I don't know if this will help any but here it goes...we are having and end of the year sock hop. If you know someone with a laptop or heck even a small stereo with a variety of CD's. We are going the laptop route and hooking it into the speakers in the gym. We'll have a small concession stand ,someone suggested to have parents donate the food by class(i.e. 1st grade bring hot dogs, 2nd grade buns, 3rd grad drink, etc.) The grade that donates the most gets a pizza party or what have you. You can charge something like .50/child .75/adults. Just a thought. Hang in there I know exactly what you're going through.
you are a smart woman. a sick parent cant take care of kids and family. look first after your health and forget about those people/things that work against it.
Hey raising stars, Believe me our principal knows whats going on and it will probably keep going on. I gave up going to the office and trying to get the principal to go towards ideas that are different than what is wanted. We turn in fund raising requests and maybe 1 will come back because the others disappear. The school will do a fundraiser to pay for the field trips but the parents and their children still have to pay to go. We turned in a paper to do a donation letter and somebody else in the school is doing it, we never heard anything about the paper we turned in. The parents have noticed that things we ask for we don't get but the school ends up with it. The executive board has just decided to stop trying to fight it and just concentrate on workshops for parents. We also decided that we will not run again for office. I agree that it is all about the children which is the only reason I came on board. But I'm tired and my blood pressure is high enough that I've been put on medication. I respect everyone out there who keeps on going fighting the good fight. I have already started looking for other schools for my kids. I will always be a concerned parent but I'm going to give myself a little time to get my health under control. Thanks everyone for your kind words of encouragement and for your wonderful ideas.
wow tryinghard..... that is not good at all, that your principal wants you all to "do something" but will not tell you what and will not let you do anything that you suggest. i also think that is not right that everytime you try to do a fundraiser they do one instead...does your principal not understand that you are all working for the same cause? THE CHILDREN!! our school only does one fundraiser a year and that is the major savor cards.. only because that one is done on the district level so they have no choice. other than that the PTA does all the fundraising. we also are responible for a lot. we pay for all the feild trips and buses for them and all the events that are done at the school, and all that.our principal is very understanding and helps us any way he can.
I think somehow your principal and school have got to see that the PTA is on their side, and working toward the same goals..a better future for the children... and stop acting like the PTA is their competion. if they want you to provide the "bouncy things" for the whole school they will simply have to allow you to have a fundraiser to pay for it, or if they dont want that then they have to accept one of your ideas for a low budget alterinative.
I wish you the best of luck with your sitution and hope that matters are resolved before they lose all hope of getting parents like yourself to be involved.
It sounds like you have a two fold problem:
1. Money - I have had pretty good success at asking area industries to donate money toward a goal. (we just had a carnival and raised 4700, after expenses) about half of this was due to a silent auction. We had each grade pick a theme and each student was asked to bring in something. The grade that raised the most money won a popcorn party. Most of the grades contributed so much that we put together 3-5 baskets. In addition we called local businesses & industries and asked for donations. It was great fun!
2. Your principal - I think I would visit with Administration (the school districts superintendant) and find out what the districts views and policies are. I see that you won't be there much longer, but someone has to be there to defend the kids and make things happen. It might as well be you! Stand up for your organization and stop having to ask permission for everything! Our principal/district has a few written policies, but the PTV is really in the hands of the parents.
Good luck!
mom of 4
