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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Going back to the original question, however: is only 55% of the class donates, yet they all consume, how is this fair? Pizza or cupcakes, whatever the budget... if your child is benefiting from the class funds and you don't contribute, is that fair? Put financial hardship aside. We all understand that. But I doubt half the class in OP's case is under that circumstance.

Its fair because any decent parent will treat other kids the same as their own. If a child's parent cannot afford it, to me its a non-issue. If a parent is just selfish, then its a different issue but again, you treat the kid the same as its not their fault they have lazy or selfish or what ever parents. You make what you have work and as a room parent you know this and plan to chip in more if you have to. We don't collect class funds. We ask for donations. Sometimes we get lots of donations, including pizza and cupcakes, sometimes at best we get plates and napkins and maybe a food item or two and then those parents forget it at home. I always bring extra knowing this will happen. I always plan to pay for the party fully myself so its a bonus if anyone donates. We aren't high income but if you plan/shop well you can do it very affordably and make the party seem much better than it really is. I'm sure people think I spend hundreds when I don't. These are children, not adults and not everyone has parents who are willing to do anything extra as their lives revolve around their needs and the kids needs come second, let alone for something else which they know someone else will pick up on the slack, so they never worry about it (though they are usually the ones who grumble about the parties which is pretty funny if they don't contribute or attend).

I don't agree with collecting money up front. It should be $5-6 per party max and let parents buy their own presents at holiday time. Its best to ask for donations of stuff as more people will donate stuff than money. Or, you can do both and say donate stuff or money but I don't like the donate money as I know we've had the experience the room parent kept the money and never spent a dime, just using the donations. I also think the school should have accountability if someone is collecting money and the room parent should have to provide receipts if it is collected money. Usually, not always (not our classroom this year) there are a few generous parents who come through with the bigger things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This room parent stuff is ridiculous. Seriously, kids will survive without school parties.

You sound pretty selfish to deny kids a few parties a year. Is it that hard to donate something under $5 or send a few dollars in to contribute? And, if you don't want to contribute, then why do you even care as the rest of the parents or some of us will gladly pay for it so your child can enjoy along with ours.

[Anonymous]

I am so glad we didn’t have room parents this year at school. For the party the teacher sent a link to a sign up sheet. For the winter party they ate cheese, clementines, apple slices, sausage slices and baby carrots. I signed up to bring clementines. They decorated gingerbread houses so everyone was assigned one item to bring in. We had to bring two cans of frosting. Super easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so glad we didn’t have room parents this year at school. For the party the teacher sent a link to a sign up sheet. For the winter party they ate cheese, clementines, apple slices, sausage slices and baby carrots. I signed up to bring clementines. They decorated gingerbread houses so everyone was assigned one item to bring in. We had to bring two cans of frosting. Super easy.

That's probably because no one volunteered or was willing to do it. Sausage slices...that's not a party.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Going back to the original question, however: is only 55% of the class donates, yet they all consume, how is this fair? Pizza or cupcakes, whatever the budget... if your child is benefiting from the class funds and you don't contribute, is that fair? Put financial hardship aside. We all understand that. But I doubt half the class in OP's case is under that circumstance.

I don't see it as unfair necessarily. Some parents care about these parties, others don't. Some would really prefer not to have these parties and the junk that comes with it. But the agnostic or anti parents aren't necessarily able to leave work and pick up their kids to avoid these parties. So the kids are there, but the parents really have no interest in supporting these endeavors. It's a public school so I don't think there really should be a tax on an unwilling parent just for his kid to stay in school for the full normal day.

Plus, at the end of the day I just don't care enough one way or another to get bent out of shape as to whether some family is freeloading a cupcake or two.

[Anonymous]

Thank goodness my kids go to good schools. You cheapskates are party poopers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so glad we didn’t have room parents this year at school. For the party the teacher sent a link to a sign up sheet. For the winter party they ate cheese, clementines, apple slices, sausage slices and baby carrots. I signed up to bring clementines. They decorated gingerbread houses so everyone was assigned one item to bring in. We had to bring two cans of frosting. Super easy.

That's probably because no one volunteered or was willing to do it. Sausage slices...that's not a party.

Gingerbread houses is a party, with or without sausage slices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so glad we didn’t have room parents this year at school. For the party the teacher sent a link to a sign up sheet. For the winter party they ate cheese, clementines, apple slices, sausage slices and baby carrots. I signed up to bring clementines. They decorated gingerbread houses so everyone was assigned one item to bring in. We had to bring two cans of frosting. Super easy.

That's probably because no one volunteered or was willing to do it. Sausage slices...that's not a party.

Gingerbread houses is a party, with or without sausage slices.

That's a craft/activity for a party and I wouldn't want my child making one as to me that's religious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you spend significantly more on pizza at multiple parties than you do for the teacher gift? That just seems wrong. Maybe stop serving pizza at parties and just give a treat instead. Maybe parents don't like the idea of paying for pizza multiple times a year.

This is why many parents don’t contribute. It’s just a waste of funds. Cheap and oily pizza for my kids? No, thank you. Gifts for a teacher who was bitching from the beginning of the year? It doesn’t make sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so glad we didn’t have room parents this year at school. For the party the teacher sent a link to a sign up sheet. For the winter party they ate cheese, clementines, apple slices, sausage slices and baby carrots. I signed up to bring clementines. They decorated gingerbread houses so everyone was assigned one item to bring in. We had to bring two cans of frosting. Super easy.

That's probably because no one volunteered or was willing to do it. Sausage slices...that's not a party.

*laugh out loud*

[Anonymous]

All my kid cares about, party wise, is a 30 minute to an hour long distraction from school. He likes when there is a snack and a few games to play but it is the break in routine that is nice. He really likes it when I can be there to help, so I try and find a way to be there.

I suppose a pizza party with cupcakes and the like would be seen as awesome, because he is 6. But he is cool with whatever happens because it means he is not doing math or english or social studies.

It is great that there are some parents who are so into the school party that they want to make everything epic. I’ll chip in a few bucks if you ask for money or bring in the juice boxes I sign up for but I am not chipping in enough for pizza an cupcakes and games with prizes.

As for teacher gifts, we donate $25 a teacher for the Holidays and teacher appreciation day. We have not had a bad teacher yet and I am more then well aware of how much the teachers provide for the classroom. I like it that the room parents get one large gift card for the teachers and I hope that they use some of that money on themselves. I bring in what ever supplies that they ask for and the occassional snack booster for them. We buy books through Scholastic because little man loves to read and the money, at least some of it, makes its way back into the classroom.

If yu want to go all out, go for it. My kid will love it but be prepared to do a lot of it solo because most parents don’t see it as necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so glad we didn’t have room parents this year at school. For the party the teacher sent a link to a sign up sheet. For the winter party they ate cheese, clementines, apple slices, sausage slices and baby carrots. I signed up to bring clementines. They decorated gingerbread houses so everyone was assigned one item to bring in. We had to bring two cans of frosting. Super easy.

That's probably because no one volunteered or was willing to do it. Sausage slices...that's not a party.

Gingerbread houses is a party, with or without sausage slices.

Nope, no option was ever given for a sign up. The whole school district went pretty extreme this year though and only fruit, vegetables, cheese and meat are allowed as snacks inside the classroom (not counting lunchroom) so that policy goes for parties as well.

[Anonymous]

How much money did you ask for upfront at the beginning of the school year OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so glad we didn’t have room parents this year at school. For the party the teacher sent a link to a sign up sheet. For the winter party they ate cheese, clementines, apple slices, sausage slices and baby carrots. I signed up to bring clementines. They decorated gingerbread houses so everyone was assigned one item to bring in. We had to bring two cans of frosting. Super easy.

That's probably because no one volunteered or was willing to do it. Sausage slices...that's not a party.

Gingerbread houses is a party, with or without sausage slices.

Nope, no option was ever given for a sign up. The whole school district went pretty extreme this year though and only fruit, vegetables, cheese and meat are allowed as snacks inside the classroom (not counting lunchroom) so that policy goes for parties as well.

That's bizarre to only allow that as snacks. Most classrooms don't allow snacks but this year ours does but they don't do it about 1/2 the time so I'd be pissed to send in refrigerator food that doesn't get eaten/needs tossed vs. shelf stable stuff that can be eaten the next day. At that point, forget the food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much money did you ask for upfront at the beginning of the school year OP?

It sounds like a decent amount if she's spending a few hundred for 1-2 parties and a gift. Either way, she mismanaged the budget and that's the bigger issue. I cannot even figure out how she can spend that on pizza when the 3 big chains all have pizzas for $6 and you only need 4-5 pizzas, maybe 6 if you include adults and siblings.