Summer Playgrounds Activities Director

A Manual- Updated August 2010

Here you will find a guide to important aspects of the position held by the Activities Director for Tacoma Metro Parks’ Summer Playground Program.

Corinna Adams

8/17/2010

Table of ContentsTable of Contents 1Forward 2About the Program 3

The Parks 3The USDA Free Meal Program 3Artsolé 4Sportsolé 4The Playground Adventure Bus 4Play Tacoma Events 4Sounds & Cinemas 4Nature Adventure Nights 5Other Events 5

Timeline 6The G Drive 10Documents 13

Attendance Sheets 14Monday Meeting 18Planning 20

Themes 20Purchasing 21

Purchase Request 21Keeping Track/ Budgeting 22

S&S Worldwide 23Oriental Trading 24Fred Meyer 25Home Depot 25Cash and Carry 26Artco 26The Dollar Tree 27Other 27

Invoice Processing 28USDA Free Meal Program & You 29Evaluation 30

Public Surveys 30Staff Surveys 30

People to Know 31

Forward

Welcome to the position of Activities Director for Metro Parks of Tacoma! Get ready to have an exciting, fast-paced, challenging, relaxing, playful, and most of all, FUN summer!

This manual is a culmination of seven Über Cool years; three years I was a director, the year I was a playground leader and the three others I was an intern of the Playground Program.

It is my hope that this manual with grow with the years of experience you or other future

playground directors have. Each of us brings a unique flavor and set of tools to the table, I’m just here to get the ball rolling.

About the Program:

Tacoma Metro Parks’ Summer Playground Program is a drop in service designed to give the youth (6-12 years of age) of our community a place to play, learn, and grow through the summer months. We place leaders in parks throughout Tacoma where they facilitate arts n’ crafts, sports and field games, as well as provide lunch and snacks though the USDA Free Meal Service. Each week, there are themes in which the activities are built around, however, the over arching goal for every week is to inform our participants and their families about the environment, sustainable practices, as well as the value of diversity.

There are usually four to five main elements which are chosen every year to be a part of the program. I have experienced these during my time here:

The Parks: Our long lasting sites have been:

South End McKinley Playfrield Portland Ave Park Manitou Park South Park

North End Jane Clark Park Jefferson Park Franklin Park Wright Park

o Not in 2010 because of construction

In 2010 because of construction and the aspiration to reach more areas of Tacoma, the program extended to one other park and three school sites.

Lincoln Eldridge Park Stafford Elementary

Lister Elementary Crescent Heights Elementary

Each park has a unique demographic of community members to serve, but no matter what the area, the program is well received by the public.

The USDA Free Meal Program: This aspect of the program is highly visible and political. The sad reality of the world we live in is that

many children do not receive the amount of good food their bodies need to be healthy. Through the program children who may rely on school food as their main source of nutrition are still able to receive the food during the summer. You will note that many of the playground sites in the above list are bolded. These are the sites which provide free meals to minors on weekdays. More will be discussed in depth in the USDA section of this manual. It should be noted that there is a separate director who oversees the Free Meal Program in accordance with the USDA.

Artsolé (Formally known as Art Trunk):

This aspect of the program has been evolving year to year. In the past we have had Tacoma School of the Arts students to community members leading specialized arts n’ crafts in the parks. 2010 was the first year Artsolé was absorbed into the program and overseen by Rick Cottey. The purpose of Artsolé is to lead the park children in exploring the arts through crafts, theatre games, skits and musical master pieces. The park staff are to do projects and crafts daily but Artsolé is meant to be a special treat with higher caliber projects which are not practical for the park leaders to do on a daily basis.

Sporsolé (Formally known as Sports Bag):Much like Artsolé, Sportsolé has been through many leaders and formations. Also similar to Artsolé the

sports program was to provide higher caliber sports and field games. The program was dropped in 2010 because the feeling was that playground leaders could step up their game to provide Sportsolé-like activities.

The Playground Adventure Bus: This aspect was introduced in 2010 which consists of four youth and three family excursions to

various exciting locations. By participating in these field trips, we encourage youth and their families to explore their community, environment, and the attractions which make Tacoma unique. Trips included outing to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Northwest Trek, Titlow Beach, The Centre at Norpoint and even a Rainier’s Game. There is a separate director for this program.

Play Tacoma Events (Formally Carnivals):This aspect is carried out by the Special Event’s program in partnership with Summer Playgrounds. Joel

Chang has been the director of the Play Tacoma Events from 2007-present. The events are family focused gatherings with attractions such as, face painters, inflatable bounce houses, obstacle courses, pony rides and community organizations. We have had attendance around 500 people per event so they are a big deal in the parks.

More recently the emphasis has been on the family involvement aspect of the evening event. However in the past they have been more “carnival” like, even providing popcorn, cotton candy and snow-cones along with carnival games.

Play Tacoma Sounds and Cinemas: Sounds and Cinemas provide an opportunity for community members to come together to enjoy local

bands and popular movies. They are in the evening on Saturdays typically. The movies are presented on a giant inflatable screen after dark. They attract quite a crowd. Sounds and Cinemas do not directly affect the Summer Playground Program because they are usually on the weekends; however the partnership is there when it comes to advertising and encouraging the community to attend.

Nature Adventure Nights:

Much like the Play Tacoma Events, the Nature Adventure nights were a family attraction with a focus on Tacoma’s natural environment. Metro Parks is of course an environment/sustainability conscious organization and these events were meant as a way to education children and their guardians about the abundance of nature around them and how they could have a positive (or negative) affect on it. The Tacoma Nature Center, PDZA and other nature conscious community organizations were involved. They may return in 2011.

Other Events to Encounter: Tacoma Metro Parks has a range of activities which are going on during the summer. Some other ones

which have interacted with our program or may in the future are:

Ethnic Fest (Wright Park) Safe Street Walk

Community Organization Sponsored Eventso Hemp Fest (Wright Park)o Peace Walks

Timeline

The Summer Playground has traditionally run between 9-10 short weeks. Time flies when you are having fun, so this is a time line of general tasks which must be accomplished. Keep in mind that every year is different with changes in the program reflecting the changes in needs of the community.

Time Task

Early May

10 weeks to plan out * >4 hrs a week= 40 hrs

Research Bids/Approvals >10hrs

Must be done by May 22

~Could get this all done in 20-25hrs. ~(I did some work ahead last year, so I have a rough outline for the themes/activities)

Edit Weekly Themes/Activities – Including weekends!o Finding new activitieso Arts/craftso Sports/ field games

Check out inventory Talk to/ Plan with Art Trunk person Plan out ordering of supplies

o Assess need for general supplies For sure, 1st Aid Supplies

o Get bids on supplies/ initial approvalso Order first 3 weeks worth of activities

Revamp Attendance Sheets and other paperwork

June Regular 40hr/week

Pre-Program – Program week 1

Week 1- Week2Must be done by End of June 21st

Copy activity schedules/packets for each park Helping with T-Shirt Order/ Disperse Copies of coloring sheets, etc. Copies of paperwork

o Attendance Sheetso Incident Reportso Chlorine Sheetso Time Cards

Meet with Play Tacoma Events Coordinator to discuss Summer Playground’s Leaders involvement/partnership

Create First 3 weeks power points for Monday Meetings Organizing Initial disbursement of supplies

o Everyday supplies (balls, crayons, paper, etc) Plan my part in Training Help set up training (food, etc) Aid in Training Disbursement of supplies

o Helping to get supplies to each park Oder next round of supplies Facilitate Monday Meetings Aid in adjustments Weekly meetings with Cottey- Changes/etc. Observe leaders in action Aid USDA Food Director Disperse more supplies Round up paperwork Create next set of powerpoints

JulyRegular 40hr/week

Weekly Oder next round of supplies Aid in adjustments Facilitate Monday Meetings Collect/Catalog paperwork

Last week of July

Must start planning 3 weeks before Date. Give out permission slips 2 weeks before date.

By the end of the month

Weekly meetings with Cottey- Changes/etc. Observe leaders in action Aid USDA Food Director (transport lunches, etc) Disperse more supplies Work on requests from leaders Create next set of power points Aid in Play Tacoma Events Work on Summer Playground Activities Director

Handbook

Help plan Mid-Summer Staff BBQ. o Dateo Activitieso Foodo Placeo Set up

Plan Zoo trip?o Set Dateo Create Flyers (& golden tickets)o Buseso Field Trip Formso Work with USDA Director on (set up temp. site)o Leader stay/ Leader go/ interns?o Work with Zoo on costo Order wrist bands

Collect and catalog Field Trip forms Create/Disperse contact lists for Leaders and Christina.

Work on Showdown Plans with Play Tacoma Event Coordinator.

o Set Dateo Create Flyerso Buseso Field Trip Formso Work with USDA Director on (set up temp. site)o Leader stay/ Leader go/ interns?o Plan activities/ Placemento Work with Titlow Pool

AugustRegular 40hr/week

Weekly Oder last round of supplies Aid in adjustments Facilitate Monday Meetings Weekly meetings with Cottey- Changes/etc. Observe leaders in action

First week of August

Towards the end

Last couple of days

Last Day of Program

Aid USDA Food Director (transport lunches, etc) Disperse more supplies Round up paperwork Work on requests from leaders Create next set of power points Aid in Play Tacoma Events Work on Summer Playground Activities Director

Handbook

Edit / Copy/ Disperse Public Surveys Create Flyers letting parents know when program ends Plan End of the Summer Staff BBQ

o Dateo Activitieso Foodo Placeo Set up

Continuously collect and record Public Surveys Prepare for Showdown Collect/Record Permission Slips Create/Disperse contact lists for Leaders and Christina. Edit/Disperse Leader Survey on Activities Create/Disperse Agenda/Directions for Leader for

Showdown Help plan End of Summer Staff Get together

o Stewart Heights

Collect Paperwork Plan out the collection of supplies Collect Supplies

Help facilitate Showdown

SeptemberRegular 40/hr/week

Last year this took I believe two weeks with myself and three interns.

September

Paperwork wrap up Attendance reports for Cottey Complete pending invoices Purchasing reports to Cottey Survey results reports Update Summer Playground Activities Director Handbook INVENTORY

o Organizing Supplieso Counting EVERYTHING/ Catalogingo Cleaningo Data Entry o Compiling worksheets/storingo Dumping Garbage

Start next year’s “must buy” list.

As you can see some of the tasks were crossed out. That is because in years past we only hosted two different field trips. One to the zoo and one to Titlow Park for a massive fun field day. In 2010 it was decided that we would add an entirely different aspect to the program by having weekly field trips and family trips. This aspect is called the Playground Adventure Bus and a new director position was created to oversee the permission slips, buses and other logistics. I have helped with the dispersement and collection of permission slips but other than that, the PAB Director has handled it all beautifully.

The G Drive:The first place to become familiar with is the G Drive, or recreation drive on Metro Parks’ network. The

G drive is where all of the paperwork goes for documentation. This is in order to reduce clutter and boxes of paperwork just sitting in a storage room. Here is the initial navigation to the G Drive (for the year 2010).

1. Go to “My Computer”

2. Click on (G:)

3. Click URU folder. HINT: When you open the folder just start typing U-R-U and it will highlight it.

4. Click PLAYGROUNDS.

5. Select the year.

Another option is to follow steps 1-3 but then to drag the URU folder down to the Start Tool Bar so that you can access it right from your desktop. If you save it to the desktop it may be deleted when the administration does computer cleanings.

DocumentsPretty much everything having to do with the Playground Program is in the PLAYGROUNDS folder. So it

is important for you to take a few minutes to just go through the files and discover what is in them.

To give you a quick overview, here are the important folders you should know, which are in every year’s files.

Summer Staff Folder List of staff and their locations Also should be a phone list. (Create one if there is not one. Locate

template in the past year’s folder). Attendance Folder Record of Attendance – See Attendance section CORINNA This has been my folder as the Activities Director.

Monday Meeting Power Points Activities Schedules Other Misc things for research, etc.

Forms Time Log sheets o Multiple-> Word 93 .doc & Word 2007 .docx formats

Mileage forms* Incident Reports Chlorine Sheets Cell Phone Reimbursements Attendance Sheets

o Multiple for the different sites (because they are all open different days)

Inventory Key inventory Room inventory (At Manitou Community Center) Uniform Inventory More on this in Inventory section

Purchasing All Purchasing file Purchase request files Bid files Completed Invoices Completed Mileage W-9 Form

Surveys Public Survey Staff Survey

Those, of course, are not all of the files, but the main file you need to keep in mind.

Attendance Sheets: Brace yourself! The attendance tracking system uses quite advanced Excel methods.

Attendance sheets, themselves are pretty self-explanatory. They are the only way in which we can get an idea of how many people are coming to the program. It is not a perfect system in that there can be double counts and other off putting occurrences, but it is a system which works. There is also an accountability piece for the leaders. Here is what the attendance sheets look like for each of the three types of sites:

Remember these are in the “Forms” folder. You can click on each one to open the file from here though.

The staff are to fill these out daily and then return them in the following Monday Staff Meeting.

You may have noticed a hanging file thing. I keep a folder for each park with separate folders for Attendance and Chlorine sheets. Only the pools have the chlorine sheets to turn in.

The attendance numbers are entered electronically into the “Attendance_Sheets_Summer(date)” file. Each park has a separate sheet with enough forms for 10 weeks. The information on the sheets is entered in as it appears on the form. I have already included the sum codes for each sheet so that the numbers will total automatically. I have also linked each of the sheets to another file; The “compiled_attendance_parks(date)” so that the totals for each week will appear on the “Totals” sheet as well.

Here are some screen captures to help explain what I just said.

FILE NAME: Attendance_sheets_summer2010

Notice the 0’s for the totals

Park

Sheets

These numbers then will be linked to the FILE NAME: compiled_attendance_parks2010, Sheet “Totals!”

Should total automatically (check equation if not)

The numbers will automatically fill in.

Along with going in the Totals! Sheet in the compiled_attendance_parks2010 file, they will also begin to fill in the Monthly totals sheet as well, (in compiled_attdance_parks2010).

I have provided you blank forms for the coming year, so all you have to do is start filling in the numbers for the attendance sheets and the rest should go automatically. You will be able to figure it out from there!

We use the attendance forms to get many different numbers so be sure to be meticulous in entering them. Artsolé (or Art Trunk) numbers are also included and used to write reports.

Monday Meetings:

Every Monday we have staff meetings in the Head Quarters Board Room. It is the job of the Activities Director to facilitate these meetings. For the sake of organization power point presentations have been used to keep everyone on track.

Here is a list of some of the subjects we have covered, and also you are free to look at or even re-use any that are saved from past years.

Discuss themes Staff Training Points of interest for USDA Corrective action Purchasing

Bulletin board competitions

Inspiring videos/pics Word of the Week Activity presentation Story Sharing

Every week is different because the subjects we need to discuss are directly related to what is going on at the time. Make sure to

ask Cottey ahead of time (like the Thursday before) what he would like to be discussed on the power point. Check in with the other directors as well.

Monday meetings are also a time for paperwork. To have the staff turn in their paperwork and to also pass out new paperwork. I try to have it organized as much as possible for the staff because they have a lot going on. So if it is something they each need to have, I try to have a pile for each park (weekly activities, certain flyers, etc). However if it is just “as needed” paperwork (incident forms, mileage sheets, etc) I leave it out in

piles. This may sound elementary but it is important when you have 30 staff rushing to a table to get their paperwork first.

As a side note, remember to give Cottey ample time to talk to his staff.

After the meeting, one team member from each park will go to pick up the lunches at Mt. Tahoma High School; the other is to go to Manitou Community Center to pick up supplies. Be sure to give the staff plenty of time to reach these destinations and get to their parks in time to open.

Activity Planning Guide:Program planning is a bit of an art. I’m sure you already have experience in this field

so I will leave it to you. Below are some examples of how I have distributed instructions in the past. Also a list of themes and crafts which the staff and participants have really taken a liking to.

Example calendar of activities: Example can be found in G:\URU\PLAYGROUNDS\Summer 2010\CORINNA\ SummerPlaygrouns_2010_activities_calander

Good themes:

Splash into Summer/ Getting to Know You Happy Fourth/ Red White & Blue/ Patriotic/ America the Beautiful Pirate Week/ Aaaarhh! Matey Under the Sea/ Ocean Blue/ Ocean Explorers Nature Week/ The Elements/ Sustainability/ The R’s Dive into Diversity/ Cultures and Tradition/ All Around the World/ We are the World Everything’s Animals/ Safari/ Super Hero Week

PURCHASING!Purchase Request form: This form is for documentation of approval. Fill this out, and email it to Cottey, who will forward it on to Jose for approval. Jose will print it out give it to Cottey. In other cases which are more urgent Cottey may tell you to email it directly to Jose and CC him on it, OR even print out the request and place it on Jose’s desk. The E-mail process works best.

On the contact list there are other managers who can be solicited if Jose is not available. This should be used only when he will not be in the office to give approval in time to purchase the supplies you need. Example:

SUMMER PLAYGROUNDS 2010 PURCHASE REQUEST 4

Date of Request: 6/22/2010 (Allow 4 days)

Date Needed: 6/26/2010 Is this an Emergency? No

Staff Name: Corinna Adams  

  Date Needed: ■ Purchase Order □ Personal Funds □ Petty Cash □ Charge Card

Vendor Name: FredMeyer

Vendor Address: 19th St.

Vendor Phone # 253-756-9280 Fax

Equipment/ Supply Description:

Water supplies for Express sites, water coolers, ball pumps, etc. for playground sites. Detailed sheet attached.

Program/Sites: Jane Clark

Franklin Jefferson South Manitou McKinleyPortland

Ave. Stafford

Crescent Heights

ListerLincoln Ridge

Amount Per Site X X X X X X X X X X X

Total Amount $ $950.00 (All Sites Combined)

Jose Gorospe: □ Approved                               Date: □ Denied                                              Date:

As you can see I also attached a detailed list (see below). While Jose may not ask to see it all the time, there are times when he may line-item veto certain purchases. I would always

have a list/ shopping cart print out on hand in case he does ask. Plus it works as a good shopping list.

PO Request 4

FredMeyer

Description $/unit Amount Total what forMini clear drawer $8.99 4 $35.96 storageplastic container (1st aid) $2.99 5 $14.95 storageGreen works $3.29 6 $19.74 cleaningWater cooler (orange, 5 gal) $30.00 2 $60.00 for express sitesColored sponges $1.79 12 $21.48 for gamesSoap 64 oz refill containers $3.99 10 $39.90 USDAlittle soap dispensers $1.89 10 $18.90 USDAValue Bleach 1 gal $0.99 4 $3.96 Cleaning slip slidesFreezer packs $1.49 8 $11.92 First AidElectric pumps $17.99 5 $89.95 Balls/ Slip SlidesManual ball pumps $5.99 8 $47.92 Balls/ normal sitesExtension cords 25ft. $11.99 3 $35.97 Artsolé (hot glue guns)Buckets 5 gal - grn $4.99 8 $39.92 Express sites/ gameswater balloon 250 count $2.99 13 $38.87 All sites/ ArtsoléBubbles 64 oz $3.00 9 $27.00 All SitesBlackout Water Tunnel $44.99 4 $179.96 Express sites/waterDuel Racing slides $20.00 4 $80.00 Express sites/ waterAqua Splash Ball $6.99 4 $27.96 Express sites/ waterultimate beach ball sprinkler $14.99 4 $59.96 Express sites/ Water

Sub Total $854.32Tax $80.31

Total $934.63

If you end up deviating from a list, (because of inventory, or sale prices), this should be alright as long as you only spend the approved amount.

Notice the number on the request; it should correspond to the request number on the All Purchases spreadsheet (example location: G:\URU\PLAYGROUNDS\Summer2010\Purchasing\ALL_PO_summerplaygrouns10)

The All PO spreadsheet is a way for us to track our overall spending over the summer (and also track what invoices have been paid or not. Please take some time to get to know the

excel formulas (double click on the totals to see where they come from). Within this file I also included a fun sheet showing the places we frequently shop.

S&S World Wide:

Purchasing with S&S is so easy! Make sure to call and get to know your representative for the year. The representative typically changes each year, but if you call the previous you will be able to find out who your new representative is. For this last year the representative was:

Erin McGoff1-800-642-7354 Ex: 2701emcgoff@ssww.com

When you call make sure to have Metro Park’s address ready to so she can pull up the account info. You can also ask to know what the account number is, but once you have established a connection, usually that isn’t necessary.

The website for S&S is www.ssww.com. They have a shopping cart feature. We also get a discount and free shipping! Do not try to calculate the discount.

Steps to purchasing:

1. Fill up your online shopping cart. 2. Send cart to representative asking for a BID on how much it will cost with the discount

factored in. 3. When you get that number back, create a Purchase Request. 4. When you get approval, resend, or confirm the shopping cart to S&S Representative.

5. Wait for shipment/dispersment/etc.

6. Follow Invoice Processing Instructions.

TIP: Keep in mind that you can purchase near similar items at Oriental Trading for cheaper some of the time. However, you must factor in things such as quality and the fact that we do not get a discount at Oriental Trading and must pay for shipping.

Oriental Trading:

You may already be familiar with O.T. as a party supply provider. You can get thousands of cheap prizes (like erasers, pencils, sticky hands) here, but also a good selection of arts n’ craft kits. Again, be aware of the quality of the products and also when distributing the kits be sure instructions are included. We had a number of kits come without instructions (or really unhelpful directions.) O.T.’s craft kits often come individually packaged so it is easy to pass out to the kids. Purchasing here is a bit more annoying. They do not have representatives for larger clients and no discount on shipping. Typically shipping costs are 20% of the order.

You can purchase two different ways; by phone or by fax.

1. Fill up your cart online at www.orientaltrading.com2. Figure out shipping and add to the price3. Print out a copy4. Create a purchase request and get approval

a. By Phone: i. Call 1-800-875-8480

ii. Have Metro Parks’ address and PO number readyiii. List out the numbers/quantities for the customer service rep. iv. Ask them to confirm order by Email.

b. By Fax: i. Print out a Fax Form (in forms folder)

ii. Fill in information, ATTN: Ordering Departmentiii. Fax the fax form and the shopping cart with instructions to confirm by

email.iv. Call in a few days to check on the order status.

5. Wait for order to come in/ disburse6. Process PO.

Fred Meyer: Fred Meyer is the easy place to show when you need supplies right away or are helping

to plan one of the staff BBQs. Mainly I find it is easiest to get supplies like water balloons, beach balls and other summer water toys here because they are sometimes even cheaper than the Dollar Tree. Also they have the big bottles of bubble solution. Make sure for a purchase order that the amount is over $60.00.

1. Go there ahead of time to figure out prices and quantities2. Return to office to create list like shopping list above. 3. Create a request / get approval4. Go to Freddy’s fill up shopping cart(s) just as you would as a normal shopper.

a. Try to keep things organize and keep track of how many you have. The checkers HAVE to ring everything up individually.

5. Go through a regular linea. Ask the checker to suspend the order for a Purchase Order.

6. Take suspended receipt and carts down to the Customer Service line7. The customer service representatives know the green shirts and are very helpful

a. You will need your Driver’s License out. 8. Take PO receipt with your things. 9. Process PO receipt

Home Depot:Another great place to shop. We usually seek out supplies such as hoses, sprinklers, S-

hooks and other miscellaneous hardware supplies here.

1. Go there ahead of time to figure out prices and quantities2. Return to office to create list like shopping list above. 3. Create a request / get approval4. Go to Home Depot and fill up your cart as you normally would. 5. Go to the Contractors Line6. The customer service representatives know the green shirts and are very helpful7. Take PO receipt with your things. 8. Process PO receipt

Cash and Carry: Cash and Carry is great for food items, especially for our BBQs. However, you can also

buy paper plates, cups, paper bags, straws and other arts n’ craft basics. They also have candy in bulk which can be great for prizes.

1. Go there ahead of time to figure out prices and quantities2. Return to office to create list like shopping list above. 3. Create a request / get approval4. Go to Cash n’ Carry and fill up your cart as you normally would. 5. Go through regular line6. Take PO receipt with your things. 7. Process PO receipt

Artco: Artco is a arts n’ craft store a bit smaller than Michaels. They are great to go to for

obscure items, but not generally for bulk crafts. We tend to need a lot of product and they do not often carry enough of what we need. However in a pinch they are a great store. They would probably be best for buying beads or fun paper. Curiously enough if you are looking for items such as RIT dye or tacky glue, Fred Meyers is actually cheaper with more product to chose from.

1. Go there ahead of time to figure out prices and quantities2. Return to office to create list like shopping list above. 3. Create a request / get approval4. Go to Artco and fill up your cart as you normally would. 5. Go through regular line

a. Make sure to let the checker know, because only certain people have the authority to process a PO

b. Keep in mind that their PO receipts are HAND WRITTEN, so may not want to buy too much at one time.

6. Take PO receipt with your things. 7. Process PO receipt

Dollar Tree: Shopping at the Dollar Tree is wonderful our program. They have all sorts of items our

leaders find useful. Paper bags, aluminum foil, water sponges, water noodles, balloons, bubble wands and more! The dollar tree also has random helpful things like bunji cords and coloring books which can be used to find activities to copy, etc. Metro Parks does not have a Purchase Order account with the Dollar Tree so you either must use your own money (with permission) to then be reimbursed at the end of the month or ask to use petty cash. Instructions for petty cash are below.

1. It is hard to know exactly what you will find at the Dollar Tree or how much you will want so I usually generalize a number with some main things in mind. For example if I know we need more noodles then I think: >6 noodles for 11 parks is $66.00 plus tax.

2. Complete a request form/ get approvala. Make sure the “Petty Cash” box is checked

3. Take approval to Don Higgens/ email him to ask when a good time to get the money would be.

4. Sign cash out through Don. 5. Go purchase supplies normally6. Make copy of receipt and approval (for cottey’s records) 7. Give originals and any leftover change to Don. 8. Sign in the money.

Other: At times there are places you wish to purchase from who Metro Parks does not have

Purchase Orders through. You can either create a request for reimbursement if you are willing and able to front the amount of the purchase or you can do a requisition request if the company accepts purchase orders. The company will need to fill out a W-9 form which you submit to Darcy with a requisition form. Both the W-9 and Requisition Request can be found on the Intranet for Metro Parks Employees. Make sure to have approval first. After the PO form has been created for the company you can go along with the purchase like normal.

Processing Purchase Orders: Once you have received an invoice or receipt for the purchasing you have done it is time

to process the order. This includes making copies for the Summer Playground Records, recording the information in the All Purchase Order spreadsheet and turning in the originals to Darcy so that Metro Parks will actually pay the bill.

1. Hand-write codes on receipts/ label “Summer Playgrounds” a. For program supplies: 04740005-531290 b. For employee meals (BBQs): 04740005-531190c. USDA Meal supplies: 04740005-543000-10030d. These codes tell finance what accounts to take the money from.

2. Make copies of the approved Purchase Order and the Reciept/Invoice3. Enter amounts into the All Purchas Order spreadsheet including date turning in to

Darcy.4. Originals: Take all staples out and paperclip them in this order:

a. Copy of Purchase Orderb. Receipts/ Invoicec. Approved Purchase Requestd. Place in Darcy’s basket

5. Either scan in the copies or keep them to scan all purchase requests in at the end of the summer.

Keep in mind that you can always ask Cottey or Darcy for help with this.

USDA food program & You:The USDA Free Meal program is meant to help bridge the gap of children who do not

get the daily amount of nutrition they need. Some children rely on Free or Reduce Lunch from their schools in order to meet their nutritional needs. Therefore when school is out there needs to be alternative ways for these children to get food. Summer Playgrounds and other local sites (community centers/ churches) participate in the program to do this.

The USDA Director oversees our park sites and partnership sites to make sure they are following the laws and rules of the program. However, the USDA Director is your partner and therefore you each must be prepared to cover for each other in the event of an absence. Directors are also expected to help each other as needed. This includes but is not limited to:

Helping to correctly pass out food at sites or supervise the process Collecting or dispersing paperwork Helping to redisperse lunches or snack if need be. Relaying information or instructions to staff about the program Talking to parents or other community members about the Free Meal program.

There is a USDA training portion at the beginning of each summer for staff. Attend this meeting to learn more details and be sure to ask the Director about your involvement.

This program is highly political, however greatly needed within our community.

EvaluationThis program is unique in that it is a drop in program. At times it is hard to see if we

are being successful. We do evaluate based on numbers as mentioned in the Attendance section, but this is not always the most effective way to gage our progress. Toward the end of the summer we pass out public surveys in the hopes that children and adults who have experienced the program will volunteer to submit comments and suggestions.

Also we enlist the opinions of our leaders who are out with the public every day. They hear from parents and observe behavior toward the program all of the time. When it comes to activities they are our best evaluators.

Public Survey:

Kept to two pages, front to back. Asks demographic information Asks short answer about specific elements of the program for that year.

Staff Survey

As many pages as needed. Asks detailed questions about each element of the program Asks about other comments/ suggestions about overall program.

People to Know!

When working within any organization it is important to know your network. This is a guide to people who help make this program happen. Note: “How they help” is completely subjective to how I or the program has been helped by these people during the time I have been in this position or a previous director.

Main Folks

Name Position/Place How they HelpRick Cottey Summer Playgrounds &

Sparx Programs Coordinator

Cottey is the URU guru. He is the boss man. You probably already know this.

Jose Gorospe Metro Parks Manager- Rec quad - HQ

Jose approves our purchases and monitors the budget. He is also a die-hard rec leader.

Sangkros Lok Metro Parks Sherpa Program Coordinator- Rec Quad- HQ

Sangkros has worked with Summer Playgrounds for MANY years. He knows what’s up and he is always ready to help.

He appoints the youth who help out the leaders at parks.

He is also a talented photographer.

Shon Sylvia Recreation Executive Director- Rec Quad- HQ

Shon is the BIG boss man of the whole Rec Quad. As the Activities Director, you may not interact with him at all, but it is still good to know who he is and smile and wave! He has on occasion interviewed staff about the program’s progress.

Front Desks

Name Position/Place How they HelpChristina Levingston Customer Service Lead/

Front Desk - HQChristina knows pretty much everything about who does what and where they are in Metro Parks. She also is in charge of the orders to Staples and Office Max.

She is keeper of the laminator and other necessary administrative equipment.

Christina also cash handles when it comes to purchasing (like hoodies).

She often is the first person community members talk to with comments for Summer Playgrounds.

Brittane Blystone Customer Service / Front Desk - HQ

She is very knowledgeable about many metro parks things as well. She does pretty much everything that Christina does.

Colleen Stabenow Rentals/ Second front desk – HQ

Coleen handles the rentals for the public for picnics, weddings and other private gatherings. If there are issues with gatherings at parks such as Franklin, you could go and talk to her.

Back by URU Cube:

Name Position/Place How they HelpJayne Leazer Administrative Aid to

Executive Director of Recreation & Community Services/ Rec Quad- HQ

Jayne has been her a while so she knows a lot.

The ladies back in this area have also been known to host great Staff BBQs at HQ.

Darcy Taylor Financial Specialist/ Rec Quad- HQ

Get to know Darcy. She is who we turn in all the purchasing paperwork to along with mileage. She is a great teacher. More in Purchasing.

Nguyen Vu-Landry Registrar/ Rec Quad- HQ Works with Darcy and Don on

purchasing. If you have a question she will most likely be able to answer it or help you find someone who can!

Janet Bissell Community Wellness Coordinator/ Rec Quad- HQ

Janet is our go-to health guru! She also coordinates many “get out and play” events throughout the summer. She shares space with our Jefferson Staff because she teaches athletic classes there. She will let you know how they are doing at Jefferson.

Media

Name Position/Place How they HelpKristy Gledhill Marcon for Rec/ Rec Quad-

HQKristy creates the beautiful banners for the program as well as other graphics. She is very approachable and has great ideas. We turn in banners which we will not use again to her so they can be recycled into stylish/ practical totes!

Sharee Trefry Marcon (Marketing Communication)/ Executive Quad - HQ

Editor of Park Bench and media outlets. Sharee is always looking for good material for the park bench, so if our staff send you outstanding pictures or you have some other great story, don’t hesitate to send them on to Sharee!

Managers

Name Position/Place How they HelpDave Lewis Recreation Manager for

Active Living & Aquatics- Rec Quad- HQ

He has helped us mediate with the school district concerning the sites which are on school property. He also has signing authority on purchase

request in the event that Jose is unreachable. He is not a fan of signing off in Jose absence though, so this should be a last resort.

Don Higgens Recreation Supervisor- Financial – Rec Quad- HQ

For the purpose of your position, the most important thing you need to know about Don, is that he handles petty cash. More on this in purchasing section.

Jim Biles Supervisor of Youth Sports & Aquatics- Rec Quad- HQ

He is also able to sign requests in Jose’s absence.

Tareena Joubert Recreation Manager for Cultural Arts, Events & CRCs- Rec Quad- HQ

Special events happen in our parks sometimes, she has a lot of good information. She also may be able to sign requests in Jose’s absence.

Special Events/ Rentals

Name Position/Place How they HelpJoel Chang Special Events Specialist-

Rec Quad- HQJoel runs the Play Tacoma Events which happen in our parks and also the Sounds and Cinemas, along with many other events. He is also close with Merry Makers- the place we rent inflatables from. We often end up sharing equipment back and forth.

Deb Smith Festivals & Permits Coordinator – Rec Storage- HQ

Deb knows a lot about what is allowed and not allowed in the parks. She also has ties to the sheriff department and

Phedra Redifer Special Events Supervisor

Lisa MacDonald IT Specialist She will be the one to set up your email account. She is also helpful in the event that your computer goes on the fritz.

Tom IT Specialist Also great with computers and angry printers.

Maintenance

Name Position/Place How they HelpJeff Pudists Maintenance Long time fans of the playground

program. NOT fans of water balloons or glitter. Jeff lives by Jefferson so he “secret shops” sometimes!

They help to train the staff on facilitating the spraygrounds and pools along with coming to the rescue in cases such as a “code brown” in the water features.

Be sure to include them in Staff BBQs.

Dave Horstman MaintenanceSteve Andren Maintenance

Other

Name Position/Place How they HelpAaron Canfield Aquatics Coordinator-

Titlow PoolTalk to him about use of Titlow Pool (field trips) and Stewart Heights (Staff BBQ).

Jennifer Bowman Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director- Executive Quad- HQ

She is the keeper of the keys for the board room’s projector features. Keys are usually on her desk, just leave her a note that you have them and bring them back promptly. She can also fix any issues with the set-up.