OK, so I just need to vent for a minute.
On the first day of school, M's 2nd grade class picked out of a hat to see which kid's parents were assigned to which class party during the year. (In my opinion I think this is a lame way to get "volunteers".) So, we were assigned to help with the Halloween party. The room mother leaves my a message a week and a half ago and "tells" me that she needs me to bring a few things and wants to know if I will be there to help with the games. Of course! I love class parties! I love seeing the excitement on the kid's faces and I am always willing to do whatever I can to help. So when I call her back, she asks if I can bring a bag of chips. That's it. Oh and can I be there to help? So I show up with my bag of chips and she doesn't assign me to help with anything. So I get to watch the kids go to each of the four stations.
Station #1 - Mummy Wrap and Race Game Two teams of two kids each wrap each other up in a roll of toilet paper and try to run about 10 feet and back. OK, at least this was Halloween themed.
Station #2 - Bouncy Ball Game Each kid has to see how many times they can catch a bouncy ball after the first bounce. Does the Halloween party really have to be the time to work on hand/eye coordination?
Station #3 - Draw Pictures With Shaving Cream As much as the kids enjoyed this, (because who doesn't like to get a little messy now and again?) it wasn't something the kids got to make and keep. Just make a mess, then wash up. What happened to a cute little Halloween crafts?
Station #4 - Apple Game You know the one, where you hold the apple with your chin and try to pass it to the next person. After they failed at that, they could get a plate of snacks. Which was apples (probably the same ones that they held in their sweaty kid necks) with caramel dip, my bag of chips (it's a good thing I grabbed a second variety) and fruit punch. No Halloween cupcakes or cookies or anything fun like that. The mom in charge of this table did think to bring a Halloween table cloth, plates and napkins (but there were no other decorations), and the room mom commented "I'm so glad you brought this." (Shouldn't she be in charge of remembering stuff like that?)
I took a walk half way through the party to distract A. and a. who was bored. We walked around and peeked in the other classrooms. All of whom were having a great time. It was noisy and chaotic as they were decorating cookies, frosting cupcakes, making fun things and eating their Halloween treats amid the extra decorations that the moms put up.
I don't know why I felt so bitter yesterday. Maybe it was the lack of tradition I felt that afternoon. However, I guess I have to give the room mom some props, our classroom was the quietest and we had the least amount of clean up.
I am sad that I won't get asked to volunteer for the Christmas and/or Valentine party. It could be so much more fun for the kids.
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4 comments:
Forget being asked to volunteer. Call the teacher and ask if s/he will pass your name on to the parent in charge. Tell them you'd like to help and offer up some ideas or suggestions that you'd be willing to do yourself.
I thought Little Mr. Eris's class needed some civic ed, so I called and offered to come in and read a book to them. No request was sent out, but the teacher seemed grateful to have anyone offer to do anything.
Of course, that's in the ghetto. In Idaho, they may have an overload of parental involvement...
Thats sooooooooooo lame! I know you couldve supplied the poor kids with a lot more fun food and creative games, HAD you known. Chips?!?!?! Sooo lame.
So, I think that the room mom or whoever was in charge shouldn't get props for being the quietest or the cleanest party ever. That is not a party. These are the few times a year when it is ok to be loud and messy. Bag the whole voluteer thing. I agree with Eris and you should call the teacher. Let her know a little of your disappointment in the Halloween party and how much you would really like to be invovled in the Christmas party. Or at least show up to be there. I hate lame people that think that you can't have fun anymore!
It totally reminds me of when I went to show up for my set volunteer day for Elises kindergarten class. I sat down at this table where there were all these papers to put in the kids folders and this volunteer lady who was already there previously walked u to me and said, "Um, I was sitting there" ignoring the fact that there was another chair right next to me.
So I looked at her rather blankly for a few moments and made a point to very slowly get up from the chair, with my tummy out overemphasizing the fact I was preggers although I could have very easily hopped out of my seat. I've never gone back to volunteer.
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