generic email from school - could apply to either sibling

[Hrafnkel]

I received a generic email obviously sent to several (20ish) email accounts. Your child has been nominated for something, please come to an assembly on Friday.

I'd already mentioned it to older dd and praised her up, when it occurred to me that it might be dd2. I didn't think of dd2 straightaway as she is in year r so wasn't sure if they were doing the same stuff with them.

I emailed to clarify, pointing out that naming the child where there are sibs is pretty important. The response was that 20 emails take too long to personalise.

Aibu in thinking that it should be personalised to avoid confusion? I could have waited until the assembly tomorrow, I know, but since dd1 hasn't got a lot of individual recognition from the school, it's something I like to praise her for in advance.

Jesus wept. You honestly think schools have nothing better to do? do you have any clue whatsoever how many bits of communication they may undertake a day with parents? Would you prefer a bit of paper that might go missing?

Complete Non issue

Perhaps the point is that you and they are not supposed to know in advance. Does it matter, really?

Ok, fair enough. No need to be so fucking rude though.

really? I would have thought it pretty important to know which of your children was being praised so it wasn't ignored at home. Having said that have the school not told the relevant children? that in itself seems a bit odd. have a great assembly, like a lucky dip attending but not knowing

Dies it matter if it doesn't effect when you cone etc.
I did have similar where it did effect me (had to drop one off early) I emailed back and said lovely to have the compliments but before I came congratulated could they let me know which one it was. We had a very nice bantering email going backwards and forwards.
And it was the right way round dd2 was thrilled to be going and dd1 said she couldn't face missed that day as they had an important assessment.

So you've been invited to a presentation assembly on Friday but have no idea who the recipient of the award is? I think that's weird as well.

Haha op, some people clearly have got out of the wrong side of bed this morning. I don't think you abu, 20 emails really wouldn't have taken that long to personalise. The office have wasted their own time there really. Did you even get an answer as to which DD it applied to when you emailed?

I really disagree with the notion that schools are too busy to add a child's name to 20 emails.

I'm busy as fuck in my job. If I sent out mystery emails with relevant details I'd end up sacked.

Schools (IME) send out consistently unhelpful, outdated, confusing communications; it's as if they've never received a letter in their civilian lives to show them how it's really done.

I don't know why schools are a special case for being busy - bollocks to that.

OP, YANBU.

There are loads of jobs where people who are extremely time-pushed and stressed manage to squeeze out 20 personalised emails every day. In any other job you wouldn't last for being so slack, so why do school administrators expect special treatment?

I agree with you op. In our school they still print stuff off (not ideal but hey) and they handwrite the child's name on it before giving it to their form teacher.

Twenty emails copied and pasted would not take that long to do, and it saves the time on all the phone calls that the parents make to find out which child they mean. I hope they clarified which child it was for.

I have this with sports matches. I get a text saying 'your child has been selected to play xxx against xxxx tomorrow.' Quite important to know which DS is playing, so I make the right arrangements re: kit, packed meal (allergies), pick-up etc. But they usually know which of them it is, so I go by what they say. (Sometimes they have it wrong, and the arrangements go awry .... )

It's just a mail merge to add their name?? How hard is that??

YANBU

Why does it matter which child it is? Maybe it is a surprise, you can praise them after they get the award.

I had an email from the school informing me that my child had an after school detention on x date please contact them if X date is not suitable to rearrange.

I have 2 children in that school so with out knowing which one I would have to contact them anyway so they were just making more work for themselves , not less by personalising the email.

Can you not just ring the school and ask?

I think it's bizarre! What if one dc was ill on Friday - you wouldn't know if you needed to try and get a babysitter so you could see the other get the award. And what if they had different fathers? Which would you invite?

Arthur by NOT personalising the email

I agree with the op. Our primary does the text message thing. When I had 4dc at the school and received a message about 'your child's class', it wasn't especially helpful. I appreciate staff are busy but some of us parents are not sat around on our arses all day either.

I presume you'd go for either child? So what does it matter? You can praise them afterwards.

Arrh not Arthur, I give up

Oh for heaven's sake - they can't personalise 20 emails?!!! That's 20, not 200.

I'd email them straight back and ask which child they are referring to.

(They sound awful.)

No, I'm with you Op.

Not enough time to add the child's name?? What a crock of shit!

I'm with Kalispera. Why is it soooo difficult to send a clear, functional email?

My daughter's school sends out all sorts of gibberish. Then they have to send extra letters/texts to clarify because nobody knows what the hell is going on.

It makes the school look stupid.

FWIW I am a teacher (in different school) and we manage to send clear, non-cryptic communications. It's not too much to ask.

(And all the others who have agreed - it was just Kali when I started typing! )