Now it all comes to a screeching halt...

[DazedandConfused]

Well, that didn't last very long.


I get a call from Son's school. It is the secretary in the counseling office where Son spends a lot of time. Son is very social and chatty with everyone.

It looks like Son stole money from her. *sigh*

Took money for fundraising items and never turned the order or the money in. She told me that she questioned him on it, but he just blew her off and told her "I don't have time for this".

Who knows if there are others. I guess I'm on another fact finding mission. Great. Just great.

Of course, I'm mortified because I'm a school district employee in the same town and I have met this woman, though she doesn't remember me (thank goodness). Then, there's Son's past stealing. He's already in big trouble for being extremely rude and belligerent towards me last week and has lost privileges.

I sincerely apologized to her and told her she WOULD get her money back, plus an apology letter. The money will come from the money my mother gave him for making honor roll. I'm bracing myself for a huge meltdown when I tell him. He was ecstatic when he got that money. I will also remind him of the neighborhood kids that kept his grandmother's money when she purchased items from a fundraiser they were doing. That family made our neighborhood a living nightmare with stealing and chaos until they moved away. So, I will inform Son he acted just like them and remember how they stole money from his beloved grandmother and how upset she was.

Well, it was nice the few hours it lasted......

It's back to GFGdom for me!

 

[klmno]

Ok- I know he shouldn't have done it and needs to be punished BUT from a parent whose son did something similar- asked them HOW?? Did they leave a troubled child in an administrator's office by himself? And if you had done that, who would be blamed?

 

[TerryJ2]

Wow. Darn.
I'm so sorry!

 

[DazedandConfused]

Klmno,

Let me clarify a bit better.

This was a fundraiser that Son was participating in. He went to a few of the staff and asked them if they wanted to make a purchase. Apparently, a few did. He says he had the money in the envelope and turned it in.

The lady that called me spent $17.00. He says there were a couple of others.

I have questioned Son and he is adament that he turned the money in. The teacher that is in charge of the fundraiser had a sub. Son said he went to speak with her and she wasn't there. I do remember seeing the book and order form on his dresser, but I was so busy with two big final exams I had to take, that I neglected to ask him about it.

I want to find out the truth of what happened. I also been in charge of similar fundraisers and know that orders sometimes do get lost. I do hope that is the case, but prepared for just about anything at this point.

Son has a good behavior reputation in school, so I know these staff members would not have given it a thought about any possible stealing.

 

[DammitJanet]

I hate fundraisers! Its too easy for things like this to go on. Either kids do lose the money, take the money, dont think about the fact it is stealing the money if they use it, or it can get lost "on the other end." Parents end up policing the money as if its Fort Knox. In the end, I used to just buy the darned box of candy bars at the beginning of the fundraiser and hand them the cash right then and there and walk out.