UrbanBaby

06.05.08, 15:31 PM General Topics
26 replies

PLEASE HELP me decide what to about this. DD's K class had a Field Day today. At picnic time, a few kids had no lunch bc teachers didn't bother to find out if any kids brought from home, just assumed either the parents preordered from the cafeteria or were bringing it with them. Teacher went back to class and got some but 2 kids STILL had no lunch. This is like 20 mins into the picnic now. Finally one kid starts crying and the teacher asks if she wants a PB sandwich from the cafeteria. At this point, the kid is distraught, lunch is over and I don't even know if the kid ever ended up eating or not. I feel like writing to the principal or maybe the kid's mom and letting tehn know what went down, it was really horrible. Or do I just MMYOB. WWYD? [ Reply | Watch | Flag ]
General Topics 06.05.08, 03:31 PM Flag

Dear UrbanBaby community,

Thank you so much for being a valued member of the UrbanBaby community. We wanted to inform you that we are shutting down the site on July 6th. We are grateful for your participation and support that has helped make UrbanBaby such an important resource to parents for many years.

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Thanks so much,

UrbanBaby Support

I think it would be fine to mention your concerns to the principal. sounds like the event was mismanaged. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 03:33 PM Flag

What did you do at the time? Why didn't you volunteer to help the kid find food? I think it sucks, but maybe next year you can volunteer to help plan the day so this kind of thing doesn't happen again. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 03:41 PM Flag

I did, I offered the kid my dd's lunch since by the time the teacher got it from the room, she ate mine. But, the kid didn't like bagels and she was so upset already after sitting there and watching all the other kids eat for 20 mins, she wouldn't take it. There would be nothing I could do to make sure all kids have lunch, that is the teachers job when they get to school, not when everyone is sitting down for the picnic. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 03:50 PM Flag

is it a new teacher? i would imagine she learned her lesson from this as well. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 03:55 PM Flag

no, but in fairness it was a sub. he is a regular teacher in the school though, teaches gym and fills in whenever a teacher is out, all the time. the assistant was just as useless though, and she was the regular assistant [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:23 PM Flag

as a parent of a now 3rd grader, I can tell you that the kids who didn't have lunch today will, repetitively, be the ones dressed inappropriately or without lunch, etc. (And I am in private school). Cetain parents just don't read teh memos or the emails,etc. You can tell the class mom next year to make sure she reminds these parents, more than once, about activities etc. And you can always packa few extra things in dds lunch and tell her (and the teacher) "this is for sharing." You can tell the principal to let the teacher know it might be a good idea to always order 3 extra lunches from the caf for special days. But remember, this is THE PARENTS' JOB, not the teachers'. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:14 PM Flag

ITA with this. I'm a teacher (middle school) and whenever we have an event to which kids are invited to bring food, it's always the same kids who show up with nothing and feel terrible about it (and this isn't the kids with money issues). I always bring extra because I've BTDT too many times, but this is on the parents. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:17 PM Flag

^^Which isn't to say that it's not worth mentioning to the principal. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:17 PM Flag

hijack: how do you like teaching middle school? [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:21 PM Flag

I'm on leave now, but I don't love it. I'd rather be teaching high school (but there were more middle school jobs available) [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:25 PM Flag

I actually love that age-group. still kind of kids, really idealistic and passionate, and just starting to come into their own so to speak [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:28 PM Flag

I wouldn't describe any of my kids as idealistic, which is kind of the problem: they're very jaded and BTDT at age 14. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:31 PM Flag

I swear, I must live in la-la land. either that or we've just lucked out with dd and her school [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:35 PM Flag

OR: there is always one kid in dc's class dressed in uniform on dress down day, etc. etc. Parents are well-off, but frankly I've decided the mother is an alcoholic. And the kid always looks depressed. I feel so bad for the dc....luckily school is pretty on top of this by now .....but shoul not have to be, imho. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:21 PM Flag

not to be corny, but this is why it takes a village [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:24 PM Flag

OR: I truly beleuve that. Luckily one of their nannies is pretty with it. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:34 PM Flag

one of??? [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:37 PM Flag

yes [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 05:46 PM Flag

I know, the parent probably dropped the ball with either sending or ordering the lunch. Still, I really feel it's on the teacher to make sure all kids have a lunch before they sit down at the picnic, not try to figure out what to do 20 mins into lunch when a 5 yo is crying her eyes out. If they knew in the morning, a luch could have been ordered from the cafeteria and they could have billed the parent later for the two bucks. It was handled really badly IMO [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:21 PM Flag

THE PARENTS need to know that teh kid was balling her eyes out for 20 minutes, too. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:23 PM Flag

This is why you tell the principal [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:26 PM Flag

Yes, that's why I wondering if I should tell the parent or the principal [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:26 PM Flag

Middle school teacher here again: I could NEVER bill parents for something retroactively. Never. I agree this could have been handled better, but I don't think the ordering from the cafeteria solution is as easy as you think it is. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:27 PM Flag

not totally relevant, but i work in preschool and we don't allow kids to share food b/c of allergies, restrictions, etc.... so even if kid brought extra, sometimes schools won't let you share. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:24 PM Flag

Our school has this policy too, I had to ask the asst if I could give the crying kid my dd's lunch and she said yes. [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:27 PM Flag

totally off topic, but I hope the teacher wasn't offering PB&J to an allergic child! [ Reply | More

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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:40 PM Flag