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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, that’s not what we said at all. Just do a signup genius! No need to demand cash from parents ever. We have great fun parties with just sign up genius and room mom doesn’t need to go broke.

And if parents do not sign up for SignUp Genius, you can send out an email saying that the party will get cancelled due to lack of participation. I think this is a better way to engage parents.

That doesn't work. And, our teacher tried that and my child came home really upset. We were happy to donate what ever was needed and did. Problem solved. You don't do that to kids. If no one signs up, room parent can do cupcakes or cookies and bottled water. Or, they can do more. We've done it a variety of ways. Usually you can get 4-5 parents to sign up for the absolute basics and the room parent fills in.

Pfft. Its ok for the snowflakes to be upset once in a while.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our elementary in Bethesda we were asked to donate $20-25 per child at the beginning of the year. We ended up getting around $400. We sent a few emails to collect funds in the first month of school and offered paypal and venmo as payment options.

We spent $75 on the Halloween party and have budgeted $60 each for the Valentine's day and end of year parties. Plus spent $100 on the class holiday gift and will spend another $100 on teacher appreciation week.

The food at the halloween party was fruit, juice, water, popcorn/pretzels and mini cupcakes. We had games, decorations and prizes.

I'm detailing all of this to say that even at a school of upper middle class families, there is not a huge budget for these events and we're definitely not ordering pizza.

Its how you choose to spend the money. You could easily do pizza and a desert on $75. I don't get where the $75 went if you only had fruit, juice, water, popcorn/pretzels and mini cupcakes. You don't need juice. You can easily do pizza, desert, bottled water (or none if kids have water bottles), and fruit for $75.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, that’s not what we said at all. Just do a signup genius! No need to demand cash from parents ever. We have great fun parties with just sign up genius and room mom doesn’t need to go broke.

And if parents do not sign up for SignUp Genius, you can send out an email saying that the party will get cancelled due to lack of participation. I think this is a better way to engage parents.

That doesn't work. And, our teacher tried that and my child came home really upset. We were happy to donate what ever was needed and did. Problem solved. You don't do that to kids. If no one signs up, room parent can do cupcakes or cookies and bottled water. Or, they can do more. We've done it a variety of ways. Usually you can get 4-5 parents to sign up for the absolute basics and the room parent fills in.

Pfft. Its ok for the snowflakes to be upset once in a while.

Why? You don't promise a party and then don't come through. If you don't want to do the work or pay for it, then why do you care what others do? The kids really enjoy the parties so I'm happy to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our elementary in Bethesda we were asked to donate $20-25 per child at the beginning of the year. We ended up getting around $400. We sent a few emails to collect funds in the first month of school and offered paypal and venmo as payment options.

We spent $75 on the Halloween party and have budgeted $60 each for the Valentine's day and end of year parties. Plus spent $100 on the class holiday gift and will spend another $100 on teacher appreciation week.

The food at the halloween party was fruit, juice, water, popcorn/pretzels and mini cupcakes. We had games, decorations and prizes.

I'm detailing all of this to say that even at a school of upper middle class families, there is not a huge budget for these events and we're definitely not ordering pizza.

Its how you choose to spend the money. You could easily do pizza and a desert on $75. I don't get where the $75 went if you only had fruit, juice, water, popcorn/pretzels and mini cupcakes. You don't need juice. You can easily do pizza, desert, bottled water (or none if kids have water bottles), and fruit for $75.

Did you see the games, decorations and prizes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, that’s not what we said at all. Just do a signup genius! No need to demand cash from parents ever. We have great fun parties with just sign up genius and room mom doesn’t need to go broke.

And if parents do not sign up for SignUp Genius, you can send out an email saying that the party will get cancelled due to lack of participation. I think this is a better way to engage parents.

This is a good solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, that’s not what we said at all. Just do a signup genius! No need to demand cash from parents ever. We have great fun parties with just sign up genius and room mom doesn’t need to go broke.

And if parents do not sign up for SignUp Genius, you can send out an email saying that the party will get cancelled due to lack of participation. I think this is a better way to engage parents.

That doesn't work. And, our teacher tried that and my child came home really upset. We were happy to donate what ever was needed and did. Problem solved. You don't do that to kids. If no one signs up, room parent can do cupcakes or cookies and bottled water. Or, they can do more. We've done it a variety of ways. Usually you can get 4-5 parents to sign up for the absolute basics and the room parent fills in.

Pfft. Its ok for the snowflakes to be upset once in a while.

Why? You don't promise a party and then don't come through. If you don't want to do the work or pay for it, then why do you care what others do? The kids really enjoy the parties so I'm happy to do it.

Oh its perfectly fine that everyone came through with it. But do not blame the teacher for planning to cancel it if you had not.

[Anonymous]

OP, I get your frustration. (I'm a previous poster room parent)
I'm a room parent this year because no one else volunteered. It is a pretty thankless job. I do it for my kid but I'm not super motivated to do it again next year.

[Anonymous]

OP, first off your heart was in the right place volunteering for the job. That said, you have to budget. If you cannot afford a Pizza party, don't have one. Our class had one after lunch like someone else noted and it was a waste of money. If you can only afford a little party food, ask for donations of food. Occasionally, I found some of the donations of food came from people who didn't give money.

[Anonymous]

Some states specify that parties may only be at the end of the day, and they set a time limit.

IMO, 1 hour at the END of the day is plenty. No pizza, no cake, just fruit, water and a snack. No streamers or other unnecessary decorations. Favors are non-food: holiday theme pencils and erasers, plastic bracelets, etc. Crafts are incorporated into learning time (if there’s an educational tie-in), not done during a party which may not have enough adults to supervise/help/clean up. 1-2 games and the food takes up the party time, then it’s time to clean up and go. Perfection!

Even for 100 day, the kids are doing activities focusing on 100 in different ways, they’re still learning (or at least practicing) for most of the day. The party is only at the end.

[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.

They did it all the time when I was a kid. The excess money goes toward teacher supplies. You make it clear, if they cannot afford, just let the room parent know and it will be anonymous. Your kid gets free food. Heck often parents gave extra and said, buy pizza for those who cannot afford. You'd be surprised. Suddenly those parents who give nothing and can afford plenty remember to pay $5 so their kid can get pizza.

Regardless, no reason to have pizza at parties anyway. As a room parent, if a teacher told me to get it, I would simply say we don't have enough in the budget because we just got contributions from 60%. (I would neve rsay who didn't contribute). I certainly would not blow a budget for pizza.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because my kids have food allergies and can't eat the party food.

Because I generally think class parties are completely useless and a waste of time.

I don't recall having class parties as a kid (other than Valentine's boxes) and have no idea why every tiny thing has to be celebrated with a party and food.

+1

We each brought in a tissue box to decorate as our Valentine mailbox over the course of week before the party. The party consisted of “delivering” the Valentines you brought, then opening and reading the ones you got. Oh, and using the temporary tattoos and stickers while eating any accompanying candy.

Christmas was a secret Santa exchange. The party started with everyone writing one last note to their person to go with the ONE gift (under $5!), then finding their person and giving them the gift and note. After 2-3 weeks of sending notes and trying to figure out who was sending us notes, it was great. Pictures in k, instead of notes.

Nothing for Thanksgiving. Halloween was dressing all day (Friday) in the costume, then going trick or treating that night. No other parties that I remember.

Birthdays were 5 minutes at the end of the day. Pass out a cupcake, sing Happy Birthday, go home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be fine with no class parties.

I'd contribute. I wouldn't want to be one who didn't contribute
But most of the parties/extras that Room Moms think are so important, aren't.

No, our school mandates it and no one volunteers because of how stingy the other families are and then some of us get recruited after saying no.

Please! Tell us which school mandates parties? I’d love to discuss the rationale with the principal. Or just if you’re saying that they mandate a room parent or yearly fund for the classroom, I’m equally interested. None of those are legal You can’t force a parent to volunteer. You can’t force a parent to pay for extras at school. And you can’t force a school to have x number of parties per year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was often the room parent when my kids were in lower grades and I used to send out emails at the beginning of the year detailing what activities, parties, food, teacher's gift we would have for the entire year. I met with the teacher to draw out the plans (usually duplicating what was done in the previous years), and send an email and a signup genius link to all parents. An email was sent every week for the first 6 weeks, listing the names of all the people who had contributed. Within the first couple of weeks, all parents used to sent in their fixed $ contribution. We usually had a set number of celebrations, some activities and holiday teacher's gift. We relied on some parents to make a costco run for the parties.

I did not want to run after people to get money from them, so I made sure that all the funds were collected during the first few weeks of school. I sent emails every week for the first few weeks listing the names of people who contributed and those who still had to. It was easy to write the reminder emails at the beginning of the year.

OP, being a room parent is a responsibility not a popularity contest. You need to be blunt and make sure that everyone contributes at least a minimum agreed upon amount. If people want to contribute more it is up to them, but the fixed amount contribution is mandatory.

Nope. Any parent can opt out of contributing, because it’s not a legal responsibility. But since the party is held in the classroom during school hours, you can’t exclude the child. Plan according to what you get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe some families are struggling and don’t feel it’s prudent to contribute to such non-essential nonsense. You do you.

Our school dictates the parties. I don’t care if you donate but yes, we see your the biggest house in the neighborhood and drive the fanciest new car and then scream poverty over donating some napkins from dollar tree. Your kids will have fun and be treated the same either way.

Your school tells you that there needs to be a party, or that it needs to have pizza and fancy napkins?

And is it the school or the PTA?

School dictates it. Dollar tree is fancy? A few $5 pizzas is fancy.

27 $5 pizzas to be precise.

Most schools have free paper towels that work just fine to put a cupcake on. So yes. Judging a parent because they won’t make a special run to a special store is absurd. I am happy to have my kid eat off the school paper towels. I am happy to send you 30 napkins from the stack in my kitchen. If you are not happy to have those napkins in your pictures then please purchase them yourself.

I am a parent who contributes to the school. My kid’s teacher know that. I don’t need PTA mom to validate me.

If you don't want to give or have your child participate you can opt out. Most people grocery shop once a week. Is it really that hard or send in a few dollars? Our PTA has nothing to do with classroom parties. We don't always have basics at our school like paper towels or soap.

Holy hell, your priorities are off! Don’t solicits donations for extras, look to the basics!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the room parent at a public school. I end up paying for most of the food for kids' parties. We don't get pizza for parties, but it takes a lot of effort to put together a table of healthy food for these parties.

Before the holidays, I asked parents to vote to decide if they wanted to have a group class gift, then 1/2 backed out at the last minute, so I end up fronting 100s of dollars for that (instead of the 20 per family).

I have a serious illness and I lost my job this year (I have a temporary, lower paying one now). I still did the right thing.

I have no sympathy for the shirkers who don't even give a thought to the burden they're placing on a VOLUNTEER who is trying to make sure things are nice for all their kids and the teacher who takes care of them 8 hours a day.

Do better shirkers.

Group gift should have been whatever was donated, no making up money. Given the shutdown/build up? I understand totally.