions for any type of transaction: sale, returns, tax-exempt sales, etc Note: Scholastic Field Representatives will come provide training to new volunteers on setting up and running EasyScan e. Restocks All items featured in the Book Fair Flyers are guaranteed to be available for purchase. If they are not in stock during the book fair, they can still be purchased and Scholastic will deliver them to the school once they are in stock. Note: BOGO book fairs are excluded from this guarantee i. Placing a restock order: 1. The first restock order should be placed by the end of teacher preview day. Since there have been no sales, this is more of an attempt to keep from running out of stock on popular items. a. Include additional copies of books that are popular with the teachers. These also tend to be very popular with students and parents. b. Student diaries are always popular and sell out quickly. c. Check stock on popular books such as Minecraft, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, etc. 2. Additional restock orders as needed with the last order placed no later than noon on Wednesday for a book fair ending on Friday. 3. Once the book fair start, pull reports from EasyScan to help determine restock orders. 4. Use the Restock Order Form to request restocks. It can be completed electronically or by hand. Restock orders can be placed by fax, email or phone. Check your Book Fair Resource Kit from Scholastic for correct phone, fax and email address. See Attachment 3 Restock Order Form 5. Make sure a confirmation notice is received within 2 hours of placing a restock order. If no confirmation is received, contact the Scholastic Representative listed in the Book Fair Resource Kit