School non uniform days

[mylittlesunshine]

I can't decide if I am or not,

We quite often have non uniform days at my DS school, we get told via text and Friday notes home about these. Each time the school ask for donations, sometimes it's chocolates but usually it's bring a bottle, and the texts/notes always say 'would be much appreciated'. I would take from this that it is not compulsory.

Each time we have it my DS comes home and says they had a big lecture about how only the children who donate get to wear non uniform, if you don't bring a bottle or chocolates you must wear uniform. This just doesn't sit right with me, surely that is singling out children because their parents either can't afford to buy wine or chocolates to give to school or because the parents choose not to for whatever reason. My DS didn't take chocolates today as I had forgot to buy some, we usually donate but my DS and the rest of the class where told she didn't want to hear any excuses, and said on bottle days although they prefer wine they would accept fizzy pop if parents couldn't afford wine so again there's no excuse.

So AIBU to be annoyed by this?

What ? Seriously little DC lugging wine bottles around the playground , I am actually quite shocked at that

Well the school doesn't collect for the food bank it's a church food bank but the reverend pushed the school to allow parents to drop things there for her to collect as she is there to do assemblies etc. She has a part on the newsletter for church news and she asks on that.

Donations should ALWAYS be what someone can afford to give. It should never be a demand.

Especially when donations can be made in so many other ways. By sound of it they help out plenty with the animals and hosting stalls at these things etc. Whatever the rights and wrongs of who brings what it's absolutely disgusting to be telling the kids off!!

Love our school... Non uniform day today with donations in aid of school.

Table outside to put bottle for fair (requests for ANY bottle, wine, pop, ketchup, shampoo)

Therefore scope for any budget and no one had a clue who has / hasn't brought anything.

everyone gets to join in and no one knows / cares who brings what.

I haven't much money and brought a bottle of beer from Aldi. Dd happy and we've don't our little bit....

Didn't feel pressured to give more than I could afford.

Think it's terrible when schools highlight who has / hasn't brought something. We're in a very affluent area, yet the school are always inclusive and mindful of EVERYONE - even though prob 95% of the school population are very well off...

just takes a little thought.

Had a problem at my dd's school where they asked by lbetter for a pound for non uniform raising money for fete. Then a member of pta came round asking kids to put hands up if brought more than a pound. No indication they were expected or eencouraged to bring more was ever given.

I didn't say anything as 1. wasn't end of the world for dd and 2. Issue for me was we hadn't been told rrather than I couldn't afford it. However I know for a fact there are kids in dd's class who couldn't afford it so probably should have spoken up.

See I don't mind things like that when its done in a way that is discreet and can be judged by the family of what they can afford to donate. This is a school with a large proportion of FSM and parent unemployment, the school don't seem to have a grasp on that.

I do support my DS's school. I'm happy to but sometimes feel obliged. This term we have had numerous fund rasing things/requests.

BUT is have to say I have school request fatigue now, so far this term:

Children in need
Poppy money - please i don't begrudge but it is how DS seems to think he 'has to'
Money for a on-site activity (a visiting company related to currciulum) £4.00
Project - associated materials (discretionary but hard to stick to pens and paper)
Dress up day X 3 - 2 specific themes requiring costumes
Bring a bottle for Christmas fayre
Gift shop money - for DS to spend £3-5 on tat for me or DH (ive refused this)
Recycling donation - ok so this benefits all
Charity donation of suitable Christmas gift for a child

The Christmas Fayre itself - food and pound shop type tat

DS has requested 'gel' pens this week and mange tout and baby sweetcorn (not bad I know but this veg is more pricey) from the healthy eating.

SHould I start with Beavers requests - If I start listing those I might just blow a gasket.

I really don't think that they should be trying to dictate what you donate. I am a person who hates being dictated to anyway.

Donations, by the very definition of the word, are just that. Donations. People donate something, or some amount that they can afford if they wish to and if indeed they can afford it at all. There should be no implied criticism of children who have not been able to bring a contribution in.

I don't think requesting bottles of wine is reasonable. They are expensive, and too much for many people, quite apart from having children carrying them around in the playground.

I have to agree too that there is such a thing as fundraising/donation overload from schools.

I work at a school in a poor area. We do check donations on dress down days (no set amount - usually a cake sale so we make sure kids have 20p out of their donation to buy a bun). We only check because in the past parents have given money and kids have kept it! If they don't donate we just say don't worry. We know the families and some are very close to using the local food bank. We are the type of school that provide breakfast for everyone (just incase).

Oh dear neverhere could you imagine kids round the back of school swigging from their bottle of wine! Makes sense to check they have handed in their money etc. We are also from quite a poor area, the infants provide breakfasts and as much fruit at playtimes as the kids want etc as they are often hungry. The juniors however scrapped the fruit as it was costing them too much which is a shame as its the same hungry children that are moving up. I work in a school also so I am not school bashing at all, just think this one has been annoying me a lot recently.

Well we had non uniform day today. We brought in a bottle of wine - I carried it through as DS is only 5.

I didn't give any last year as I had really forgotten and I wasn't about to go across the road to the co op to pay over the top for some not v nice wine to be raffled off for 20p!! (That's what really annoys me though - I'd rather give them the £4-6 that I'd have spent on the wine.

I did see some kids bring jars of Nutella and bottles of pop. Will have to remember to have such things instead!!

bottles of wine is insane. some families will have issues with alcoholism, some will have religious barriers to handling alcohol. i'm baffled that primary schools would think alcohol was an appropriate thing for children to bring to school in exchange for no school uniform. honestly baffled.