Methods of fundraising were the usual activities...bake sales, raffles you name it. About that time bingos offered the opportunity for organizations to act as volunteers to run a bingo. The school had 12 bingos a year and I worked two.
Another fundraising opportunity came up when Coca Cola and Pepsi would put vending machines in the schools and schools shared some of the profits. Our Principal brought this idea up at a staff meeting. It was more or less a report as we didn't have votes on any issues. I expressed my disagreement on having pop machines in the school. This is ancient history you know the arguments against pop machines. Other teachers had that bored look on their faces which said, "Shut up so we can get out of here." We were also getting vending machines for candy bars and chips.
I didn't get very far expressing my opinion at the staff meeting. Since the Principal was a good friend, I paid him a visit in his office. I pushed my ideas. I wasn't going to give up without a good effort. It was the principle of the thing. Using vending machines to get kids to part with their money seemed somewhat unethical. Finally, my Principal said, "You and I will have to agree to disagree." And that was it. I know when it's over.
Vending machines were installed. Coke was the choice. Buckets of money were made for the school. They even sold me a coke a day.
Well now, twenty-five years later, what has happened? Vending machines have been taken out of schools. Many principals fought long and hard to keep the vending machines. Vending machines were finally removed from schools after a lengthy debate.
So I take note that it took twenty-five years but I was right all the time.
No vending machines in this school. This was my first year of teaching in a one room country school.
When I was teaching we only had vending machines for the staff in the staff lounge.
ReplyDeleteWe had two large machines. It's a little different at middle school.One teacher volunteered to keep them stocked.
DeleteI would have starved some days if there had not been a vending machine in the lobby...but that was a long time ago. My Grandsons who are tall boys six feet plus are starving with Mrs Obamas School Lunch program it may be fine for prissy little girls but tall boys with hollow legs need real food:)
ReplyDeleteIs real food available from vending machines?
DeleteKeith will you start using threads Camdians can't be as dumb as
DeleteThere was a major change in the US and yes good food is available from vending machines.
DeleteOh wow! A one room school house? That is fantastic. And yes, you were very right! They should have listened to you. We never had vending machines for kids at our school, just for the teachers.
ReplyDeleteMy first year teaching and I learned so much. I had one year teacher training and was 18 when I started. Scary eh?
DeleteThat gives me hope. There are a couple of arguments I'm still hoping to win - in the long run!
ReplyDeleteI think we all have a few things we'd like to see go the other way.
Deletethink they might not need the caffeine.I wouldn't allow it when I taught, my ADHD kids were hyper enough.
ReplyDeleteAdhd kids don't need any extra encouragement. For that matter regular kids don't need any extra stimulation.
DeleteOh I unfortunately think having just coke and pop in the vending machines has made for a lot of overweight kids that came out of there. They had no choice but to drink or eat the junk back then. Good for the school for revenue I know but in the long run bad for a whole generation of kids. Just my opinion here:) Hug B
ReplyDeleteThe sad part is that many parents gave their kids excellent lunches and the lunch went in the garbage.
DeleteI didn't know Mrs Obama had a shcool lunch program "far side of fifty" and I agree with you - tall boys or girls with hollow legs need real food, not chocolate bars and potato chips - "real food" can be sold in vending machines. All I can say is that my Momma packed us 6 kids powerful lunches - no prissy little stomachs in our household. ha,ha Congrats Red on being right.
ReplyDeleteIn our day schools did not have vending machines and yes we had super lunches.
DeleteI am glad they took vending machines out of schools, especially the Coke machines, which is nothing but sugar and caused plenty of addictions, I'm sure. Why can't they have vending machines with real food in them? I see them in other places than in schools, so I know it's possible. Congratulations on having finally been vindicated, Red! :-)
ReplyDeleteI was one who had a coke addiction although only one a day. Why not so many vending machines with good food? It doesn't sell.
Deletethe more wealthier kids in my school spent tons of money on sodas and crappy candies. every.single.day. i was too poor to entertain that idea - and i'm glad i never did. :)
ReplyDelete...and our kids have more money than ever today.
DeleteYou were so right, I think you have to avoid a commercial bond between a school and a firm and specially one with bad suger sweets like candy bars and coca cola! I can't remember we had such machines in school when I was young and even not at my children's
ReplyDeleteschool. Those opinions have changed a lot now with the obese suffering young children. They have to eat healthy food instead of sweets.
You have a key term "commercial bonding". Coke wanted to get to their customers as early as possible.
DeleteI love the picture that is great! I agree with you that vending and drink machines were not the best ideas for raising money at school. There was a big scandal at our school over this. Oh well live and learn.
ReplyDeleteWe only had them in the high school cafeteria, never in earlier grades.
ReplyDeleteI was in Middle School and all Middle schools had them.
DeleteYou were exactly right!!
ReplyDeleteIt's not surprising that so many people agree with me.
DeleteTen students! I bet these kids got a great education. And all that soda and candy just served to make kids fat, so you were right not to want them in the schools.
ReplyDeleteYou counted! There were three gr ones, two gr twos, a gr 3, gr4, gr 5 , gr7 and gr9. This system gave very poor results as for each period you had to cover 8 grades. Very few kids learned to read.
DeleteI only remember we had choc milk and white milk in the public school no vendors. My Mom let me buy white milk and on Friday I was allowed the chocolate milk as a treat.
ReplyDeleteMilk man sat the milk outside the class room. We had to put order in a week ahead for the week.
In high school were vendors. Grade nine and up to grade 13 then. I never bought anything. I took lunch.
In mornings before High-school. Went across te street was a restaurant called the slop shop. And Juke boxes on each sit in bench type seats. Every morning I had french fries and coke. I was spoiled. My dad never knew. He dropped me off at the high. I waited till he got a far distance away down the hill and I then would go over. It was a real hang out of grade 12 bikers from the high. . My best friends brother was a biker and drove this awesome bike the large handle bars. . Black Jacket Elvis slicked down hair look big big shades. . So I knew all the guys. They were in Grade 12. I was just starting high. I loved those days. Like the Fonz from Happy Days.. Awesome. We all would sit and play the oldies. As that was my generation. Coke and french-fries with gravy. After school was Banana splits or Milkshakes.
I know now even thought the machines are gone. Kids will end up elsewhere to eat wrong foods.. That's kids.
I can't believe you were such a sneaky rebel! Many kids,including me , did many things behind our parents backs. One of my friends kids came to school in the morning and immediately went across to seven/eleven. She always bought 7 bucks worth of junk.
DeleteGood for you. Someone has to fight the good fight. At least you tried. Junk food shouldn't be in schools.
ReplyDeleteRed I love the photo of your one room school!
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats on finally winning the battle, I couldn't agree more, vending machines do not belong in schools!
When I took the principal's course in 2006, the others, some working V-Ps, talked about getting kick backs from these companies. They were in schools as late as then! Don't get me going on junk food! My daughter bakes her own pizza for the kids on pizza days, theirs is so awful!
ReplyDeleteThat was interesting! Only if the principal knew that after many years those vending machines woukd be pulled out from the school. I wonder what he'd say now if you tell him "see? I was right back then " :)
ReplyDelete