Email sent to principal
taagent
member
Mr. Principal,
I am writing this email to you regarding the letter that was sent home with the students about the Christmas concert. I would like to preface this by saying that I am a former teacher in another school district so I understand the difficulties and challenges all teachers face including the fine arts teachers.
After reading that letter and talking to my child (who will remain nameless) I was upset by the letter as well as the seemingly flippant attitude by a teacher regarding the required dress code for the students.
I understand that uniformity makes things look pretty and neat however it doesn't seem that the children were taken into consideration when choosing this dress code. Your school, as you mentioned in your speech at the open house, includes children who receive free and reduced priced lunches - and therefore money is an issue. To have teachers require that students have black socks and shoes, black pants, and plain white shirts for 1 30-45 minute performance or be excluded from participation is outrageous to me. To have a teacher tell the students that if they don't have the items then parents can go out to target and buy these things is inconsiderate, and just rude to say the least.
With the economy the way that it is and being so close to the holidays many people do not have the extra income to buy something that their child will wear once. The point that was made in the letter likened the concert participants to a team which I get, however when parents purchase the uniform for their child to play on a team that uniform is worn more than once.
I understand what the teachers are trying to do, and I understand how hard their job is and I appreciate that effort. I don't believe however that the look that the teachers wish to achieve for this concert should come at a cost to students. I, as a parent, would rather see a bunch of scraggly kids on stage and everyone participate that so chooses than have a nice neat little group with children missing because parents can't afford the required items and are too embarrassed to let anyone know so they don't come to the event or even worse a child not have the proper attire and not be allowed to participate because they can't afford to buy new shoes, pants, socks, and a shirt.
Please take this concern into consideration. No child should be excluded for the sake of uniformity and if that means kids wear what want then that is the way it should be - heck most of the parents I am sure, could care less what the group looks like as long as the kids are having fun and honestly, isn't that what this should be about?
Thank you for taking the time to read this email.
Sincerely,
Concerned parent
Re: Email sent to principal
That sounds great!
Next time I need a letter written, I'm coming to you...
PERFECT!
Looks good. Wonder if they'll change it?
They have 3 concerts a year, this is the only one where they need to have these items and they are not staples in every childs closet - as I said SD has the pants and shirt but does not have any black socks and is required to have black shoes which she also does not have, I have been looking for shoes for a couple of months but can't find any that SD likes or that I like. As I said in an earlier post I will buy the shoes for her I just don't appreciate the way it was done and having worked in a similar school I was really surprised and upset hat this threat was made.
My issue is not that they are a uniform - I have no problem with that but I DO have a problem with them saying that if a child doesnt have it they can't participate. As I said in the email this is a Title 1 school with a VERY high population of free and reduced priced lunches - if these families can't afford to feed their child at school how the heck are they supposed to afford these items if not already owned. Many of these families too will not say they can't afford it they just wont attend and that is sad.
What a lovely sentiment....except who exactly is going to be purchasing these items? It's great that you or I may have the extra money to help out one or even two hard luck families. But what if it is three or five? What if you and most of the other SOMEONE ELSES are being hit hard this year too?
You DO NOT REQUIRE an uniform type item one month out, during the holiday season and then let the parents know that if they cannot drum up enough money (a good $50 total if you don't have anything on that list) that their kid will be ostracized from the performance.
This is something you let them know in advance - so they CAN work it out.
I love the happy little world you live in. Seriously.
Ilumine, I agree with you like, 98% of the time. ?Really I do.
BUT, I sort of feel like the O/P was just looking to pick a fight here. ?Really, we always managed to have a basic pair of black pants with matching socks and shoes growing up, and believe me we were far from wealthy. ?I get that she's "looking out" for someone here, but.....I can't help feeling she just wanted to pick a fight with the teacher. ??
Normally, I would let something like this roll off my back too - except for three points
1) this requirement is for ONE 30-60 minute event out of an entire school year
2) this requirement was not expressed to the parents at the beginning of the school year, but less than 20 days from the event.
3) this requirement, for a holiday event, was expressed during the holiday season, when some parents are already strapped for cash.
I know that MY budget (while we are very comfortable) has been tightened quite clearly this year. I don't have an extra $30 (SS has most of the items, but the black dress shoes - he feet are weeds) to buy something at the last minute while I am trying to budget Christmas gifts.
4) Finally, I find it hypocritical to tell a bunch of children that if you cannot drum up at most $50, you are not going to be able to participate in a HOLIDAY Piece. Sorry - that is NOT THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.
Hello - it is a CHRISTMAS CONCERT for goodness sake. I really do not think Christ would have been kosher (yes kosher) with this kind of sentiment.
And please tell me what kind of message this tells the kids? You worked hard, you practiced your songs but you are not going to be able to participate because Mommy and Daddy couldn't come up with the $$$ or find you the required uniform at the last minute.
Yea - that really helps kids learn about hard work paying off.
It is these little things that stick with children and parents for the rest of their lives.
I really am not trying to pick a fight with the teachers I don't know them personally and I am a former teacher and get what they are trying to do. I was also the kid in school was in choir, did theater etc. I think the arts and participation in these kinds of things are extremely important.
I strictly had/have an issue with being told this now and the consequence if it isn't done. If it was told to us at open house even that would have been different - people would have been given time to find these items or get them from somewhere but less than 3 weeks before the event and then told that it is a requirement to perform and then for a teacher to basically tell children that their parents can go out and buy the items is inappropriate.
Like I said before we paid the money for SD's uniform for cheerleading but we also knew going in that we would have to do these things for her to participate. This is the first time in 3 years that she has gone to this school that a "uniform" has been needed for any school performance. The economy sucks right now and to make this a condition for a child to be able to perform in a school concert is just really crappy and I honestly feel that I am not only sticking up for myself but a lot of kids in her class and the school in general. It just seems to me that a school function shouldn't have requirements that are based on money - especially in a Title 1 school.