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The Cost of Kindergarten - Ask #12 - The Raffle

Date: April 2016
What the ask was: As you can tell, I'm not against giving money to our school.  But, I am opposed to having kids take time away from learning and/or playing in order to sell raffle tickets.  I really don't think this achieves any objective in our society.  Also, I have really bad memories of going door-to-door in my neighborhood growing up selling magazine subscriptions, and I have equally bad memories of carrying around boxes of chocolate which I would just eat (and pay for) instead of sell to other people.  For the MX raffle, the kids are encouraged to "sell sell sell."  Specific tips include hanging around Bart stations during rush hour.  Top kid sellers get prizes.  
What we gave: $3
Why we gave that amount: For Star's class to get a popsicle party, each kid has to sell at least one raffle ticket.  So, we bought exactly one raffle ticket and returned the rest of the packet.

ask #1 - $1,111
ask #2 - $49
ask #3 - $31
ask #4 - $3
ask #5 - $10
ask #6 - $20
Fall 2015 After School - $2950
ask #7 - $10
ask #8 - $30
ask #9 - $0
Winter Break - $325
ask #10 - $5
ask #11 - $32
Spring Break 2016 - $205
ask #12 - $3
.....................................
Running Total: $4,784

The Cost of Kindergarten - Spring Break 2016

Date: Spring Break 2016
What the ask was: Sometimes, I feel that life is just a constant effort of shaming working moms.  Here's an example.  A few weeks ago, I adjusted my work schedule to go to Star's Lunar New Year parade at school.  It was super cute and I'm glad I went.  Then, the following week, I took a full day off from work to chaperone all the Kindergarten classes on a Ferry ride in the bay.  But, then there was the opportunity to be show up at school at 8:45am on a random day to watch her class sing a 10 minute song.  That means I wouldn't get to work until about 10am, and that would make me a shitty employee.  It feels like I'm always balancing - should I be a shitty employee or a shitty mom?  Ugh.  So, anyway, about Spring Break.  I have to work which makes me feel like a shitty mom, but Star loves her camp, so maybe I'm a great mom?  Anywho...
What we gave: $205
Why we gave that amount: Earlier, I talked about how Scott and I both work full time.  So, when Star has a week off from school, I said that I budget about $450 for a week of camp.  But, I think I should revise that estimate down.  The older she gets, the more options there are for day camps, and the cheaper they are.  This week, she is at a City of Berkeley Camp at Willard Park which is an easy walk from our house.  She's there from 9am - 6pm.  They go on field trips and do arty stuff.  Yesterday, she came home with a visor that makes her look like she's playing poker in South Florida.  It feels like the most basic kind of day camp in a good way.  She's happy, and I'm happy that it's close to our house (easier drop offs and pickups), and that it's way below my previous estimate of $450 per week.  

ask #1 - $1,111
ask #2 - $49
ask #3 - $31
ask #4 - $3
ask #5 - $10
ask #6 - $20
Fall 2015 After School - $2950
ask #7 - $10
ask #8 - $30
ask #9 - $0
Winter Break - $325
ask #10 - $5
ask #11 - $32
Spring Break 2016 - $205
.....................................
Running Total: $4,781

The Cost of Kindergarten - ask #11

Date: March 15, 2016
What the ask was: School is having a second picture day.  Not a makeup picture day, but a completely different local company is coming in to take more natural, outdoor pictures.   
What we gave: $32
Why we gave that amount: We bought a small picture package.  

ask #1 - $1,111
ask #2 - $49
ask #3 - $31
ask #4 - $3
ask #5 - $10
ask #6 - $20
Fall 2015 After School - $2950
ask #7 - $10
ask #8 - $30
ask #9 - $0
Winter Break - $325
ask #10 - $5
ask #11 - $32
.....................................
Running Total: $4,576

The Cost of Kindergarten - ask #10

Date: January 12, 2016
What the ask was: For the upcoming auction, our class is doing a class project which will be auctioned off.  The cost of goods to the Mom organizing the project is $64 or $3.20 per child.  
What we gave: $5
Why we gave that amount: It's a bit more than covering just my own daughter.

ask #1 - $1,111
ask #2 - $49
ask #3 - $31
ask #4 - $3
ask #5 - $10
ask #6 - $20
Fall 2015 After School - $2950
ask #7 - $10
ask #8 - $30
ask #9 - $0
Winter Break - $325
ask #10 - $5
.....................................
Running Total: $4,544

The cost of Kindergarten - Winter Break edition

Date: December 2015 / January 2016
What the ask was: Winter Break Camps
What we gave: $325
Why we gave that amount: Like I said in the after school edition, Scott and I both work full time.  Star's school had 2 weeks of break from December 19th, 2015 through January 3rd, 2016.  Even if we didn't work full time, and/or we had vacation from work for those 2 weeks, I don't think we could spend all of our time together.  Don't get me wrong, we all love each other very much and value our time together.  But, too much of a good thing is not good for us.  So, here's what we did.

December 21, 22 and 23 - Head Over Heels gymnastics camp - $210.  We signed up with one of her friends from preschool.  It ran from 9am - 4pm.
December 24, 25, 26 and 27 - Family trip to Monterey.  This obviously had some cost, but it wasn't required in order to send her to Kindergarten and maintain our full time careers, so I'm not counting it in my financial tally.  
December 28 - Sarah's Science camp - $115.  Super fun.  She made an LED fiber optics night light thingy.  
December 29 and 30 - Star was with my parents.
December 31, 1, 2 and 3 - Star, Scott and I had family time.

ask #1 - $1,111
ask #2 - $49
ask #3 - $31
ask #4 - $3
ask #5 - $10
ask #6 - $20
Fall 2015 After School - $2950
ask #7 - $10
ask #8 - $30
ask #9 - $0
Winter Break - $325
.....................................
Running Total: $4,539

The Cost of Kindergarten - asks #7, #8 and #9

Date: December 18, 2015
What the ask was: When Scott dropped Star off at the bus stop, he was asked to contribute to a financial gift for the bus driver.
What we gave: $10
Why we gave that amount: I'm not sure how he arrived at that amount, but I think it's a fine amount.  

Date: December 21, 2015
What the ask was: We were asked to purchase tickets for the Malcolm X auction which will be in February. 
What we gave: $30
Why we gave that amount: Tickets are $15 each.

Date: December 21, 2015
What the ask was: End of Year Appeal.  
What we gave: $0
Why we gave that amount: I still feel like we gave too much for ask #1.

ask #1 - $1,111
ask #2 - $49
ask #3 - $31
ask #4 - $3
ask #5 - $10
ask #6 - $20
Fall 2015 After School - $2950
ask #7 - $10
ask #8 - $30
ask #9 - $0
.....................................
Running Total: $4,214