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A plea to all mums

48 replies

Fairyliz · 02/06/2012 19:53

I am the lady in the office. I am responsible for a £1m budget, deal with
HR work, admin and secretarial jobs. I also have to know about health and safety, child protection and assessment. I unblock the toilets in the absence of the premises officer, clean up when your child had been sick and look after them when they are ill. In between I answer the phone, open the gates and sort out lunchtime squabbles.
To get this all done I work about 45 hours per week for about £18,000 per year.

So please don't shout at me when your child looses his sweatshirt that you haven't named!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
mrz · 03/06/2012 13:48

Fairyliz Sun 03-Jun-12 13:34:40

Oh I've learnt a lot! I promise I am always nice to the kids and give them a little cuddle when they are hurt and crying (even though I could get sacked for that).

What!!!
There is actually a government publication that says schools should not have a "no touch policy"

iceandsliceplease · 03/06/2012 23:27

I'd just like to say a thank you to our school secretary who always looks knackered, but always smiles, takes her time with everyone, has been very kind to DS when he has to go to 'First Stage' Wink, and is polite and considerate to all. I once overpaid dinner money by 5p and she sent it back in an envelope that afternoon with a smiley face drawn on it Grin

wordfactory · 04/06/2012 09:46

I have made it one of my priorities to befriend the women who work in the school offices. It pays dividends when I need something!

TheFallenMadonna · 04/06/2012 09:50

What are dads like? I have no communication with the school office as DH does the drop off, and it is shut when I pick them up.

Do dads do lost sweatshirt shouting?

FallenCaryatid · 04/06/2012 10:53

No dads don't do lost sweatshirt shouting as a rule. They say 'Your mum's gonna kill you'
That's usually when they've been sent back by the mother to locate the sweatshirt, not having noticed its loss in the first place.
Named stuff gets returned in my school. It's not named if you wrote on it in biro in September and now the traces resemble hieroglyphics in the rain BTW.

Lara2 · 04/06/2012 13:15

At my school it's the teachers (me) that get shouted at if clothes get lost. I always want to say "Funny enough, the other 400 are blue too - and it's got no name - you'll be lucky!"

sadsac · 04/06/2012 19:54

What's your take when it has been named? Sewn on four sides type label - £10 cardigan. Where do they go? We've lost two in two years. Left on peg overnight - vanished into the ether by morning.

Very much appreciate the work the school admin team do by the way.

mrz · 04/06/2012 20:01

Invariably another child has taken it/them home and failed to return it/them ... and yes some do cut out name tags I'm afraid .... can you really blame the school/teacher/staff?

sadsac · 04/06/2012 20:07

No but still v frustrating. Wicked it is!

mrz · 04/06/2012 20:13

It's frustrating for staff too

Buntingbunny · 05/06/2012 01:09

There is a mysterious black hole for lost school clothes.

Our biggest mystery is where did DD1s clearly named fleece go between Feb and April. She sorts lost property, it wasn't handed in.

Yellowtip · 05/06/2012 12:32

Strongly, strongly agree with Xenia re. 'loose' (it seems to be a MN thing though).

BeckyBendyLegs · 05/06/2012 13:18

There are a couple of very nice people who work in our school office and they do get a great deal of hassle and verbal abuse from some parents. I always try to be nice to them though, even if I have an issue. I think they are very much undervalued and underpaid. I wouldn't want to be sat that side of the window!

Xenia · 05/06/2012 14:06

They are certainly people to keep in with.

We haev had all sorts lost over many years. Most often was child 1, just her personality. Imagine getting a school coach for 30 minutes age 5 and how much scope there is to lose stuff on there.

If get someone else's stuff sent home with ours I make sure it goes back immediately and I try to email the other parent if it has a name on it.

Those worrying about people cutting out name labels, I suppose technology will come to a point where you can put some kind of tracking device within it and track down the thief or as well as the label you could cut the washing instructions with a special mark that you could then identify on the thief's child to prove that is your own product.

enimmead · 05/06/2012 14:54

Don't worry - kids have a unique ability to recognise the owner of a lost sweatshirt.

I think it's a smell thing. ;)

Oh - and why assume mums are responsible?
And it's "lose".

enimmead · 05/06/2012 14:56

And as a teacher, I could have a big list of things to say to the office staff :)

But I think office staff are lovely - except at census time.

mrz · 05/06/2012 15:03

Don't worry - kids have a unique ability to recognise the owner of a lost sweatshirt.

I think it's a smell thing. ;)

I'm always amazed by that!

me: Has someone lost a sweatshirt?
child: (holding said sweatshirt to their nose) It's ***'s
Hmm
why can't I do that?

FlashFlood · 05/06/2012 15:14

I remember at my primary school, the school sec sat with me for the whole day when my brother went missing. I've never forgotten that so I have always made an effort with office staff. Also, it always seems to be dd who picks up other children's jumpers - and there isn't even a school uniform so there is no excuse - so I'm the apologetic one handing it in after you've been shouted at by someone else. Blush Sorry!

D0oinMeCleanin · 05/06/2012 15:14

I won't shout at you if my child loses their sweater. I won't even mention it. I have become that used to uniform being lost it doesn't even register anymore. But in return please don't roll your eyes at me, huff loudly, look down at your nose at me and then ask me a in demeaning manner in front of other parents and staff why my children are late for school. I also work out of the home about 40 hours a week. Mainly nights. I get one day off a week atm. I am also soley responsible for working in the home i.e housekeeping, sorting sqaubbles, preparing meals, shopping and zookeeping and I am fucking knackered.

I am doing my best, but occassionally (as in once a fortnight) my best is not good enough to corale the children to school exactly on time. Especially when I don't know where their uniform is because I was at work the night before when they undressed.

In fact if you speak to me like shit on your shoe once more I might just be tempted to smack you in the face. A stint in prison would be a welcome break for me right now.

Just in case you hadn't guessed I don't much like our school secretary and I get the feeling that it is a mutal hatred.

boredandrestless · 05/06/2012 15:55

Our school secretary is very lovely and I know she has a big varied workload.

D0oinMeCleanin - you sound like you have way too much on your plate right now. (((sly hug)))

wendythetrampwhowasborntorun · 05/06/2012 23:39

As always, the Americans are way ahead of us:

This is the answering machine message the Pacific Palisades High School (California) Staff voted to record on their school telephone answering system.

This came about because they implemented a policy requiring students and parents to be responsible for their children's absences and missing homework. The school and teachers are being sued by parents who want their children's failing grades changed to passing grades even though those children were absent 15-30 times during the semester and did not complete enough school work to pass their classes.

This was voted unanimously by the office staff as the actual answering machine message for the school:

"Hello! You have reached the automated answering service of your school. In order to assist you in connecting the right staff member, please listen to all your options before making a selection:

  To lie about why your child is absent, <strong>press 1</strong>

  To make excuses for why your child did not do his work, <strong>press 2</strong> 

  To complain about what we do, <strong>press 3</strong>

  To swear at staff members, <strong>press 4</strong>

  To ask why you didn't get information that was already enclosed in your newsletter and several flyers mailed to you, <strong>press 5</strong>

  If you want us to raise your child, <strong>press 6</strong>

  If you want to reach out and touch, slap or hit someone, <strong>press 7</strong>

  To request another teacher for the third time this year, <strong>press 8</strong>

  To complain about bus transportation, <strong>press 9</strong> 

  To complain about school lunches, <strong>press 0</strong> 

If you realize this is the real world and your child must be accountable and responsible for his/her own behavior, class work, homework, and that it's not the teachers' fault for your children's lack of effort ... hang up and have a nice day!"

The original version ended "If you want to hear this message is Spanish, sneak back to Mexico", but I can't find that one anywhere on the net.

complexo · 05/06/2012 23:52

I do want to work in a primary school office, how do I do it? what do I need? Any special course? qualifications?

FallenCaryatid · 06/06/2012 06:50

complexo, start a new thread. It's the best way to get the answers you need.

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