Am I Wrong?

[Justanopinion]

DD(4) is in Pre K. Her school is Pre K and K only.

Fall pictures were done in October and every child has their picture taken for the school yearbook even if you don't purchase a package.

Well, today was pictures with Santa through the same photographer.

Originally I had thought I would purchase these pictures and then decided last night that I wouldn't. My decision not purchase was mainly based on quality of picture and that I could not proof them ahead of time. There's no telling what todays Santa looked like. DH and I will take DD to a mall and have her pics done with Santa there.

I had already told DD that she could wear a certain dress so I went ahead and let her wear that dress.

Well, she comes home today and tells me that she didn't get to see Santa. Come to find out, only those that paid for Santa pictures got to see him. At this age, don't you think that every child should have gotten the chance to at least sit on his lap? What about the kids that couldn't afford pictures today and can't afford to go to a mall Santa? What must these kids think? Am I wrong or would you be upset also?

 

[Loverly]

If your daycare/school was a warm cuddly place-then I'd be upset
Apparently they are after the Almighty $$ only

 

[Angelhalo]

I know its harsh but I guess I side with Santa. In today's market Santa's time is very valuable and he probably doesn't have time to sit with every kid unless every kid is paying him. Afterall he's not the mall Santa who has been provided for the sole purpose of kids seeing Santa, he's just there so kids can have their portaits taken. No portrait, no visit. Santa's a busy elf! Would have been nice if they had let people know that up front though!

 

[SwedishMeatball]

From a business perspective, time is money. However, I think it was poor planning on the part of the administration to set up a situation such as this which would exclude any of the children.

 

[agnes!]

I think it's disgusting & would have no problem telling the business-owners/school-owners so. How many kids had to sit out seeing Santa? Was your DD the only one?

If this were my DD I'd seriously think about sending her elsewhere.

agnes!

 

[C.Ann]

For children that young? I think it's flat out mean..

 

[Justanopinion]

Just to make this perfectly clear...this is through our school district!

DD is in Pre K through our school district, not a day care.

She's 4, she can't tell me exactly how many in her class of 15 did or did not see him. She did say that she could see him when she went to the bathroom, he was by the gym.

 

[Disney Doll]

I think it's in poor taste and I'd be letting someone in my school district know.

 

[dislal]

I just hope they had santa set up in another room and called the kids getting pictures in to see santa one by one. I still don't think it was right excluding just the ones not paying. I hope those other kids don't think they are bad and not allowed to see santa

 

[mamamary]

For children that young? I think it's flat out mean..

I agree - mean.

 

[KATHINOWA]

That is so sad! I'm sure some of these kids are wondering why can't I see Santa? I don't agree with how the situation was handled and would talk to the teacher (at least) to see what happened.

 

[juligrl]

Well, she comes home today and tells me that she didn't get to see Santa. Come to find out, only those that paid for Santa pictures got to see him. At this age, don't you think that every child should have gotten the chance to at least sit on his lap? What about the kids that couldn't afford pictures today and can't afford to go to a mall Santa? What must these kids think? Am I wrong or would you be upset also?

The mall Santas around here are free to visit (if you want to buy the photo packages though they cost a small fortune!) so don't worry about that. I would be a little bothered that you had to buy the photos to see Santa. Even the mall doesn't do that.

 

[luvsJack]

That was terribly unfair to the kids who did not get pictures. The teachers and administrators should be thinking of the kids first and have made sure that all of the children at least got to speak with Santa. In our preschool/child care center, we had Santa pictures done every year and the very first thing I would tell the company doing the pictures is that EVERY child would be able to see Santa, period. No one would be left out.

I would certainly let someone know how I felt about it. It won't change anything for this year, but at least it will be brought to their attention that this was not the correct way to do things.

 

[Diva of Dragons]

I think it's ridiculous, especially if they didn't tell you ahead of time.

I have to say that I find it even more unusual that they are having Santa pics at school, at all, unless it's a private school, which it doesn't sound like it is.

 

[agnes!]

Just to make this perfectly clear...this is through our school district!

DD is in Pre K through our school district, not a day care.

She's 4, she can't tell me exactly how many in her class of 15 did or did not see him. She did say that she could see him when she went to the bathroom, he was by the gym.

Ugh, that's even worse. I guess the school has to stoop to being mean to little kids to make money for the PTA or whichever group it is that gets its cut from the picture-taking. *Some* adult, some group, the school, the school district, the PTA, *whatever* is making money every time an outside vendor steps foot on school grounds.

and how about the kids who don't subscribe to believing in Santa - Jews, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses...to have that thrown in their faces.

agnes!

 

[Becky2005]

I think it's ridiculous, especially if they didn't tell you ahead of time.

I have to say that I find it even more unusual that they are having Santa pics at school, at all, unless it's a private school, which it doesn't sound like it is.

I agree! I'm quite surprised they are allowed to do this at a public school. OK...maybe I'm not now that I think about it, our school does Santa too but NOT for pictures -- he hands out candy canes during the "holiday" parties the classes have in the afternoon the last day before break.

HOWEVER, they start with the little ones Kindergarten here in case he runs out of time -- the 5th graders still get their candy canes, they just may not have Santa visiting the room. He doesn't talk to each child either from what I can tell. He comes in, waves, hands out candy canes and leaves. I don't even know if he hands them out individually or gives them to the teacher/room moms. Can you tell I don't help out at the parties much? I did in the past a couple times but don't really remember seeing him specifically. I just remember it being discussed at a PTO meeting once & I think I only helped in 3rd grade so I may have seen him in the hall but don't recall how the classroom procedure was done.

I would talk to the PTO, I'm pretty sure they were the ones in charge of this, not any specific teacher.

We only take one set of pictures a year when school starts for the yearbook and that's it.

 

[HSMndLKfan92]

For children that young? I think it's flat out mean..

I agree.
That's so saddening.

 

[mom2aredhead]

If this were my DD I'd seriously think about sending her elsewhere.

I think if all other things are fine with the school, this shouldn't be a dealbreaker. Pull her out of school mid-year and start somewhere else, over Santa? A little extreme.

Just to make this perfectly clear...this is through our school district!

/QUOTE]

A few other people said it - I'm completely shocked that a public school system, which normally has to be very non-denominational and PC would even consider having Santa come to school...

 

[troobabiee7]

I think it's strange that there were pictures with Santa to begin with. Was it a public or private school? Either way, bringing Santa into a school setting should be for fun! These are kids and it's the holidays. But disrupting the school day so kids could PAY for a picture with Santa?! That's crazy! I've never heard of doing that in a school.

 

[agnes!]

Originally Posted by agnes!
If this were my DD I'd seriously think about sending her elsewhere.

I think if all other things are fine with the school, this shouldn't be a dealbreaker. Pull her out of school mid-year and start somewhere else, over Santa? A little extreme.

Just to make this perfectly clear...this is through our school district!

/QUOTE]

A few other people said it - I'm completely shocked that a public school system, which normally has to be very non-denominational and PC would even consider having Santa come to school...

I would seriously think about sending her elsewhere, so yes I would consider it and I might choose not to do so. IMO it's not "just about Santa", this could be the latest in a line of school-stoopidities, the school deliberately chose to exclude some children based on their ability or willingness to *pay*.

agnes!