The outraged mother shared the letter on Facebook. Photo / 123rf
The outraged mother shared the letter on Facebook. Photo / 123rf
Planning for a Christmas party can be stressful, but one teacher's approach to organising a class event has rubbed parents up the wrong way.
Mum Takaria Scott, from the US city of Meridian in Mississippi, took to Facebook to share the note her daughter Sariah received from her teacher forthe class Christmas party.
Explaining in the note that Sariah had said she would provide "chips/cheese balls", the teacher added: "My philosophy is: If they don't bring anything, they don't eat anything."
The teacher's approach didn't sit well with Scott, who wrote on Facebook: "Now for these kids to be between 6-7yrs this should not be a philosophy. Kids are kids man. This is definitely not acceptable in my eyes."
Scott's posts soon went viral, attracting thousands of shares and comments from other parents who slammed the "disgusting" note.
The outraged mother shared the letter on Facebook. Photo / Facebook
"That's absolutely HORRIBLE!" one wrote, while another added: "So what happens if the little kids parents can't afford to buy that or can't get to the store? The kid is going to suffer and sit there not eating? WOW that's ridiculous."
"Even if this was an acceptable note (which it's not). Kids are very forgetful, and parents have jobs. Sometimes the notes don't get to the parents, or the kid fails to let the parent know till the morning of. Blaming this on people not having the money," another parent vented.
Others pointed out that if they had received the note they would have bought extra food to ensure no children were excluded.
"I would send a note saying I bought enough for the kids who didn't bring something can still eat," one person wrote.
However, some agreed with the teacher, pointing out that it shouldn't be the school's job to provide for students whose parents didn't buy food.
"I think it's pretty fair gotta tech kids to contribute, Food is cheap these days. Can't tell me no one can afford to spend 5 f**king dollars at Walmart or some other place to buy some cookies at least. If you're really that broke you probably shouldn't have kids to begin with," one argued.
"It's called 'making parents accountable' send a snack to be a part like everyone else or at least communicate with the teacher if you are having a hard times but it's not fair to the parents who participate," another wrote.
"The teacher's delivery is trash I agree, but all parents should contribute to their child's classroom parties.," one parent commented.
Since sharing the note the school has issued a response apologising for the teacher's message to parents.
In the letter shared to Facebook, Meridian Public School District superintendent Dr Amy Carter said "all students will participate and no students will be made to feel uncomfortable if they don't bring refreshments".
"We want our students to view school as a safe space," Dr Carter said. "Our students should know when they come to school that they are in an environment where they are nurtured by their teacher."
Despite receiving a response from the school, Scott told US parenting blog Scary Mommy she was not 100 per cent happy with the outcome.
"I'm not completely satisfied about the (school's) response because I'm not sure something happened to the teacher," she said.
"I appreciate everyone who reached out in this matter. I hope this doesn't happen to anyone else's child."
MUM FINDS 'HORRIBLE' NOTE IN CHILD'S LUNCH BOX
Last month Francesca Easdon took to Facebook to reveal the horrible note she discovered inside her son Kyler's lunch box.
Easdon had enclosed a note inside her son's lunch box telling him she loved him, only for one of his teachers to scribble a message back "to put her son "on a diet and go away".
"Of course I was absolutely livid and immediately reached out to the school," she wrote alongside a photo of the note.
"I am disgusted that I put my trust in these people to care for my child and this is what I get in return. I have removed Kyler from this daycare and am enrolling him in a beautiful new facility."
