School field trips were free, or there was a minimal charge of a couple of dollars for the school bus to get us where we were going. Everyone brought a brown bag lunch and we ate in the nearest park.

Dd comes home from school today with a permission slip and request for $75.
Breakfast at the Hard Rock Cafe
The field trip itself: not a concert, but practice session with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Lunch at The Varsity :: What'll ya have! The world's largest drive in.
And then a couple of hours at Atlanta's World of Coke.
12 hour day.

Just do not ask me to be a chaperone with a bunch of 12 & 13 yo know it all's.

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Christmas & New Years Aboard the Queen Mary 2

yikes
sounds pricey
are the kids doing any kind of fund raising?
when is the trip?
hope that there is a few weeks notice for those that need to save $ in order to pay for the trip.

are there provisions in place for those that cannot afford?

sounds like a fun time nonetheless

i too remember the field trips that you spoke about.
bagged lunch, school bus to "drumlin farm or science museum or roller skating or to harvard university's museum with the gorgeous glass flowers and shrunken heads"

times have certainly changed haven't they?
andrea

Not having any kids of my own, I am always amazed when I hear tales like this, $75.00!!!, amazing how times change.

Bora Bora

Jes, 75.00, you gotta be kidding.....That would not float to well here.....
Sounds like fun, no chaperoning for that one IMOP....Besides, my kids would say," please don't come mom".....
Now, the next question...spending money???

Another one....class rings...Kate had to order last year for her jr. year ring ceremony at school. in nov.....my days class rings were maybe 100.00 Hers is 400.00, 10K no less...School is no cheap place these days.....

Cindyo
View of Rennaissance Island
Daughters dining at El Gaucho

Next Aruba trip in

yup big bux for class rings
kevin's high school ring was priced the same as kate's and it has not been on his finger since summer 2004

the college ring was even more costly and i think he has rarely worn that too

the kids owes me big time

The good news is that the trip is not until March. Dh wrote out the check last night and now I will be spending the next 7 months listening to him complaining that the check has not been cashed.

It just goes on and on. For required school supplies and such, the teachers ask for "extra donations" of items to hand out to the kids whose parents are unable to afford these "luxuries". When I was a kid my parents did not have to supply my basic classroom supplies, now it is "expected".

For field trips, if the parents are unable to pay, it is clearly stated that the field trip is not "required" and does not reflect on their grade etc.

Parents, besides the other stuff, are also hit up for tissues, paper towels, wipes etc. Science teacher also asked yesterday for a $5 donation for class supplies.

Fund raisers?
One for band which goes towards musical instruments. We haven't figured that one out yet. Each child in order to participate in the band, is required to rent their own instrument. Another $75 a month to us. Extra instruments for the band room? Dh and I think the teacher must be collecting them.

General school fundraisers, of which there is usually two, go to the PTA. PTA in turn buys "stuff" for the school. Books for the library, equipment, in elementary school a lot of money goes towards playgrounds and equipment. Two weeks after school started, dd has already come home with the first school fundraiser- selling magazines. Liked the wrapping paper they did last year better, but still better than the band cheesecake sale of which we still have 2 in our freezer.

FWIW, dh buys his own paper by the case at Office Max to photocopy worksheets for his students. School supplies one box per classroom per year. He supplies his own tissues and paper towels (we buy them in bulk at Costco). OTH, for pencils, if a kid wants to borrow one, the students must use a shoe as collateral. At first I thought it was silly, but then when I thought about it, the kids are never prepared for class and never gave the pencils back...

Oh looking forward so much to those class rings. <<NOT>> We already do the "year book" thing every year. This year, if I have my way , it will come out of dd's allowance. I didn't have a year book until my senior year. 6th - 11th grade year books are just a money makers and silly imo.

Stepping off my soap box now, thank you for reading.

Aruba Bound! ~ Hoosier Kitties ~ Our-Cruises ~ Blogging to Aruba
Back to paradise Trip #18
Christmas & New Years Aboard the Queen Mary 2

i love the "shoe as collateral" idea.
what a great idea.

andrea

I laughed myself silly when he told me. BUT the kids not only respect him, but they like him and the parents love him. He is not a babysitter and the kids actually "have to" work.

Special ed students parents have mandatory meetings with teachers unlike "regular" students so there is a lof of interaction between the parent and teachers. Wish the same was true for regular students. But email, when the teacher responds is better than nothing.

Aruba Bound! ~ Hoosier Kitties ~ Our-Cruises ~ Blogging to Aruba
Back to paradise Trip #18
Christmas & New Years Aboard the Queen Mary 2