Class fund non-participants: where do you think the party food comes from??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the room parent and we are not allowed to collect money from parents. I sent out a signup yesterway for an upcoming party:

Juice boxes
Sweet treat
Paper plates and napkins

That is it. Parents signed up within 20 minutes to fill the spots. Because it is easy, low cost and they only have to do it once or twice a year. Some parents never sign up. Some parents sign up multiple times. Whatever. Life goes on.

If you only ask for 3/4 things, you don't give parents enough opportunities to sign up and if some don't check their email during the day or when you send it, the slots are all full. You cannot complain if parents don't sign up if they don't have the chance.

I always put about 10-12 things and then put other. That's usually where I have a parent sign up for pizza or other nicer stuff.

What? I am not complaining. The kids don’t need pizza along with other stuff. Too many kids are obese. Cut this out.

Once at school is not a big deal. If your kid is obese, then something you are doing at home is wrong or some kids are just a bit heavier. Its not your call to make. One slice of pizza vs. a bunch of crap snacks doesn't make a difference. I'm amazed that parents give their kids soda, candy and all kinds of there crap at home and then complain about a slice or so of pizza at school at a 3 time a year party.

No one wants that stuff. Skip all the extra stuff. One small treat and a little celebration. There is no need to spend $135 on pizza and then complain parents don’t want to contribute. No kidding. It is wasteful and gross.

Pizza doesn't cost $135. Papa Johns, Dominos and Pizza Hut all have $5-6 pizza's. So, that's under $30. Its not wasteful and gross and the kids enjoy it. Overspent and doesn't know how to budget. Come to a party and see that the kids are enjoying it before you comment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen it done where they charge $5 for 2 slices of pizza, if you don't pay, your kid doesn't get it. You then say if there is a hardship, email you and the kid will be given free pizza, with nobody knowing money wasn't given, BUT if they don't contact you the kid will NOT get pizza. That way you don't discriminate against those with financial issues. The money can cover some snacks at the party, teacher gifts, etc. For party decor, reuse what you have, have your kids make stuff-paper snowmen and snowflakes, hearts or whatever, but don't waste money. Have parents donate treats and beverages.

That is a horrible thing to do to a child to say, parents pay, or you don't eat. And, $5 for 2 slices is way to much.

5 dollars is a whole pizza so someone is getting rich off of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the room parent and we are not allowed to collect money from parents. I sent out a signup yesterway for an upcoming party:

Juice boxes
Sweet treat
Paper plates and napkins

That is it. Parents signed up within 20 minutes to fill the spots. Because it is easy, low cost and they only have to do it once or twice a year. Some parents never sign up. Some parents sign up multiple times. Whatever. Life goes on.

If you only ask for 3/4 things, you don't give parents enough opportunities to sign up and if some don't check their email during the day or when you send it, the slots are all full. You cannot complain if parents don't sign up if they don't have the chance.

I always put about 10-12 things and then put other. That's usually where I have a parent sign up for pizza or other nicer stuff.

What? I am not complaining. The kids don’t need pizza along with other stuff. Too many kids are obese. Cut this out.

Once at school is not a big deal. If your kid is obese, then something you are doing at home is wrong or some kids are just a bit heavier. Its not your call to make. One slice of pizza vs. a bunch of crap snacks doesn't make a difference. I'm amazed that parents give their kids soda, candy and all kinds of there crap at home and then complain about a slice or so of pizza at school at a 3 time a year party.

No one wants that stuff. Skip all the extra stuff. One small treat and a little celebration. There is no need to spend $135 on pizza and then complain parents don’t want to contribute. No kidding. It is wasteful and gross.

Pizza doesn't cost $135. Papa Johns, Dominos and Pizza Hut all have $5-6 pizza's. So, that's under $30. Its not wasteful and gross and the kids enjoy it. Overspent and doesn't know how to budget. Come to a party and see that the kids are enjoying it before you comment.

Omg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. For those of you who are saying I am spending too much on Pizza, for the record, Dominos was $120 for the last party. That included the small individual pizza for one child with allergies. I ordered the amount the teacher requested and she said it was all gone. I need to use Dominos because 1) it has to be delivered since I work full time and can't take a day off to deliver pizza and 2) it works menu-wise with the child with allergies. So I am not being extravagent; I am doing what the teacher requested.

I think you need to explain to the teacher that pizza doesn't work with your budget, and have some cheaper options that could work for everyone, including the kid with allergies (who does not need his/her own pizza...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. For those of you who are saying I am spending too much on Pizza, for the record, Dominos was $120 for the last party. That included the small individual pizza for one child with allergies. I ordered the amount the teacher requested and she said it was all gone. I need to use Dominos because 1) it has to be delivered since I work full time and can't take a day off to deliver pizza and 2) it works menu-wise with the child with allergies. So I am not being extravagent; I am doing what the teacher requested.

This makes no sense. Maybe someone else should take over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. For those of you who are saying I am spending too much on Pizza, for the record, Dominos was $120 for the last party. That included the small individual pizza for one child with allergies. I ordered the amount the teacher requested and she said it was all gone. I need to use Dominos because 1) it has to be delivered since I work full time and can't take a day off to deliver pizza and 2) it works menu-wise with the child with allergies. So I am not being extravagent; I am doing what the teacher requested.

This makes no sense. Maybe someone else should take over.

+1. Someone who can deliver a costco cake to school, and can say "pizza doesn't fit in the budget and special snowflake doesn't need a 20 dollar pizza of his/her own."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS parent here. We have a Halloween party, vday, and end of year. Gifts our given by the family if they want
they want.

Party is a mini cupcake on a paper towel with a bottle of water. Activity is playing games.

I think the mini cupcakes are $4.99/12. We need 3 boxes that $15. Say $10 for the water which will leave some left over for the next party.

I’m in a W district, not the room parent, and think this is fine.

Our MCPS school doesn't always have paper towels or even soap... As a W district, maybe you can share your supplies with some of our schools. One year, they didn't even have enough toilet paper.

You sound really stingy for being financially comfortable in your rich W school.

My BCC district ES PtA gives thousands each years to Focus schools PTAs. I’m sure many of the W schools do as well. You don’t need to be obnoxious. The PP described a party that is much closer to what my kids have for their classroom parties than a pizza for all bash. Doesn’t make anyone stingy.

It does make you stingy if you can spend $100 to go out to eat and not donate $5 or less (given carrots, plates, fruit can be less than $5) to a party a few times a year. PTA has nothing to do with room parties. I don't know any other PTA's that give to focus schools. And, even then, those PTA's are not spending it on the actual classrooms. It is obnoxious to be so selfish. Having pizza at a party is not that expensive. You only need a few pizzas and usually if you do sign up genius one parent ends up donating it. I don't know why you think these parties, even if they have nice food are that costly. But, probably because you've never done one or even attended. Some of us can do a lot with very little.

I’m a room parent and I’ve attended most of my kids’ parties and I’m not wrong just because I disagree with you. Our kids’ pizza parties are typically at 1:30/2 so the parents can then pick them up around dismissal time. We don’t have pizza partly because it’s expensive but mostly because it’s entirely unnecessary because the kids have just eaten lunch. We spend more room parent funds on craft materials or on cheap prizes for games and then have a fruit platter, pretzels and mini cupcakes that parents contribute. we save most of our funds for teacher gift cards, which means more than a slice of papa john’s after kids have just eaten lunch.

This. The kids don’t NEED pizza. The teacher may want pizza but that doesn’t mean she is right. For our end of the year party, one of the teachers suggested a super expensive craft to do at a time when our room parent budget was exhausted. I thanked her and got a much simpler/cheaper craft. Kids seemed to have fun with it and instead of spending 200$ of my own money, I spent 50$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. For those of you who are saying I am spending too much on Pizza, for the record, Dominos was $120 for the last party. That included the small individual pizza for one child with allergies. I ordered the amount the teacher requested and she said it was all gone. I need to use Dominos because 1) it has to be delivered since I work full time and can't take a day off to deliver pizza and 2) it works menu-wise with the child with allergies. So I am not being extravagent; I am doing what the teacher requested.

This makes no sense. Maybe someone else should take over.

+1. Someone who can deliver a costco cake to school, and can say "pizza doesn't fit in the budget and special snowflake doesn't need a 20 dollar pizza of his/her own."

OP here, you're all welcome to volunteer. Oh, that's right... .no one else did. That's why I am doing it. Step up or shut up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. For those of you who are saying I am spending too much on Pizza, for the record, Dominos was $120 for the last party. That included the small individual pizza for one child with allergies. I ordered the amount the teacher requested and she said it was all gone. I need to use Dominos because 1) it has to be delivered since I work full time and can't take a day off to deliver pizza and 2) it works menu-wise with the child with allergies. So I am not being extravagent; I am doing what the teacher requested.

This makes no sense. Maybe someone else should take over.

+1. Someone who can deliver a costco cake to school, and can say "pizza doesn't fit in the budget and special snowflake doesn't need a 20 dollar pizza of his/her own."

OP here, you're all welcome to volunteer. Oh, that's right... .no one else did. That's why I am doing it. Step up or shut up.

LOL. I am the room parent and don’t have these problems! You are doing something wrong!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. For those of you who are saying I am spending too much on Pizza, for the record, Dominos was $120 for the last party. That included the small individual pizza for one child with allergies. I ordered the amount the teacher requested and she said it was all gone. I need to use Dominos because 1) it has to be delivered since I work full time and can't take a day off to deliver pizza and 2) it works menu-wise with the child with allergies. So I am not being extravagent; I am doing what the teacher requested.

This makes no sense. Maybe someone else should take over.

+1. Someone who can deliver a costco cake to school, and can say "pizza doesn't fit in the budget and special snowflake doesn't need a 20 dollar pizza of his/her own."

OP here, you're all welcome to volunteer. Oh, that's right... .no one else did. That's why I am doing it. Step up or shut up.

LOL. I am the room parent and don’t have these problems! You are doing something wrong!

+1. I’ve been room parent 4 times with two different kids at a relatively well-off elementary school and my older kid had pizza once when the PTA paid for it. Ask some other room parents at your school what they are doing, because I get the sense that you may be making your life harder than it needs to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS parent here. We have a Halloween party, vday, and end of year. Gifts our given by the family if they want
they want.

Party is a mini cupcake on a paper towel with a bottle of water. Activity is playing games.

I think the mini cupcakes are $4.99/12. We need 3 boxes that $15. Say $10 for the water which will leave some left over for the next party.

I’m in a W district, not the room parent, and think this is fine.

Our MCPS school doesn't always have paper towels or even soap... As a W district, maybe you can share your supplies with some of our schools. One year, they didn't even have enough toilet paper.

You sound really stingy for being financially comfortable in your rich W school.

My BCC district ES PtA gives thousands each years to Focus schools PTAs. I’m sure many of the W schools do as well. You don’t need to be obnoxious. The PP described a party that is much closer to what my kids have for their classroom parties than a pizza for all bash. Doesn’t make anyone stingy.

It does make you stingy if you can spend $100 to go out to eat and not donate $5 or less (given carrots, plates, fruit can be less than $5) to a party a few times a year. PTA has nothing to do with room parties. I don't know any other PTA's that give to focus schools. And, even then, those PTA's are not spending it on the actual classrooms. It is obnoxious to be so selfish. Having pizza at a party is not that expensive. You only need a few pizzas and usually if you do sign up genius one parent ends up donating it. I don't know why you think these parties, even if they have nice food are that costly. But, probably because you've never done one or even attended. Some of us can do a lot with very little.

Really? What makes you think that you are familiar with how PTAs in wealthier schools act? Our Whitman feeder ES does more fundraiser for our sister school than our own. There are similar donations of goods as the huge number of extra books donated was sent to the other school. I know other schools that are similar.

[Anonymous]

Never heard of pizza at a class party. Only seen snacks, which parents volunteer to bring using SignUp Genius. You need to have said no to the teacher. If you are not able to communicate, then do not volunteer for the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. For those of you who are saying I am spending too much on Pizza, for the record, Dominos was $120 for the last party. That included the small individual pizza for one child with allergies. I ordered the amount the teacher requested and she said it was all gone. I need to use Dominos because 1) it has to be delivered since I work full time and can't take a day off to deliver pizza and 2) it works menu-wise with the child with allergies. So I am not being extravagent; I am doing what the teacher requested.

This makes no sense. Maybe someone else should take over.

+1. Someone who can deliver a costco cake to school, and can say "pizza doesn't fit in the budget and special snowflake doesn't need a 20 dollar pizza of his/her own."

OP here, you're all welcome to volunteer. Oh, that's right... .no one else did. That's why I am doing it. Step up or shut up.

I volunteer and I would have no problem setting the teacher straight and managing expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never heard of pizza at a class party. Only seen snacks, which parents volunteer to bring using SignUp Genius. You need to have said no to the teacher. If you are not able to communicate, then do not volunteer for the job.

Thanks for piling on.... I will take all the criticism here and do what I should have done: quit and let someone else take on this thankless job. But next time I hear "no one ever volunteers for anything" I will recall how I got sh*t on for doing it. And I don't feel bad about doing nothing from now on. Truly a thankless job. F you all very much, I am out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. For those of you who are saying I am spending too much on Pizza, for the record, Dominos was $120 for the last party. That included the small individual pizza for one child with allergies. I ordered the amount the teacher requested and she said it was all gone. I need to use Dominos because 1) it has to be delivered since I work full time and can't take a day off to deliver pizza and 2) it works menu-wise with the child with allergies. So I am not being extravagent; I am doing what the teacher requested.

This makes no sense. Maybe someone else should take over.

+1. Someone who can deliver a costco cake to school, and can say "pizza doesn't fit in the budget and special snowflake doesn't need a 20 dollar pizza of his/her own."

The "snowflake" has an allergy, so I have no problem with her getting an individual pizza, which I am sure wouldn't be $20. But I still don't understand how Dominos was $135. I've gotten Dominos many times for large birthday parties that included lots of adults. I've never spent that much on pizza.

And I agree with others that you have to speak up if the teacher requests something you can't afford. The teacher probably had no idea about your budget and would probably/hopefully be horrified that you are now hounding parents to pay for what she requested.