International trip for 5th graders?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:18 here. So some are eager to go, and have the funds to do so. Some are eager to go, but don't have the funds. And a not-insignificant group don't want anything to do with the trip.

The problem, as I see it, is that fund raising efforts will be focused on one or two parents in each grade in the "eager to go, don't have funds" group. The two other groups have no need for fund raising. So invariably, that person gets burned out. Also, with all the classes simultaneously fund raising, they can't all go to the same well -- parents get burned out of weekly bake sales, book sales, etc.

So I don't see the fund-raising working out, UNLESS someone has an in at a major corporation or other entity that has money to burn on this trip.

No. Our DC is going on the trip. We have the funds to pay for it, and we have helped with the fundraising. We believe that every child who wants to go should be able to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:18 here. So some are eager to go, and have the funds to do so. Some are eager to go, but don't have the funds. And a not-insignificant group don't want anything to do with the trip.

The problem, as I see it, is that fund raising efforts will be focused on one or two parents in each grade in the "eager to go, don't have funds" group. The two other groups have no need for fund raising. So invariably, that person gets burned out. Also, with all the classes simultaneously fund raising, they can't all go to the same well -- parents get burned out of weekly bake sales, book sales, etc.

So I don't see the fund-raising working out, UNLESS someone has an in at a major corporation or other entity that has money to burn on this trip.

Yeah, apparently you don't see it. Not correctly, anyway.

[Anonymous]

I'm not PP, but I agree with him/her. It is the is that way a lot of people see and it is common phenomenon called donor fatigue. It happens when your donor base is drained dry because you fail to expand fundraising to a broader base. Expansion is possible for this, but not easy. There aren't a lot of deep-pocketed donors out there who want to fund such poor cost-benefit proposition. There are other factors stacked against this fundraising including that the school is already Tier 1 and there are only 20% FARMS. These points matter greatly when applying for grants and sponsors because corporations will often target charitable giving to the neediest or the ones who have the biggest challenges to overcome. Couple that with the cost and consider that for the price of one child to go on the trip a similarly sized grant could purchase 300 books for the library, and you begin to get a glimpse of how grant managers think.

[Anonymous]

I'm a YY parent with a child in a younger grade. Don't really love the idea of the trip and probably won't let my DC go but that doesn't mean I am unwilling to support the fundraisers. Went to the Bazaar on Saturday, supported each grade, and had a lot of fun!

[Anonymous]

Almost all the fundraising I've seen has a "fun"/community component - they aren't just asking for money but there is an activity or other community-related event around it. Some of the events I have or would participate in are because I want to go to the event and meet other people/participate, etc. I have received many notices about fundraising (in addition to the China trip, there is the usual "regular" fundraising - annual campaign, scrip/receipt/Amazon, etc. I don't feel at all burdened or pressured to donate and in fact respect and am glad for all the efforts. Shows that the parents, PTA, as well as administration are trying their best to improve the school.

[Anonymous]

Amen!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keep on cackling, you hens.

Keep on howling, you hound.

Please. I don't have a dog in this bitch fight, don't have a kid at YY, and wouldn't after seeing this forum pop up over. And over. And over. Ridiculous. Maybe the school should shut you all down. You're not exactly doing them any favors in the reputation department.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keep on cackling, you hens.

Keep on howling, you hound.

Please. I don't have a dog in this bitch fight, don't have a kid at YY, and wouldn't after seeing this forum pop up over. And over. And over. Ridiculous. Maybe the school should shut you all down. You're not exactly doing them any favors in the reputation department.

Is anyone forcing you to open this thread? You have no connection to YY but feel the need to give your 2 cents over and over and over... Demented.

[Anonymous]

They have a bad enough reputation but somehow feel obligated to keep it up. Nice job, YY.

[Anonymous]

So just to be sure after 33 pages -- please tell us how you **really** feel about a trip to China for 5th graders?
Happy thanksgiving weekend everyone!

[Anonymous]

One family in this class left YY partially because of this trip. They have the means to fund the trip for the entire class if they were treated better at YY. In fact, they had given so much money and in-kind gifts to YY. YY doesn't seem to know how to treat people right, including donors.

[Anonymous]

I think the point is that YY treats everybody the same... they are trying to do their best for the school, all the kids. Some decisions will not make certain people happy but it is impossible to get hundreds of families to agree. Even in my family, my husband and I sometimes disagree as to best approach.

[Anonymous]

Why would they leave if they had put so much into YY?

Anonymous wrote:One family in this class left YY partially because of this trip. They have the means to fund the trip for the entire class if they were treated better at YY. In fact, they had given so much money and in-kind gifts to YY. YY doesn't seem to know how to treat people right, including donors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One family in this class left YY partially because of this trip. They have the means to fund the trip for the entire class if they were treated better at YY. In fact, they had given so much money and in-kind gifts to YY. YY doesn't seem to know how to treat people right, including donors.

you are so full of malarkey!! why do people just make up out and out lies??? crazy!!

[Anonymous]

Yes some people leave each year but I doubt anyone has left due to the trip for the simple reason that no trip has happened yet.

That said, this trip is an incredible polarizing issue, involving all the parents, not just the 5th grade ones. Personally I wish the whole topic would go away, there's so many other things that need to be worked on. I don't care if the 5th graders go or don't go on a trip. Just please don't make a trip the be all and end all of the Yu Ying experience.