Would you be considered a weirdy person if you

[lionheart]

donated some money to the school, say, for them to buy library books?

(The PTA does raise money but for the big stuff like climbing frames/whiteboards--so I don't think I'd be treading on their toes).

I'd have thought they'd have your arm off! Why would they think this is weird?

Sounds like a great idea, esp to buy books. Go for it

I think they would probably bite your hand off for it!

Ditto!

Our school got a major bequest not that long ago, we bless the donours name weekly!

I'm sure they woul dlove you for it, and my personal experience of schools is while they often have excellent ICT stuff they never have enough books!

As long as it wasn't a bribe to get a place in the Great School Lottery!!

We're encouraged to donate library books (but not the money). If you think that there is a specific need that may be the best way of doing it? No idea, but I suspect that if you donate cash it gets horribly formal, and in fact your cash will be swallowed elsewhere. PTAs are set up as independetn organisations to get around this (so ultimately the school is receiving a donation of goods rather than cash from PTA activities.

But no, I wouldn't think that you are weird.

Our school asks for donations (about £50 a year) for extra-curricular activities (theatre workshops/ museum visits etc) which aren't covered by the school budget. They also say 'if your would like to donate more, then obviously this will be most welcome'. I always give more - it means the school won't be short if some families can't afford it. Last time I rounded it up to £250. I got a very nice letter back from the Head .

I was worried they might think I was being critical of their provision (I'm not) -- but I'm of the opinion that you can never have too many books ...
I wouldn't mind, actually, if it got swallowed up by something else they wanted.

Good to know they'd take my arm off!

(It's not a bribe, by the way, UnquietDad).

Wish I had a magic wand and all the schools could have enough books.

califrau - How did you manage to find a star spangled welsh banner?

A rag? Aren't Americans quite particular about their flag?

I did not know you were Welsh, Califrau.

I am a little concerned that you already seem to have a flag and pom-pom thing going on out there.

You haven't been Stateside for very long, have you?

Phew!

(But you know they can creep up undetected and make you go over to their side in the blink of an eye, don'tcha?

Like the Invasion of the Body Snatchers ...

I once spent 6 months in New Jersey and barely escaped with my life.

I do think this sort of thing can put you in an awkward position in a school actually.

We love the primary school our boys are at: it is simply fantastic. In theory we might have considered them doing at least yr6 in an independent school, but the boys are so happy, thriving and successful there that it is simply not necessary or desirable: so we are actually saving loads of money by them being there.

I have wanted for some time to give a sizeable donation to the school, but I will do so when ds2 leaves the school; and on condition that it is not publicly acknowledged in any way. I will also not specify how the money is spent at all.

Hm ... I did wonder about that aspect of it, Roisin. I'd have to wait a long time, though, 'cos DS has only just started in reception.

Speak to someone before you make the donation: the PTA is probably a charity and will be able to claim Gift Aid (but the school will not) if you follow the correct procedure.

That's another angle--how can giving something away be so complicated?

It ties in with what Ladymuck was saying about the problems of giving cash.

What about book vouchers? Would that get around it do you think?

Does the school have a book fair? At our old school if you bought books at the fair (full price), then the school got a certain percentage to spend on books as well. Also the class teachers all drew up a wish list of books so you could donate books directly to the class, AND the school would benefit from the commission it earned.

We have a book fair and each class has a wish list and if you wish you can buy a book for your childs class and they put a label in 'donated to X class by YZ in 2007'

Book fair sounds like a great idea--they do sell books from time to time but don't have a wish list. Perhaps I'll suggest it to the PTA fundraisers ....