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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

So, then what is the excuse not to donate when you aren't paying for pizza and you just have to donate fruit, plates, napkins, etc? If you don't want to donate, don't but don't use pizza as an excuse. Every time we've had pizza, 1-2 parents volunteer/offer so everyone isn't paying.

[Anonymous]

If you knew in the beginning that you collected XX dollars, budget accordingly. You can even give a small run down to the class. Thank-you for your class contributions of $150 this year. I will reserve $50 for 2 teacher gifts. December and June. The rest will be spent on snacks and crafts for Halloween and Valentines Day. Additional funds will enhance these events. Clearly $50 a party is $2 a kid...1 cupcake, a juice box, some stickers and a heart.

[Anonymous]

OP, I have been a room parent more than once and have planned many school parties.

1. Why are you spending more than has been collected? Every time I have been involved in class parties, money has been collected at the beginning of the year and split between the number of parties.

2. Why are you serving pizza at every party? All of our elementary parties have happened around 2 pm, when no kids are hungry for a second lunch. This year, my oldest has lunch so late the kids are just coming back from lunch when it is time for class parties.

3. Why is the teacher gift coming from the same pool as the class parties? I have never heard of this. It's either a separate collection or parents give their own gifts.

4. Not everyone has the means to contribute to parties, either financially or time wise. And not everyone wants there to be a party. You plan with what you've got. There are tons of low or no cost party ideas on Pinterest.

[Anonymous]

DC parent here - where the heck are all of your kids going to school that you have elaborate parties like these? It sounds like you're throwing birthday-party-esque events several times a year in an elementary classroom, and I'm wondering what in the world for?

I agree with others that expectations need adjustment rather than funding needing to be increased.

Your own expectations sound WAY more elaborate than what is actually necessary for a fun and memorable celebration with school friends. Save yourself the money, time, and grief and pare things down by at least 75%.

My kid's class doesn't do parties at all (from the sounds of it this is not an option for what you have in mind, but stay with me for a minute). What my 1st grader came home raving about, was on the last day before winter break they got to watch a movie in class AND they were served hot chocolate! With two marshmallows each!! (FWIW the child gets plenty of hot chocolate, parties, etc. outside of school - it just really blew her away to have such a nice treat, and the kids really appreciated the surprise.)

I bet it cost $10 tops to do that, and the kids (plenty of them are plenty privileged) were over the moon. You don't need to temporarily turn their classroom into Chuck E Cheese to make them happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have been a room parent more than once and have planned many school parties.

1. Why are you spending more than has been collected? Every time I have been involved in class parties, money has been collected at the beginning of the year and split between the number of parties.

2. Why are you serving pizza at every party? All of our elementary parties have happened around 2 pm, when no kids are hungry for a second lunch. This year, my oldest has lunch so late the kids are just coming back from lunch when it is time for class parties.

3. Why is the teacher gift coming from the same pool as the class parties? I have never heard of this. It's either a separate collection or parents give their own gifts.

4. Not everyone has the means to contribute to parties, either financially or time wise. And not everyone wants there to be a party. You plan with what you've got. There are tons of low or no cost party ideas on Pinterest.

Several of the kids at our school/class eat directly when they get home after school as they have evening activities. Its pretty common.

Bottomline is OP misused the money and now its an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC parent here - where the heck are all of your kids going to school that you have elaborate parties like these? It sounds like you're throwing birthday-party-esque events several times a year in an elementary classroom, and I'm wondering what in the world for?

I agree with others that expectations need adjustment rather than funding needing to be increased.

Your own expectations sound WAY more elaborate than what is actually necessary for a fun and memorable celebration with school friends. Save yourself the money, time, and grief and pare things down by at least 75%.

My kid's class doesn't do parties at all (from the sounds of it this is not an option for what you have in mind, but stay with me for a minute). What my 1st grader came home raving about, was on the last day before winter break they got to watch a movie in class AND they were served hot chocolate! With two marshmallows each!! (FWIW the child gets plenty of hot chocolate, parties, etc. outside of school - it just really blew her away to have such a nice treat, and the kids really appreciated the surprise.)

I bet it cost $10 tops to do that, and the kids (plenty of them are plenty privileged) were over the moon. You don't need to temporarily turn their classroom into Chuck E Cheese to make them happy.

How is it elaborate to have food at a party? It doesn't cost $10 a kid to have pizza and cupcakes. I'm sure people think mine are elaborate when I don't even spend 1/4 of what people think I do.

More than likely the teacher did the party as she didn't feel like teaching if it was hot chocolate.

[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.

The $75 also included the items in in bold plus paper goods.

[Anonymous]

Haven't read all the pages and barely volunteer, but always make sure to give any funds asked for.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think kids need all these parties and crafts. Can’t the kids just go to school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC parent here - where the heck are all of your kids going to school that you have elaborate parties like these? It sounds like you're throwing birthday-party-esque events several times a year in an elementary classroom, and I'm wondering what in the world for?

I agree with others that expectations need adjustment rather than funding needing to be increased.

Your own expectations sound WAY more elaborate than what is actually necessary for a fun and memorable celebration with school friends. Save yourself the money, time, and grief and pare things down by at least 75%.

My kid's class doesn't do parties at all (from the sounds of it this is not an option for what you have in mind, but stay with me for a minute). What my 1st grader came home raving about, was on the last day before winter break they got to watch a movie in class AND they were served hot chocolate! With two marshmallows each!! (FWIW the child gets plenty of hot chocolate, parties, etc. outside of school - it just really blew her away to have such a nice treat, and the kids really appreciated the surprise.)

I bet it cost $10 tops to do that, and the kids (plenty of them are plenty privileged) were over the moon. You don't need to temporarily turn their classroom into Chuck E Cheese to make them happy.

How is it elaborate to have food at a party? It doesn't cost $10 a kid to have pizza and cupcakes. I'm sure people think mine are elaborate when I don't even spend 1/4 of what people think I do.

More than likely the teacher did the party as she didn't feel like teaching if it was hot chocolate.

But why do they need pizza and cupcakes at school? I'm genuinely interested in what is being celebrated.

[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.

That’s your opinion. I’d rather go to this party than one with domino’s pizza.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC parent here - where the heck are all of your kids going to school that you have elaborate parties like these? It sounds like you're throwing birthday-party-esque events several times a year in an elementary classroom, and I'm wondering what in the world for?

I agree with others that expectations need adjustment rather than funding needing to be increased.

Your own expectations sound WAY more elaborate than what is actually necessary for a fun and memorable celebration with school friends. Save yourself the money, time, and grief and pare things down by at least 75%.

My kid's class doesn't do parties at all (from the sounds of it this is not an option for what you have in mind, but stay with me for a minute). What my 1st grader came home raving about, was on the last day before winter break they got to watch a movie in class AND they were served hot chocolate! With two marshmallows each!! (FWIW the child gets plenty of hot chocolate, parties, etc. outside of school - it just really blew her away to have such a nice treat, and the kids really appreciated the surprise.)

I bet it cost $10 tops to do that, and the kids (plenty of them are plenty privileged) were over the moon. You don't need to temporarily turn their classroom into Chuck E Cheese to make them happy.

How is it elaborate to have food at a party? It doesn't cost $10 a kid to have pizza and cupcakes. I'm sure people think mine are elaborate when I don't even spend 1/4 of what people think I do.

More than likely the teacher did the party as she didn't feel like teaching if it was hot chocolate.

But why do they need pizza and cupcakes at school? I'm genuinely interested in what is being celebrated.

+1. And what's with the junk food? I would not donate for that even though could def. afford it. Teacher gift is also weird to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC parent here - where the heck are all of your kids going to school that you have elaborate parties like these? It sounds like you're throwing birthday-party-esque events several times a year in an elementary classroom, and I'm wondering what in the world for?

I agree with others that expectations need adjustment rather than funding needing to be increased.

Your own expectations sound WAY more elaborate than what is actually necessary for a fun and memorable celebration with school friends. Save yourself the money, time, and grief and pare things down by at least 75%.

My kid's class doesn't do parties at all (from the sounds of it this is not an option for what you have in mind, but stay with me for a minute). What my 1st grader came home raving about, was on the last day before winter break they got to watch a movie in class AND they were served hot chocolate! With two marshmallows each!! (FWIW the child gets plenty of hot chocolate, parties, etc. outside of school - it just really blew her away to have such a nice treat, and the kids really appreciated the surprise.)

I bet it cost $10 tops to do that, and the kids (plenty of them are plenty privileged) were over the moon. You don't need to temporarily turn their classroom into Chuck E Cheese to make them happy.

How is it elaborate to have food at a party? It doesn't cost $10 a kid to have pizza and cupcakes. I'm sure people think mine are elaborate when I don't even spend 1/4 of what people think I do.

More than likely the teacher did the party as she didn't feel like teaching if it was hot chocolate.

But why do they need pizza and cupcakes at school? I'm genuinely interested in what is being celebrated.

+1. And what's with the junk food? I would not donate for that even though could def. afford it. Teacher gift is also weird to me.

So, you never feed your kids cake, cookies, soda, fast food? I highly doubt it. I don't consider pizza junk food. We don't eat it often nor do we eat a lot of deserts or junk food, so I don't see whats the issue having it at school a few times a year. Far more healthy than the school lunches they serve too.

[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.

That’s your opinion. I’d rather go to this party than one with domino’s pizza.

And, that's your opinion. I doubt your kids would agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The $75 also included the items in in bold plus paper goods.

How much do paper goods cost? A few dollars. You only need plates, napkins and silverware (not even silverware depending on what you serve). I'm not getting these high costs beyond people don't know how to budget/shop.