🚀 go-pugleaf

>From: alh51235@aol.com 

>
>Jordan has been in school a total of 11 days (this includes 2 half days) and
>I
>can not get over the amount of money that is asked to be spent already. I
>understand the purposes of fundraising and I really do support it, but good
>grief!! Just about every day there is something in her communications folder
>to
>buy...or a request to join something...not only are you putting out money for
>the normal stuff such as school clothes, supplies, snacks and lunch
>money...there is the Scholastic Book Club, Spirit Orders (Clothing with
>school
>logo), Market Day Fundraiser (food/snacks), Pizza Kit Fundraiser, Home &
>School
>League membership fee, candle fundraiser, cookie dough fundraiser.....and of
>course Picture day is coming. I think there was something else, but I can't
>think of it right now. 
>
>I can't stand to not order when I DO know that all the money goes to buying
>school equipment, supplies, etc....but I think it's getting a bit ridiculous,
>considering it's only 11 days into the school year. Is this normal in your
>schools? I didn't know that I was going to have to take out a 2nd mortgage to
>fund our Kindergarten experience. LMAO  And I bet it only gets worse, huh?
>

ANDREA!  Not ALL of that money goes to school supplies, equipment, etc.  If
they are doing a fundraiser where they are required to sell items that are then
supplied by another company, the usual take by the school is only 50%.  So if
Jordan raises $100, the school only gets $50.  So if she is bringing home
catalogs and order forms for candy, ornaments, jewelry....chances are the
school does not get much of the "profit" and a word of caution....that stuff is
crap!  6 oz of chocolate mint patties is literally 6 little tiny circles of
nasty tasting chocolate!  LOL  The "jewelry" always tarnishes within a few
hours and turns your skin green. =(  The lovely "gift items" are what you could
easily buy at the local dollar store.....for only a dollar instead of
$14.00...lol.  As you can tell I have dealt with many fundraisers in the last
10 years. My advice is this.....buy one item.  Don't try to compete for the big
prizes they offer to the kids.  There will always be that ONE kid who gets it
every year.  Stress the fact that fundraising is doing a good thing, not trying
to get a prize (they really shove the prizes down the kids' throats at school
and get them all wound up).  Now about the book club.  Find out who get the
"points" earned by the book sales.  Is it the teacher, the class or the parent
who has "volunteered" to be in charge of book orders.  Scholastic is a great
way to get inexpensive books on a regular basis, but if the bonuses don't go to
the class, then it's really not fair for you to spend money for some other
parent to gain the bonus.  Most of the years my girls were in elem school the
bonus items/points were going to the class room.  So if 10 books were ordered
then scholastic would give 10 book points to the class so they could get more
books for the class (not just individual students).  It was a great deal for
all involved because the whole class could benefit.  One year one of the moms
decided since she was doing the whole second grade and not just her daughter's
class that she should keep the bonus points for herself and ordered items for
HER CHILD and kept them!  Since there were 4 classes ordering she was hauling
in the bonus items by the box! Halfway through the year she bragged about all
the great stuff she was getting from the book orders.  Another gal got pissed
and did some snooping and one of the teacher's admitted the mom was keeping the
bonuses for herself, but since the school can't sanction any sales like that it
was up to the parent to decide what to do with the bonuses.  This was the first
time a parent got greedy and kept the stuff for herself.  Well.....this mom
(theone who got mad) decided to notify all the other parents she knew what was
going on and from that day on, NO ONE ordered again.  It nearly ended book
sales at our school because of one mom getting greedy.  So...just be aware that
sometimes some of these things are not as good as they seem.  Don't break the
bank every month and if you prefer to avoid the fundraiser trap ask the PTA if
you can simply make a direct donation to the PTA fund so that half you money
does not get eaten up by a 3rd party.  This is what I have been doing for a
couple of years and it works out great because I know exactly where the money
went.  Good luck!!!