In 2019 wellness is for everyone. Gone are the days of fast fitness and fad diets as the new year has ushered in a cultural focus on total mental, physical and emotional health. With this new shift comes changing expectations from the consumer on their workout experience. Everyone is looking to join a fitness movement that caters to them, providing a community of support on their journey as well as personal relationships with coaches and other aspiring athletes. This personal community aspect leads many individuals to gravitate towards boutique fitness chains over the traditional style gyms. However, with a few adjustments to create a more personal member experience, gyms will be able to compete with custom fitness chains and help their members thrive in mind, body, and soul.

Nutritional Consulting

Health isn’t just about physical fitness anymore, but also about nutritional wellness. Increasing consumer knowledge of the importance of fueling your body for peak performance leaves many exploring the likes of Whole30 and Paleo eating habits among others. While individual research can be productive, having the counsel of a nutritionist turns healthy eating into a lifestyle. Gyms can easily offer this service to current members by partitioning off a segment of their floor space in the weight or cardio area with a portable room divider to set up a makeshift office for the nutritionist. The nutritionist can then consult members in a private, quiet space that is still easily accessible. If this service is only offered at certain dates or times, the dividers can be collapsed and stored neatly against the gym space walls without impacting other members. Offering even just this simple service is a way to create personal connections with members and service them beyond their workout alone.

Member Bulletin

One of the elements missing in traditional gyms is a sense of community. With hundreds of members, it can be extremely difficult to connect members of similar interests and goals and support them in an individualized way.  Creating a member bulletin board on a portable room divider can help foster that community and display additional resources. The gym can add pictures and bios of trainers, suggested workout plans, featured members and a hanging dry-erase calendar with important dates and events. Members can add shout outs to other members, events or organization advertisements and even ask questions or provide feedback to the gym. Creating the bulletin on the portable room divider allows gym owners to move the announcement around the gym at any time. Some great locations could be in front of the locker rooms, at the entrance to the gym or near a stretching or rest area.

Stretching & Massage

Stretching after any athletic activity is equally as important as the activity itself. While many gyms have an open stretching area, it usually also serves as a weightless fitness area and provides little to no privacy from the rest of the gym. Segmenting off this area with a portable room divider offers members more privacy, quiet and a restful atmosphere for cooldown. Special stretching services could also be offered in this area like muscle rolling and assisted stretching. Recommended stretches for different types of activities could be posted on the interior walls of the area to guide members in reducing muscle soreness and injury.

Creating a member-focused experience is essential to retaining members and competing with other fitness organizations. Keeping custom member needs in mind and fostering a sense of community are key differentiators that will help transform the gym experience and ultimately the health and lifestyle of others.  A flexible gym space not only lets you expand your services but increases revenue.  A win-win for everyone!

The post Customizing Your Gym Experience: Personal Touches to Retain Members & Boost Engagement appeared first on Screenflex Portable Room Dividers.

For over 25 years Screenflex Portable Partitions has been designing and manufacturing room dividers that provide space-saving solutions for facilities around the world.  With some modifications to the original “cabinet” design, the Standard Room Divider emerged as the best-selling product for most industries.  Several years later, the concept for a heavy-duty divider was created for more industrial environments.  To this day, we are commonly asked what are the differences between the Standard and Heavy Duty Room Dividers and which divider should be purchased for your facility.  Let’s take a look at several similarities and differences between these two product lines.

At first glance, the Standard and Heavy Duty Room Dividers are similar in appearance.  Both partitions feature our ¾ inch sound absorbing core that provides you up to 55% reduction of ambient noise in a room.  Similarly, both rolling wall products act like a bulletin board allowing you to tack, pin, or staples securely to the fabric walls.  Vinyl coverings are also available, but tacking items to vinyl is not suggested.  Both sets of room dividers feature position control hinges (PCH) on the top of each panel connection.  The PCHs allow the divider panels to remain in different configurations.  Lastly, we are proud to say that all of our Screenflex products are made in the U.S.A. in Lake Zurich, IL and are made from 76% recycled material.  But this is where the similarities stop for these two room divider products.

The real differences between the Standard and Heavy Duty Dividers are in the manufacturing supplies used to construct each product line.

The Screenflex Standard Room Divider is designed for everyday use in schools, houses of worship, offices, and healthcare environments.  Its key features are:

• Self-leveling casters– When moving the divider, the black self-leveling wheels absorb all the shock and bumps on even surfaces, while retaining contact with the floor. The casters swivel 360 degrees for easy positioning and set up.
• Stable support base– Our proprietary steel end frame evenly distributes the weight of the divider towards the floor, so you are ensured a stable divider at all times.
• Metal full-length hinges– Steel piano hinges are screwed into adjoining panels every four inches to provide a secure connection between the movable panels.
• Locking corner casters– This petal activated brake secures the ends of your room divider into position. Locking casters are not installed along full-length of the divider to allow for some give in the wall.
• Secure storage latch– Positioned on the base of the divider, the latch self-engages to secure all the panels together. This design feature preserves the integrity of the hinges and offers you a clear sight line when rollingthe room divider.

“The Standard dividers helped transform a large multipurpose room into a smaller classroom for our Kids Worship each Sunday. We had excellent customer service. We like that they create smaller classrooms in our largeroom and that they fold up neatly. We also can connect 2 dividers easily with the locks.”  Karen, Scioto Ridge UMC

Our Heavy Duty Dividers are designed for more rigorous environments like casinos, government buildings, airports, hotels, or convention centers.  Its key features are:

• Heavy duty leg assembly– This extra strength leg assembly supports the rigors of rolling the room divider over more uneven and rough terrain.
• Dual casters– Dual wheel extra duty self-leveling support system and a reinforced extra wide support leg as well
• Reinforced end frame– We have added an additional frame support to gives the divider more stability and allows us to mount our screen lock up higher making it easier to reach by hand
• Industrial hinges– Full-length piano hinge are used on both the Standard and Heavy Duty Room Dividers, but on the Heavy Duty Room dividers, we use powder painted Industrial piano hinges that are extra-thick and extraordinarily strong. This enhancement ensures stable walls for years of dependable use.
• Dual gusset plates– Extra gusset plate at the top of the divider. A gusset plate joins a connection at the intersection of the panels and the end frame to provide a stable and robust divider.
• Multi-unit connector- This feature comes standard on all Heavy Duty dividers and enables two partitions to be connected together, end to end, to create various lengths.
• Storage latch– Much like the Standard storage latch, the Heavy Duty storage latch automatically locks the panels together for compact storage and ease of mobility. However, the heavy-duty storage latch is positioned on the upper support frame making it easy to open.
• Robust Channel support– The Heavy Duty model has a deeper channel that wraps the panel which provides additional support.

“LOVE our Heavy Duty room dividers! Durable, sharp, clean.  Our new partitions are used for high volume indoor and outdoor banquet events. A perfect solution to hide service areas and direct guests.  Absolutely unbelievable customer service!  Quick, responsive, unreal!  Will purchase again sooner than later due to such amazing customer service. Really great.”  Carl, Arizona Biltmore

Ultimately, when selecting between a Standard or Heavy Duty Screenflex Room Divider, you must consider its intended use, what environment it will be used in and what amount it will be used. Rest assured, all Screenflex products are built to the quality and working conditions expected in a Screenflex Room Divider and are backed by a 3-year quality guarantee.  For further details on these and other Screenflex products visit Screenflex.com or contact our sales consultants at 800-553-0110.  Click here to download a free Standard and Heavy Duty Room Divider comparison chart.

The post Standard vs Heavy Duty Room Divider Features appeared first on Screenflex Portable Room Dividers.

Whether you operate a small yoga studio or a large fitness center, space equals money.  That is why fitness facility owners spend countless hours reviewing layout plans to determine the proper balance of space to offer training and classes that satisfy clients’ needs while generating as much income as possible.  Having a clear understanding of space utilization is an important component of the ultimate success of your fitness business.

The most important business decision you can make is to have a firm idea of what you must have and what you’d like to have.  Go back to your business plan and goals for your center.  Take time to assess if you are meeting or exceeding your goals, or where you are falling short.  It is also a good time to determine if your current services are meeting the needs of the community, your clients, and their evolving needs at every fitness level.

Next, do a space utilization assessment.  This methodology has been used in urban planning and schools for years.  By applying the same system of improving the allocation and use of space used in those facilities, you will recognize which space is being underutilized, what areas need to increase in size and find newly discovered space.

Let’s check out how a space utilization assessment can improve your bottom line.

Reduce costs

After personnel expenses, facility cost is the next highest expense of running a business.  That is why is it crucial to assess how your space is used.  If your facility is being underutilized, you might be paying for a larger space than what you actually need.  If the area is too small, you can reconfigure equipment or search for a new space that meets your needs.  With your new data in hand, your search for new space will be very specific and generate a positive and cost-effective space.

Understanding Client Patterns

Take a quick walk into and around your facility to establish a traffic plan around stations, entryways, and offices.  Consider:

• Grouping equipment into smaller pods
• Reduce the potential for accidents or injuries thru open spaces
• Establish stretching areas- which are often overlooked
• Free weights areas often lack visual separation between free-weight area and the other fitness equipment. Create a separation with a movable wall that accommodates constant changes in clients’ needs.

Deal with Regular Space Changes

All businesses deal with a certain amount of change.  However, no other industry experiences or adapts to changes as quickly as the fitness industry.  A change could be moving equipment, offices, or exercise rooms.  Often some spaces are neglected or even eliminated.  If changes are often required in your industry consider creating flexible space rooms that can be altered in size and configuration with the simple roll of a room divider.

Improve Services

Attracting and maintaining patrons is essential to business. A full assessment of your space allows you to increase your revenue through expanding services.  Possible additional services include:

• Health Seminars
• Acupuncture
• Physical/Massage Therapy
• Juice Bar
• Kids Classes
• Supplement Sales
• Clothing Sales

Not sure you have the space? Here is another excellent reason to invest in a portable partition.  They are a simple and cost-effective solution to creating flexible space.  Read this article on the benefits of room dividers, click here.

Plan for Future Space Usage

Finally, it is essential to give your facility the space it needs to grow.  A space management assessment can help you plan ahead for future space usage.  Being on top of the trends and knowing your available space lets you plan for future space needs and iron out all the details before they need to be implemented.

These are just a few of the many benefits of conducting a space utilization assessment for your fitness space.  Understanding how your space is used can mean a significant time and cost savings with a big boost to your client’s satisfaction.

The post Turn Your Fitness Center into a Revenue-Generating Space appeared first on Screenflex Portable Room Dividers.

Librarians Find Screenflex Room Dividers Easy to Use and Highly Effective in Transforming Multifaceted Space

Today’s high school media centers have become the hub of schools across the globe.  Both tall and short shelves of books have been removed and replaced by movable chairs, fireplaces, high tables, low tables, mounted computer screens, and 3-D printers. Recognizing the challenges in adapting their media center space to meet all the demanding needs of their students and staff, South Forsyth High School in Cummings, GA, took to utilizing Screenflex Room Dividers to maximize the use of their library and make the space work for them and their changing needs.

South Forsyth High School is a very large suburban high school just north of Atlanta, GA.  With a growing student population, they have outgrown the design of their current media center space.  The open reading room is supplied with a variety of seating but lacks physical division of space.  Their media center often serves multiple groups of students at one time; students enrolled in online classes, teachers bringing classes in for research or group work, individual students working on projects, etc. “With the growing need for the use of this common space, we knew it was essential for us to find some way to divide up the space while maintaining a clear sight light to everyone for security and safety reasons.”

The most immediate result of the use of clear room divider in the South Forsyth media center was the ability to have two completely different classes of students in the media center working independently without confusion.  The teachers and staff found the Screenflex Room Partitions easy to set up and use, and they were thrilled with the transparent acrylic created privacy for the students with the ability to monitor the space separated by the divider.  Once the students and teachers were using the room dividers for space efficiency, they began to benefit from the writable clear surface as well.  During discussions, lectures, or brainstorming session, teachers and students find it easy to take notes on the transparent surface with a dry erase marker.  Better yet, the clear portable partition easily erases and leave no ghosting.  “It’s amazing, it cleans like a mirror or window, simple and clear.”

Forsyth High School was familiar with Screenflex Room Dividers since the school uses the Standard fabric dividers in a different section of the school, and they were pleased with the durability and flexibility the Standard divider provides.  That didn’t stop them from doing their research on finding the best clear divider for their room dividing needs.  “During our research for a clear room divider, we found other products that were transparent, but none but none measured up to the strength and durability of a Screenflex product.  The quality of the Screenflex divider is outstanding – they are a little higher priced, but worth it!”

Now, when you walk into the Forsyth High School media center, there’s a huge difference.  The students and teachers are more engaged in their new shared space.  Instead of working in a silent environment they can collaborate without concern of interrupting others in the media center.  It is the same space but used more effectively for higher learning.

The Screenflex Clear Divider is made from 3/16” crystal clear OPTIX acrylic and non-yellowing, lightweight and highly impact-resistant.

The post One School District’s Library Transformation Improves Student Engagement appeared first on Screenflex Portable Room Dividers.

An annual tradition that began in 1974, National Catholic Schools Week celebrates the positive impact Catholic education has on the students and the community.  Sponsored by the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA), Catholic Schools Week is celebrated annually during the last week of January.  The NCEA outlined key benefits to a Catholic Education:  Learn, Serve, Lead, Succeed.  The coordination of daily events for Catholic Schools week should be done with careful thought and preparation and admiration for the Catholic education while focusing on the attributes outlined by NCEA.

Kickoff Mass

The first day, Sunday typically begins with a celebration mass.  What makes this mass special is that it involves the whole community coming together to reflect on the value of Catholic education.  This is an excellent way for the parishioners to support the students and demonstrate leadership through service and prayer.

As a pastoral leader, I encourage you to take time to prepare yourself, your families and children for mass by spending some time reading God’s word about gathering together.  For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:11 states, “Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”  Think of ways you can encourage the Catholic School administration and students throughout the week.  Maybe it’s by bringing in coffee and donuts to the teachers’ lounge one day or by hosting a balloon sendoff activity.  This event allows students to write letters of faith or encouragement on a balloon and release them into the sky for someone to find and be encouraged.   This activity shares love and kindness throughout the community.

Learn Monday

Catholic schools can boast about smaller class sizes, higher test scores, and greater graduation rates, but that would disregard the principle on which we stand, growing students to be life-long learners in faith, education, service, and leadership.  So how do we do that?  We teach the whole person.  We do not teach to the book or to any standardized test.  We teach the mind, body, and spirit.

• Mind-Personalized teaching methods can be implemented for each student. Let’s say students are learning about commas.  You might see a group of students on the whiteboard constructing sentence formations.  Another group creating a song about when to use commas and another group at tables surveying the newspaper for common comma usage.  These are all great methods of teaching the same subject but tailored to the individual learning style of each student.
• Body-The Catholic school curriculum puts a lot of emphasis on self-discipline. Self-discipline is a major contributing factor to a person’s success whether in sports, work or life. This life-long skill provides the student with the ability to choose which is followed by an action or a non-action.  We also encourage every student to participate in some form of physical activity with the hopes this develops a lifetime involvement in fitness as an individual or on a team. The Catholic Schools’ physical education program teaches the value of cooperation, perseverance, and teamwork.
• Spirit-Through daily scripture reading and rituals, Catholic education teaches students how to use the Bible as a tool for guidance and inspiration on a regular basis and throughout life. Students grow in the understanding that God is all around us and has a hand in our daily activities.  As this awareness strengthens, students are prone to take this teaching into our communities and world and be a positive influence on society.

Serve Tuesday

Various forms of the word service are mentioned in the Bible well over 1,100 times.  In response to God placing such an importance on serving others, the Catholic education incorporates the idea of service into the curriculum that extends well beyond the school and church walls.  Kindergarteners thru 12^th graders are required to conduct a certain number of service hours each school year.  Serving ideas can range from helping in the school, church, community or globally.

Lead Wednesday

In 1 Timothy 3:1-7 God gives us clear direction on what attributes a leader should have.  In this verse, God states taking on a leadership role is a noble task.  We couldn’t agree more, that is why Catholic Schools have placed an importance on building quality leaders in its schools.  This includes promoting virtue and sound character.  Evidence shows that when children have a positive leader in their life, they are bound to have greater success and less anxiety.  Consider a peer mentoring program bridging upper and lower aged classes.  Teachers also play a significant role as leaders in the school.  Being available for students, encouraging them and guiding their endeavors is essential for a student’s well-being.

Succeed Thursday

There isn’t one way to measuring success, but we can empower people to succeed and reach their own ambitions. A simple way to do this is to bring former students, church leaders, and community members into the classroom as guest speakers to talk about their profession, faith, and education experience.  Students can learn from each guest’s journey and find encouragement to learn more about various careers or about acquiring particular skills.   For High School or College Catholic Schools consider holding a career fair and resume building classes for students to learn skills in interviewing, public speaking, negotiating, and securing a job.

Honor Staff Friday

This day is not limited to teachers!  This is a special day to express appreciation to faculty, staff, and volunteers.  Here are some great ideas to thank them: 

• Write thank you letters
• Host a breakfast or lunch
• Hold an assembly where students share what they appreciate about their school and its leaders
• Decorate the doors of every teacher and staff member
• Have a parade in their honor. Have students line the hallways while honored guests parade throughout the school to cheers of appreciation

Community Celebration Saturday

This is a great way to extend the love of Christ to those beyond the walls of the school or church.  Host an event that invites the whole community to come together to celebrate as one.  A great way to do this is to host a fun fair.  Have each classroom sponsor a game or event.  Include student volunteer to run the events.  Give away tickets at each event/game that guests can collect and redeem for a prize.  Divide a gym with portable walls to section off game areas, eating rooms and a prize giveaway station.  By having the event in one large room limits access throughout the school.  Add a few inflatables outside or host a movie night on the lawn in the evening.  This event should be about fun and uniting together as Christ has called us to do.

We understand all Catholic Schools do not look or act alike.  What they do have in common is the ground on which they stand.  This principle governs the education and development of the students to be life-long learners of Christ and knowledge, to serve others, and to be of good character.  May we all come together during Catholic Schools Week to celebrate and honor Catholic education.

The post Catholic Schools Week Celebration Ideas appeared first on Screenflex Portable Room Dividers.

It is the start of a new year and in a couple of days, my school and my classroom will be celebrating the 100th Day of School. This day not only represents the 100 days we all have been coming to school, but…. 100 “Good Mornings” and smiles walking into the classroom, 100 opportunities for me to learn more about my amazing students, 100 chances to grow as a teacher, and 100 days of laughing, learning, and exploring together. As a fifth grade teacher, I am going to use this day to reflect on the year with my students and incorporate the value of 100 in new, engaging, and challenging ways. This may be the last time the students celebrate the 100th Day of School since they will be going to Middle School next year #Bittersweet

To start the morning, I will be creating two anchor charts that are similar to Kacey from Doodle Bugs Teaching. These anchor charts will be displayed on Screenflex’s Portable Display Tower on the same side, low enough so students will be able to respond. This display tower is awesome as I can move it around my classroom and transform the size/shape to what our work and classroom needs. One anchor chart will say “I wish I had 100…” and the other anchor chart will say “I would not want 100…”. Students will write their name and their answers on each anchor chart as they are walking into the classroom. These charts will begin our “Morning Meeting” discussion. When everyone has arrived…and I have my life in order—AKA attendance, lunch count, homework check-in, etc.—we will begin the discussion! I am SOOO excited about this. In class, we have been working on accountable, purposeful talk. Together, we have been practicing using sentence starters to politely acknowledge we agree, disagree, and desire clarification or explanation.  Knowing the cleverness and creativity of my students, we will have a bunch of different answers and the discussion will be very fun. We will talk about how the value of 100 is significantly greater than 1 and even 10, so you would have to love something a lot–or dislike it–to have 100 of that item.

During Math, I am thrilled to have found a resource that will help my students practice skills we will be working on AND relates to the 100th day of school!! I’m going to be using Hojo’s Teaching Adventure’s Division 100th Day of School Puzzle. During this time, we will be focusing on long division, and I know that this puzzle will be a great, engaging way for students to

practice their division facts. The students have to solve the division fact and align it correctly with the answer. When all the answers are aligned, the puzzle will form the number 100. What’s awesome is that this resource includes 6 different puzzle options so I can differentiate for my students!! The link to this resource is below:) I will have my students cut out the puzzles, color them, and glue them on a piece of construction paper as they are solving… and BOOM! We have some more student work to display in our classroom on our “100th Day of School Tower”.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/DIVISION-100th-Day-of-School-Math-Activities-Centers-Games-or-Puzzles-2883022?utm_source=MyBlog&utm_campaign=100th-Day-Blog-Post

During writing, we will start a creative, opinion piece where students will reflect on what it will be like to live 100 years from now. In a paragraph essay of sorts, students will respond to the prompt: What will your life be like 100 years from now? Consider how your life will be different and how the world will be a different place in terms of technology, inventions, housing, etc. One paragraph of your essay must include what your daily life will be like and one paragraph of your essay must include how the world will be a different place.

When introducing this activity and brainstorming, I’ll be sure to emphasize to my class to imagine that they are still living and “kickin’” 100 years from now. Together, we will brainstorm how life was different 100 years ago in 1919 and how much different it might be in 2119 (WOAH, FEELS SO WEIRD TO SAY THAT). Then, I will allow the class 10 minutes to brainstorm their ideas individually, 5-10 minutes to talk with partners about their ideas and make changes, and then time to write their stories. I’ll dedicate the afternoon to this writing activity as I want to be able to display their work in the classroom on this very day. While students are writing, I’m going to be pulling them aside to transform them into their 110-year-old self. I’ll have some “older looking clothes and accessories” like hats, glasses, scarves, ties & bow ties, and mustaches. Each student will be able to accessorize themselves and then take their picture on our classroom iPads. I found an app called “Oldster” that can turn you into an old person!! (See picture below for an example)  https://www.appdecide.com/app/ios/oldster/541888245/

When the students are finished, we will print out their picture and their writing. We’ll do the classic “Construction Paper Border” and glue both pieces of work together to then display. I am SOOO excited that I still have space to show their work on Screenflex’s Portable Display Towers. All of the students’ “old people pictures” and stories will look great displayed with the anchor charts and math puzzles from the morning. I’m even thinking of printing out some “100” emojis () and placing them all around the tower to add some decorations. This tower definitely helps me illustrate how clever and imaginative my students are; I’m able to proudly display their work for everyone to see!!

I absolutely LOVE being an elementary school teacher as we are able to celebrate milestones together in the classroom and I can align our content with the celebration. Days like the “100th Day of School” offer a fun way to practice, review, and learn new content, but in a fun theme–sometimes students do not even realize that they are working and learning because they are having too much fun. I LOVE THAT! On the 100th Day of School Celebration, we will not only be using these engaging activities but also reflecting on how great of a year it has been!! Thank you for reading along AND may I wish you a Happy 100th Day of School–we are more than halfway there 😉

The post 100th Day of School Classroom Ideas appeared first on Screenflex Portable Room Dividers.

Society is waking up to the reality that social media is THE medium in which we interact with one another. If you want to sell a product, broadcast a message, or spread an idea; you better have at least a Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and the like.

If you want your church’s ministry to be as successful as it can possibly be, then establishing your church on social media is a must.  To help shepherd you through the pitfalls of the world wide web, here are 10 Fatal Social Media Mistake Your Church Should Avoid:

1)     Failing to have a purpose

Every church needs a clear purpose, and that extends to the church’s social media.  Too many churches are have no idea what they to do with social media; they just know they need something.  Think about the message you’re putting out.  What are you trying to say?  What is your goal?  How do you plan on achieving that goal?  You and your congregation need to ask yourselves these kinds of question; and before you move forward, you’ll need to have an answer.

2)     Not a clear leader

A church without its pastor is like a flock without its shepherd. Any organization with purpose needs to have someone driving that purpose; and ultimately someone to take responsibility for its results. Many churches make the mistake of making social media everyone’s responsibility; creating confusion and ultimately leading to neglect.  Appoint at least one person to be responsible for the church’s social media, and charge them with completing the church’s goal.

3)     Appointing an inadequate social media manager

Some churches make the mistake of not taking their social media seriously, and usually wind up appointing someone who has no idea what they’re doing to manage their social media. Don’t ever do this. Social media is the best way to communicate with your congregation and potentially new members; don’t spoil the medium by allowing just anyone handle your social media page. It’s not rocket science, but you should still look for an individual that is capable of complete the task at hand.

4)     Misleading your audience

If you’re the pastor of a small church, it’s easy to look at those mega churches and feel a little inadequate. Some churches even feel so bad about themselves that they take misleading photos of their church, edit it Instagram or Photoshop, and put it on their social media. It may be tempting to make your church seem newer and cooler than it may be, but don’t do it First of all, lying is a sin; and second of all, the surest way to turn off potential members is to start lying to them.

5)     Using your social media solely as a news ticker

Church news and announcements are great things to share on your social media, but make sure to share more than that. Remember that social media is a fusion of advertising and conversation. You actually have to converse with your audience.  Reply to comments, share links that members post, have something on your page besides church news. Remember, this is SOCIAL media; so be social!

6)     Buying likes or followers

You can buy pretty much anything on the internet; and that includes Likes, Pluses, and Followers on social media. It might be tempting to fluff up your numbers with a few fake profiles, but do not do it. Anyone who spends more than 5 minutes on your page will be able to tell that you bought your followers; remember: lying is wrong and an ineffective way of building your online presence.

7)     Getting too political

This world would be a sad place if we didn’t stand up for what’s right; but on the other hand there is  a time and place for everything. In this increasingly secular world, there are many hot-button issues out there that have a direct and indirect effect on the church; but many people get turned off by churches that talk politics. Avoid being overly political; it’s ok to take a stand once in a while, but remember that your church’s social media page isn’t always the right place for it.

8)     Not tracking your progress

If you wanted to know how well your social media page is doing, how would you find out? Sadly, many congregations don’t even consider that question, much less have an answer. There are many websites and services out there that can help you track your social media performance, and help you improve your metrics. Some places like Facebook over very basic social media analysis for free, with more complex version requiring a subscription. For third party services heck out Sprout Social, it is one of the most popular social media tracking websites. There is a monthly fee, but it’s worth the price.

9)     Sharing too much or too little

How often do you think social media page should post content. Once a day? Once a week? Every day?  If you post every hour on the hour, people are likely to stop caring about your content and stop following you. If you almost never update your social media, people will forget about you and ignore future updates. Find that happy medium between too much and too little. You can use social media analyzing services to help you determine the optimum post time and frequency.

10)     Inadequate call to action

All great social media involves stirring your audience to do something; a call to action if you will. If you don’t get your audience engaged and involved with your social media page, they are less likely to care about your updates as much. Ask questions, create messages that ask people to like or share if they agree, start a conversation, etc.   The more involved the people are in your page, the better success your social media will have.

The post 10 Fatal Social Media Mistake Your Church Should Avoid appeared first on Screenflex Portable Room Dividers.

Multi-purpose room, family life center, fellowship hall, church hall or parish hall.  Call them what you want, they are a vital part of a church’s interior design scheme. Over the years the multi-purpose room has evolved from a gathering space for donuts and coffee to gymnasiums style room that host sporting events, classes, team building, worship nights, meals and plays.  The list of possible uses of this open space goes on and on. Because of the ever-changing need of the multi-purpose room, the area needs to enable physical movement and rapid reconfiguration required by the way ministry teams work and their changing size.

As a result, churches of all sizes are taking a look at the use and design of their multi-purpose room.  There are a few design elements to use to decide if your multi-purpose room is meeting the needs of today as well as the needs of the future.

Aesthetics– Think through choosing from various flooring and wall products and materials. Weigh upfront life cycle costs, maintenance needs, and expenses. Consider possible changes in ministries or attendance as well as the use of the space. Include design elements for sports, storage, kitchen, stage, music room, and hospitality. It is essential for churches to be equipped with the resources to handle the changes in the use of space.

Sound Properties– Today’s churches are constructed around verbal, musical, and visual communication. Therefore, it is essential to consider the acoustical design of your open space to communicate effectively.  Additionally, it is important to know the many factors that go into the sound quality within an open area such as, the number of people within the room at any given time, hard surfaces, and soft surfaces.

An ideal sound environment is one which provides a perfect blend of direct and reflected sound. This is accomplished by a careful combination of regular and irregular room angles and surface finishes. More specifically, the acoustics of a fellowship hall is determined by its architectural design, but enhancements can be made to your space to improve the acoustics. Sound absorbing panels adhered from the wall help to meet optimal sound quality within any given space. Acoustical wall panels are available in different shapes, sizes, and colors.  The panels can go with any structural design or building layout to manage noise sources.

Lighting– Dimmers, dimmers, dimmers!  Because a multi-purpose room is used by different ministries, day-to-day or hour-by-hour, the lighting must be adjustable to meet these changing needs. Also, consider both the positive and negative effects of natural light. If natural light is a necessity, careful detail must be given to the placement of the windows. If the space is used for sports, does the lighting illuminate the entire space?  Additionally, include proper protective coverings on all lighting fixtures to prevent damage.  As with any area, emergency lighting is a must.  Work with local law enforcement officials on the placement of emergency lighting throughout the facility.

The Flexibility of Space– Being able to change the space quickly creates options.  The best way to make the greatest use of your multi-purpose room is with the use of movable walls. Because the movable walls roll freely, you are not restricted by a track system.  Better yet, the HVAC, cooling, and lighting systems are not restricted allowing them to flow freely throughout the room. Ponder the best size, color choices based on the goals of the church.  Benefits of using portable room dividers to make the best use of your fellowship hall:

• Organize the Room- Freestanding room dividers allow you to transform your space in a moment’s notice. Begin by mapping out how the multi-purpose room will be used on a daily/weekly basis.  Plan how you can use portable partitions to divide the room for each program.  Look for room dividers that can be connected to form longer or shorter walls to accommodate your changing room dividing needs.
• Sections off a Space– Sectioning off a portion of a room with portable room dividers allows you to clearly show what that space is used for. Youth groups, small groups, prayer teams, sports leagues, and hospitality teams can enjoy their privacy in this shared room with the help of portable walls.
• Unlimited Design Capabilities– Because portable room dividers are mobile, these temporary walls are perfect for a multi-purpose room that needs a few extra rooms for a few days a week or to create storage within a room.  The wall configurations are only restricted by your imagination.  The best room dividers store compactly for easy storage.
•  Cost Effective– To be a good steward of church resources, it is wise to check the overall cost benefits of using room dividers in your facility to divide space. No need for costly architects or contractors to design and construct more rooms on a temporary or permanent basis.  After ordering your room divider, expect shipment within a few weeks.  Keep an eye out for room partitions that arrive fully assembled and ready to use.  Best yet, room dividers allow churches to save money that could be put to other resources.
•  Create Visual Displays– Be a great church communicator. Tack, pin or staple bulletins, directions, or sitemaps to a portable room divider. This is a great way to share information with a captive audience visiting your facility. Additionally, use the fabric walls to display artwork, ministry photos or testimonies.  The display can be rolled into different areas of the church to share with various team members throughout the week.
•  Built to Last– Quality in equals quality out! Search for a room divider constructed to withstand the rigors of any environment. The ideal room divider should be designed narrow at the top with a broader base. This design disperses the weight of the divider towards the floor for added stability. A slim frame also provides vision when moving the room divider.
• Absorbs Sound– As before mentioned, the acoustics of a fellowship hall are determined by its architectural design but enhancements, such as portable fabric walls, can help dampen the sound in the room. However, not every room divider absorbs the same amount of noise, so do your homework.  Look for an open honeycomb core that traps more sound along with dual layers of insulation beneath the fabric surface to absorb more sound.

Making the best use of your multi-purpose room begins with proper space planning.  Careful consideration must be given to the design elements of the space to maximize resiliency.  By dividing up a multi-purpose room with folding walls, the right lighting, and quality building materials, churches are readily equipped with the resources to handle any ministry changes as well as achieve the best use of valuable square footage.

The post Church Multipurpose Room Design Elements to Consider appeared first on Screenflex Portable Room Dividers.

Our church care ministry is the heartbeat of our congregation. We love being Jesus’ hands and feet to the people in our community who have a particular need that we can effectively meet. As the ministry has evolved, we realized one easy win would be to give a break to parents who have no money for babysitters. So, we set up a room for kids 8 and under as a safe place to play while their parents are getting help, praying with someone, or just relaxing with a cup of coffee.

In the beginning, we were just a room with some toys. As word got out and our ministry grew, we were able to secure a larger facility, which was fantastic, but we still had some of the same issues with trying to keep infants safe while 8-year-old boys wanted to kick a soccer ball and 3-year-old girls wanted to play with dolls. On top of that, no two days were ever the same—some days everyone wanted to watch a DVD, other days the craft table was a big hit, and other days we’d play the hot lava floor game for hours. Enter Screenflex Room Dividers.

The day we started using room dividers is the day the kids’ care ministry took off. Volunteers have the flexibility to partition the room off based on that day’s needs. There is always the ability to wall off a section of the room for infants and unsteady toddlers, who can then explore without fear of being hit by a rogue ball or having their toys taken away by an older kid declaring, “MINE!” Quieter kids who want to read or watch a DVD can do so freely because the dividers not only carve out space but also cut down the noise from the more active parts of the room. We frequently move any sleeping babies into this area because of the quiet. The dividers also give us a built-in art gallery, and kids are always proud to walk their work over from the craft table to the dividers and pin it up to decorate the room and show off their work to parents and other volunteers. Because the dividers are lightweight and easy to move, volunteers have no problems changing things on the fly. The mix of kids at noon can be very different from the combination of kids at 9 AM, which would be problematic in a fixed space setting but is no problem in a flexible space setting. We also saw our volunteer retention rate go up when we started using the room dividers because their frustration levels went way down when they were able to control the room based on the current needs. Our only regret is not bringing the dividers in sooner, and we’re looking to see where else we could use them to streamline our church care ministry services.

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Taking appropriate shelter is critical for many people in times of disaster. However, communities rarely pre-plan for situations like fires, flooding or a natural disaster that requires shelters to set up quickly and efficiently. Having room dividers readily available in schools, government offices, and medical centers are essential to shelter preparedness and aid in the organization of the services, crowd control, and to provide privacy to those in need.

Why you should invest in room dividers for your shelter:

Intake/registration – Those seeking refuge during a disaster should seek out available resources and locations near their residence. Shelter volunteers can arrange movable walls to designate a private area for guests to provide information and needs to the staff. The sound absorbing walls ensure compliance with privacy and HIPPA laws when personal information should not be heard or shared with others.

To accommodate specific needs or requests – Those seeking shelter may come to the staff asking for equipment, supplies, food or cultural or religious requirements. Every effort should be made to accommodate those needs.

• Managing equipment, water, and food supplies – Staff will need a space to work, ration food and water supplies out of view from those seeking shelter. Portable room dividers create the appropriate storage area for supplies and keep items like generators safely out of sight.
• Offer a safe place for spiritual rest– In honor and respect for all religious traditions and beliefs, an area should be set aside where those wishing to participate in religious practices can do so in a private space. Use a room divider to offer the appropriate privacy to those participating in worship.

Provide a safe place to rest – Rolling walls can be set up to create a safe place to sleep, provide health services (disaster-related conditions, first aid, refilling lost prescriptions, or replacing eyeglasses, administering medicine) and offer emotional support and mental health services. The portable partitions allow you to provide a quiet location for nursing mothers that are out of view from other guests.

Separate area for childcare – Some parents may be required to return to work during or after a disaster, but care for their child might not be available or open. Screenflex portable room dividers allow children to play and learn in an area that is safe and sound during this time of need.

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What is the purpose of homework?  Homework started in the twentieth century when theorists stated that the brain was a muscle that needed to be trained and exercised.  This theory fell by the wayside when homework shifted to using more problem-solving skills than reinforcing what was taught at school. However, with the growth in space exploration in the 1950’s, American’s concern over US education levels over Russia spurred the resurgence of homework.

On paper, homework seems like a good idea, answering a few questions related to topics discussed in class.  In reality, it’s entirely different.  Today, homework entails the “transfer of learning,” where students apply what they learned in the classroom to another situation in a different context.  This task is more comfortable for some than others.  It is essential for the students to use the knowledge that they have in conjunction with information gained through research. 

How much homework should students have at each grade level?  The National PTA recommend guidelines shared by researcher Harris Cooperecommendsminutes per night in the first grade, and an additional 10 minutes per grade level thereafter.  For example, 20 minutes for second grade and 120 minutes for twelfth grade.  High school age student’s homework times depend on the level of higher education classes they take.

When is the best time to do homework?  There are two schools of thought on this one, and both are correct depending on your child’s learning style.

One, allow the student to unwind for a set time before beginning homework.  This allows the child to rest the brain and body, play, read for fun, color, socialize and the like.  However, for some children it is difficult get them to sit or refocus their brain, to complete school work after activity.

Second, provide a snack and beverage while your child completes their homework as soon as they get home.  The brain is still in “learning” mode and it may be easier for the student to recall topics learned throughout the day.

Third, some children work best with frequent breaks throughout the afternoon/evening hours.  Setting a timer allows the child to set goals for task completion before the timer goes off, and provides a break between assignments.  This method may take a bit longer for the child to complete their homework, but it is a good balance between homework and play.

Where is the best place to do homework?  Parents have long encouraged children to do their homework in their bedroom or a quiet space.  I am not a proponent of this for several reasons.

• Students can get off-task easily with distractions in their room.
• Completing homework in a room with an older adult present allows them to ask questions when needed. The adult is also available to re-direct a distracted learner.
• Studies show that music can help one study and focus. Masha Godkin, a professor in the Department of Marriage and Family Sciences at Northcentral University states, “music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximize learning and improve memory.”   For instance, when students run across a familiar topic on a test or assignment, they will often remember the song that was playing when they studied that topic and recall what they learned in conjunction to listening to the song.    

I encourage having a mobile station of school supplies readily available for the students use.  Here is a great example of a homework caddy.

How can and should parents help?

Let’s be honest here.  How many times has your student come home with a project assignment and you quickly turn to Google or Pinterest for the best ideas for your child’s project.  Yes, you heard me correctly.  YOU turned to Pinterest to create their project.  Believe me, when these Pinterest worthy projects get turned in, teachers know exactly who completed the project.  Now helping your child with their homework isn’t a bad thing at all, but taking over their project is.  So how much should parents be involved in their children’s homework.  I liken it to shepherding.  Parents should come alongside their child and provide the means for the child to complete their homework assignments to the best of their abilities.  That means eliminating distractions, being available for questions, and teaching their child what resources to use to find the answer to their question.  These tasks may be easier for some, but there are resources available.  Check out your local library or school district to see if they offer online or phone homework hotlines.  Additional resources include homeworkhotline, Ask Rose or Tutor.com. For studying I encourage the use of online flashmaker sites like Quizlet or flashcard.online.

The post What’s the Deal with Homework? How Much is Too Much? appeared first on Screenflex Portable Room Dividers.

It was a casual visit to my 83-year-old parents’ house one Saturday afternoon.  Something spare of the moment really.  Listening to their stories (albeit for the 15^th time) brought about laughter and made for a very pleasant visit.  That is until my father rather casually states that cancer has returned.  Time seems to stand still for a moment each time we hear these words.  Instinctively I remark, we will battle this and do what we need to do. The trips to the hospital for chemo, the nights of getting sick, hair loss, the stress on my mom as the caretaker all come to mind.  What does caring for aging parents look like when they don’t want any help?

• Meet with siblings or other caretakers. Be sure all caretakers or future caretakers are on the same page.  Discuss what assistance each of you could provide.  Maybe it’s driving parents to appointments, providing meals, completing chores, assisting with paying bills, or visiting time rotation, any little bit helps.  Having everyone on the same front as far as care and a clear communication line helps moving forward.
• Make sure their home is safe for them to live in. This is something my siblings and I can do during a visit or two.  Simple things like adding a railing in the bathroom, making sure rooms have adequate lighting, and all floor surfaces are level.  These quick fixes can make a big difference.  I found the great home safety checklist for senior living to use as a guide.
• Attend doctors’ appointments. This may be difficult to get your aging parents to agree to, but it is important to have someone there to take notes and clarify treatment and medications.  Have your parents write down any questions they might have during the upcoming days or weeks leading to the doctor’s appointment.  Be sure to bring the questions along so you can record the answers.  Feel free to use a recording device on your cell phone so you can go back and listen to it to clarify any instructions or answers.
• Organize medications is important for anyone, let alone those that have difficulty remembering. Help to create a routine for the patient to take their medicines.  Set an alarm that reminds them each day to take their medications.  Always, keep the medicines in the same location in the home.  Use a pillbox that has all medicines separated out for each day keeps the medication organized.  Arranging the pills into each compartment of the pillbox is a good task to do each Sunday to prepare for the upcoming week.  Moving the medication into the pillbox is also a good practice in eye-hand coordination for the patient.
• Have a contingency plan. Additional nursing care or assistance might not be needed at this time but start researching options.  Discuss what time of care their insurance provides for.  Gather numbers for in-home care and care facilities in your parents’ area.  If time allows meet with caretakers or treatments centers and learn about what they offer.
• Make it a priority to visit as often as you can. A visit doesn’t always mean in person, a phone call can do wonders to lift their spirit.  With a family of my own to care for and work responsibilities, visiting and caring for aging parents during the week can be stressful.  I frequently call my parents during my ride home from work.  It is a great habit to get into.  Or for those living out of town, schedule a day and time during the week for all of you to set aside for a facetime visit.  That way you can see each other during your chat.  When you do visit with your parents in person try to bring a game to play together or look through picture books so they can share memories with you.

Caring for aging parents doesn’t look the same for everyone, but one thing is for sure, love can do wonders for the soul.

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Tax Day is almost here, meaning 36.8% of Americans are seeking professional assistance for filing their personal income taxes. It can be hard to manage the flow of clients during the busy season, especially when doing pop-up tax assistance in public places such as supermarkets, libraries, and local government offices. Using a portable partition is a quick, easy and convenient fix to help manage client flow while also ensuring client privacy. Getting your divider to and from your tax preparation site is a streamlined process thanks to the accordion style fold of Screenflex partitions. Once at your location, your wheeled divider easily rolls into your space and through any door. After you meet with your last client, the divider folds back into its accordion shape in a matter of seconds making takedown painless.

Screenflex portable partitions come in a variety of sizes and colors which makes them fully customizable to fit your firm’s brand. For an extra professional touch, you can also have your firm logo printed on your dividers to help market your firm to those passing by and create brand recognition. Screenflex dividers are also tackable, making hanging directional signs for clients a breeze. The partitions are also fully shapeable, meaning you can create an office space by hinging the dividers into a U-shape or square. The end panels of each divider can also function as an office door, as each panel is attached to its own full-length hinge. Once clients enter the makeshift office space their privacy is protected through the sound-absorbing design of Screenflex dividers, so all personal and financial information can be shared in full confidence. Preparing taxes is no easy task, but serving clients doesn’t have to be. Screenflex portable partitions are changing the way that firms can serve clients, by meeting clients where they are while also maintaining a private and personable environment.

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The healthcare community has become extremely focused on improving the patient experience as individuals receive health services. These experiences can include making an appointment and seeing a provider, communicating with an insurance company, receiving care as an inpatient, or being the family member of someone who is hospitalized. Most organizations follow up this experience with some sort of survey. It seems that everyone is bombarded with surveys that seek to measure satisfaction wherever they turn- getting coffee, ordering items online, and of course- receiving health services. Healthcare organizations must be fully aware of what is important to their customers in order to provide the best possible care and thus receive high recommendations.

The goal of achieving positive scores should not be the scores themselves. The goal should be to provide an experience that makes an individual feel safely and highly competently cared for, to the point that they would recommend that facility to others. This demonstrates that organizations are ultimately fulfilling their mission. Hospitals use standardized patient experience survey tools that allow them to benchmark against similar organizations. These scores are also reported online and are easily available to consumers. Consumers, in turn, are becoming more ‘patient satisfaction’ savvy and are turning to publically-reported websites to research hospitals and providers prior to seeking care.

Patient experience is a very subjective aspect of healthcare. One patient might consider a brief visit with a personable physician a very positive experience if they received answers to their questions and felt confident in the physician. The look and feel of the examination room might be completely irrelevant to that individual. Another patient may very critically look at the signage getting them to the right parking lot, the decor in the waiting room and the level of privacy at the check-in area and consider all those details when filling out a survey. The time spent with the physician and the quality of that part of the visit only partially impacts their overall experience.

One area that organizations should consider as part of the patient experience is privacy. Consumers are well aware of the potential for identity theft that can occur on any given day, and healthcare visits are no exception. There is a great deal of very private information that is shared during a physician visit or hospital stay, and it is the responsibility of each organization to take every possible step to protect patient information. Steps to ensure privacy can include having patients pre-register and check-in for appointments online, thus reducing the sharing of private information at a front desk or adding portable privacy walls. Instructions for follow-up care can be sent to the patient through a secure portal with questions answered in a private room and not in an open area. Portable privacy screens can separate patients in busy waiting areas and create a sense of individualized attention when approached by someone from registration.

Simple steps such as these can go a long way in increasing the comfort level of a patient. Just as important as providing the privacy is making sure patients are aware of the actions that have been taken. “We are sending your follow up instructions through a secure link so there is less risk of papers being misplaced”, “Once we get to a private room I’m going to verify your name and date of birth”, and “Do you have any questions that I can answer before we leave the privacy of this room?” are all statements that can demonstrate to patients that an organization cares about protecting patient privacy. This may result in strong patient satisfaction scores, but most importantly, instills trust that the organization has the patients best interest at the core of what they do.

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Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I tend to go a bit overboard when it comes to party planning.  I just want everyone to feel like I thought of them and that they feel special.  To me, it is the little things that make a big difference.  This could entail serving a special drink someone likes, personalized water bottles or juice boxes, decorated serving tables, or specialized candies.  But this 4^th of July I am going to do a simple party especially since it will be so hot.

I began by going thru my long party prep list and started pairing it down to create these easy to follow 4th of July party ideas.

      Decorations – Keep it simple

• Simple red, white and blue bunting outside ads a nice patriotic touch. I will skip the decorations throughout the house this year
• Coordinated red, white and blue utensils, plates, napkins, and cups will showcase our USA pride
• If you would like to add some additional color think of adding colored tablecloths and balloons

      Food – With it being warm I like to serve easy dishes and no sweets.  Keep anything that will spoil on ice.

• Make sure the propane tank is filled or that you have enough coals to grill up some burgers, sausages, and a vegetarian
• Corn on the cob, baked beans and coleslaw make great side dishes
• Watermelon is a wonderful treat to have on hand since it is something sweet that rehydrates the body

      Entertainment – We live on a lake so our entertainment is pretty simple.  But I do have to plan for those not wanting to go in the water.

• Water activities including water balloons, sprinkler, slip-n-slide, squirt guns
• Pool
• Sparklers, snaps, and any permitted fireworks in your area
• If you are lucky enough to have a firework show nearby, plan ahead to attend

  Refreshments – It is important to keep everyone hydrated!

• Water, water, and more water!
• Carbonated beverages on ice
• Gatorade type drinks
• Alcoholic beverages (drink responsibly)
• Popsicles

  Safety –

• Please practice safety when using or around fireworks.
• Bug spray on hand
• Sunscreen
• Tent for shade
• If by water use proper floating devices
• Wading pool to cool the feet off

Whether you are hosting a big or small party, keep it simple.  Have everything in place before guests arrive so you can enjoy the party too.  Enjoy and be safe as you celebrate the independence of the good old USA.     Click here to download this easy to follow party planning list.

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