Kind of annoyed with SD's school
taagent
member
SD is in 3rd grade. She has her Christmas concert in a couple of weeks and the teachers involved (special instruction ie music/dance) sent home a note about the concert along with a CD for her to practice with. Well one of the things it mentions is how the children are to be dressed.
White shirt
Black pants
Black socks
Black shoes (sneakers)
Now, here is my complaint - what if you don't have these clothes for your child? What if the shirt isn't plain white? What if you have blue jeans but not black pants? and since SD is a girl she doesn't wear black socks or shoes since they aren't "cute and pretty". So now as a parent I have to go out and BUY these things for 1 30 minute concert!
She has a suitable shirt and I happened to buy black pants for her so she could dress up and still go to school and play, but I don't have black socks or shoes and knowing SD she wont ever wear either of those more than this one time. If she was in middle school and was in choir where they wear the same outfit for every concert that would be different but they always have the kids wear something different for each concert.
I am just a little annoyed at the presumption that parents either have all this on hand OR as SD said her teacher mentioned "your parents can just go get them at Target". I will buy these for her because if I don't then she wont be dressed appropriately and stick out which I will feel guilty for but Come On! Does it REALLY matter????!!!!
Re: Kind of annoyed with SD's school
Personally, I would contact the teacher directly. And I would be quite frank with him/her. In this financial climate during a holiday season, it is quite cheeky to be requiring people to make additional purchases.
I would send a letter to the principal as well.
And I would do it today. That way the teacher has time to revise her requirement to a request.
My mother taught in a very wealthy school district. Her school had a trailer park in it. This school NEVER required their students to provide anything BECAUSE they knew the trailer park kids could not afford it.
I can see that your SD probably doesn't have black tennis shoes because well just because they are "eww" *LOL* BUT - doesn't she have black dress shoes? And instead of socks, she can wear leggings/tights with the dress shoes under her black pants? At least she would stay warm too!
Just a thought?
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She can't wear dress shoes because they will be dancing (or slipping)...also she doesn't have black dress shoes right now - she outgrew the ones she had and we haven't found ones we like yet. I thought about just giving her white socks (she has white and pink stockings but she generally doesn't wear skirts/dresses in the winter and it is WAY to hot here in the summer for stockings so we don't have that many I may just need to buy so she has them in the future)- I mean who is going to be looking at them and the pants are a little long on her anyway. The only sneakers she has are her white cheerleading shoes and pink and white sneakers and then a pair of cute brown knee high boots but nothing black.
I think may send her an email...it is just ridiculous - buy shoes she will never wear again for 30 freaking minutes!
Is there a pair of pants she doesn't wear the often? Can you dye those black along with a pair of socks? Just a thought because I know my mom had done a few things like that for some talent shows when I was younger. A bottle of dye is cheaper then buying the pants and socks if she doesn't have them - the shoes...well, I guess you either have to buy them or if you can find a cheap white pair of keds or soemthing, dye those too! lol...
I agree, that's a lot to assume or ask of people - especially with how the economy has been and it's close to the holidays.
I was a theater kid and a former 3rd grade teacher so I know exactly where she is coming from. However - this is a school with a VERY high free/reduced price lunch population since it is in the city (BM lives in a bad neighborhood). I get that they want everyone to look nice etc. but I was in elementary school once and I looked just fine in the regular outfits I had on. Can we afford to buy these things - probably but what a waste of money when our money is tight right now due to an accident DH had last week and I am positive that there are children in this school who's parents don't have the money nor the items that they are requiring and therefore wont participate and that is a shame! To put these "requirements" on kids at someone elses expense is not fair. The kids get so excited about performing in this concert but since they don't have the requisit dress the parents are too embarrassed and so just don't attend- the only ones that get hurt are the kids. Why not just let them be themselves OR if the teachers are going to require a "uniform" for performances make it just that - a consistant dress code... at least we wouldn't be wasting our money for something that our children will never wear again.
I appreciate all of the ideas for cutting the cost of these items. I still don't know what to do about shoes but I may have a pair of black socks that might fit her if I can find them (thanks for that suggestion - it didn't occur to me!). If I can find a pair of dressier shoes that she could use on other occassions I will pick them up and if not - I will try to find some cheap shoes or keds and as someone suggested dye them.
thanks again ladies for the advice and letting me vent!
I still say don't worry about the shoes. Let her wear whatever you have. No way in hell anyone is going to be looking at their feet.
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