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.

Not too much to ask, a cut and paste job surely or mail merge!

It's very easy to send out 20 personalised emails.

You can use a mail merge, or send out one by one by creating a draft message you copy into each one and amend.

I send out loads of letters all the time using the second method (because you can't add attachments using mail merge), in between receiving signed attachments back and acknowledging each one. And being busy with other stuff.

Why do you need to praise the child (whichever one it is) before the event, rather than after?
If the child themselves don't know about the assembly it's obviously meant to be a surprise?
Make a fuss afterwards; that really is enough...

I find it odd that they don't specify the recipient... I don't think you're being unreasonable.

I'm also with the op on this. Inviting you to attend something but you don't know who it's for? I've had 3 dc in the same school before, that in itself was complicated at times, surely it's not hard for the school to be concise.

It's nice to get a balance of answers

As it happens, I'm also a teacher and wouldn't dream of doing this to a parent - not that I felt this relevant to my op.

I do agree that emails are better than slips of paper.

Anyway, although I still don't agree with the school, I've sent back a cheery thanks.

Our school has 450 children, yet every week I get emails with their names on telling me what their year is doing that week; emails for sports/other teams are always labelled with their names. as well as telling us who else is in the team so we can arrange lifts. It really isn't hard, and if you have multiple children at the school, essential.

I can see that in this case it might not matter as such as in Op just needs to turn up if possible.

Presumably the kids involved know so it's not to surprise them?

If that's the case though I'm surprised that neither said anything to you.

It is lazy. A mail merge takes about 30 seconds to do.

YANBU - it's odd!

If they genuinely can't mail merge then they could at least put in year group - Year 2 Assembly as the subject takes no extra time (assuming they do it in year groups).

Of course you need to know which child it is.

I have worked in a school and know how busy it is, but as others have pointed out it's not hard to do a mail merge.

yanbu. Think they could have said what child was receiving the award.

I agree that it is a pain when emails/ texts/ letters from are not specific. It is not such a problem when you have only one child in the school but when you have two (or in my sisters case at one point 5 children) in the same school, then it is unhelpful.

I have had generic letters inviting "your child" to participate in something and then I am having to chase the school to find out which particular "your child" it is. dd1 and ds are in the same school and both on the SEN register so they are getting some additional support for social/ communication/ sensory issues - neither deal well with uncertainty or surprises so being well prepared for any non routine school days is particularly important. So I don't think the OP is unreasonable - how hard is it to specify when it is a small group of children? I got a really unhelpful text from school on Sunday night saying children needed to be in PE kit for Monday morning for a house rounders competition. The day had just been comfirmed and the text didn't specify the year group so DS ended up going to school in PE kit and dd without (as her kit was in school) both distressed as dd was unsure that she would be ok getting changed at school, ds because as it turned out only dds year group needed to be in their PE kit! I had to rush to school with ds school uniform, he was upset and unsettled for the rest of the day. It seems minor but for a child with Aspergers who needs the reassurance of routine and certainty to gt him through the day it is a big deal. And it was totally avoidable.

Ugh, you can tell I hate the last weeks of term.

I'm with you OP.
It's only 20 emails after all and they only need to change one name.
Besides, they could have told you anyway when they got back to you!

Re Does it matter really?
Actually it does. If it means I need to take some time off with work, then I will make an evaluation about how important it is. A special reward for dc2 would have me see do my utmost to be there. A reward for dc1 not so much.
Because both of them have different needs and different experiences and I need to make choices as to what I attend at school.

I'm really surprised there are people who would open this email and say 'oh okay' and not 'I wonder which of my children it's for'.

Not that it would matter either way for many I assume but isn't it just weird to not know? When it's such a simple thing to do...?

my school use parent mail, they are quite capable of letting me know which child the email i get is referring to.

20 emails is not that hard ot at least even mention the childs name.

YANBU!

It's just lazy. Someone thinking they can cut corners to save time, not realising that sloppy communication just ends up creating more work in the long run.

You say it was sent to 20ish people - were the other parents' emails visible to you? If so, that's a data protection breach, and doesn't exactly fill you with confidence in the procedures at the school.

I think it is important to say which child! How is that NOT important??

Well for separated parents who have gone on to have another child it's important.

Imagine informing DC other parent that DC has an award he/she turns up for it to be for the other child.

Maybe there is someone new sending out the emails and they didnt realise there are siblings?

I agree with you OP. I had two children in the same school and they managed to differentiate between the two. As mine were different ages even a reference to the year group was often enough.

I had 2 phonecalls prior to prizegiving last year, to let me know that I'd probably like to make sure I turned up. Neither teacher specified exactly that he had won anything, and I was asked to keep it under my hat. So I wouldn't have said anything to DS1 prior to the prizegiving anyway.

I do see your point, it would have been nice to know which child - but it's not that big a deal, really.

It's a small village, we all know each other. Sender confirmed it was sent to about 20 people and that I had - fortunately - chosen the correct daughter!

Not a big deal, but feels unnecessary. When I call home to a parent to discuss excellent performance, I feel it's about that individual's performance and how well they've done, so to me it makes sense to individualise this sort of correspondence.

My kids' school sends out a weekly "Headteachers (sic) News" which is a rambling, self indulgent novel which just boils down to the Head blahing on about one of the kids he's obsessed with (runs for the county - the Head thinks it reflects on him) and a general Pile O Shit.

I write for a living and that thing would take me an hour or two to write. He really could be using his time better. (Interim Head, trying to turn round a failing school). I read the first one or two but now it's straight to DELETE. I did email them back this week suggesting that if they are emailing several hundred parents, they should maybe improve their grammar as it's no advert for the school. Unless they have plural Headteachers and it's not a possessive. They haven't replied and the Wank Letter is due on Friday. I can't wait to see if they've amended it. ;o)

OP - YABU. It wouldn't matter which of your kids it was - you'd go, right?

I used to be a teacher myself and think schools have better things to do with their time and shouldn't be spamming anyone with their crap but if they must, let it (a) be literate and (b) be to the point. Personalised? Well, they can text or ring you if the 'news' is individual to you.