Extortion?? (ok, that's harsh but...)

[sshookup]

Since when do CCS students have to pay to get their photos in the school year book?  $15.00 for seniors to sit for pictures.  This is
a sitting fee? and I totally disagree with it.

[mary51802]

I have NEVER heard of this at all!  School pictures were always paid for by taxes as part of the school agenda. I know times are tight but this is not fair to the students who cannot afford it.

Something is wrong here for sure. Sounds like the airlines charging for everything. There are plenty of us who do not have kids in Chatham paying taxes to schools too so there should be a surplus.

[sshookup]

Any local photographers should advertize here if you do this sort of package.  There are plenty of people looking for alternatives to LIFETOUCH.

[Silk_Hope]

Fundraisers are a peeve of mine, kids come home excited that if they sell a certain amount the can attend a party, what is the school going to do when a child doesn't make the quota yet his/her class mates do?

Also music instruments are another racket. Rentals are $30 a month, what if a family can't afford that?

[artymarty]

There has been a sitting fee for Senior portraits since I was at Northwood, and that was a long time ago!

The Lifetouch portraits do suck.  The band director at Northwood takes much better pictures and you get a lot more for your money.

[NHSParent]

We have used Portrait Innovations, very good and great prices. Cary, Apex, Raleigh

[natvrabit]

I have NEVER heard of this at all!  School pictures were always paid for by taxes as part of the school agenda. I know times are tight but this is not fair to the students who cannot afford it.

Something is wrong here for sure. Sounds like the airlines charging for everything. There are plenty of us who do not have kids in Chatham paying taxes to schools too so there should be a surplus.

Well, I grew up here and if you wanted that photo op, 'you' paid for it yourself and not via the general public.
It was the same way for my band uniform/instrument. Personal expense, because I elected to become involved in that.
Remember the cut the fat mantra!

[hulahoop]

it won't help you with the sitting fee thing, but EPiC photo takes AMAZING senior portraits.  They're very unique and really capture the unique essence of each teenager.  You can check some of them out on facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sanford-NC/EPiC-Photo/123508391011923?ref=ts

or their website

http://www.epicphotoonline.com/

[cccoach]

Fundraisers are a peeve of mine, kids come home excited that if they sell a certain amount the can attend a party, what is the school going to do when a child doesn't make the quota yet his/her class mates do?

Also music instruments are another racket. Rentals are $30 a month, what if a family can't afford that?

I agree on both accounts - I despise fund-raisers and have avoided them like the plague, although I admit I need to figure out something for my band program. Band instrumental are a pretty good racket too, the retail price and the rental price aren't even close. I usually send parents to Craigslist and Ebay with some guidance. Even then band instruments are expensive. I think music should be for all students. To that end I've got 38 acoustic guitars through grants, many of them funded by the fine people of Chatham County. I know Chatham Central and Northwood are working on this same model too, I can't think of a situation where the price of the instrument has been the defining factor of whether a student participates in band or not.

[sshookup]

For horns there's a great alternative to renting, buy used from Marsh's Woodwinds in Raleigh.  They are great guys and better musicians and it's just a cool place.  I think it's still there.  
http://www.marshwoodwinds.com/

[Silk_Hope]

I borrowed a woodwind from a family member and it is in the shop right now for repair and cleaning. Being a music dummy I about fell over when I saw entry level instruments at a store in Burlington for $1000 to $1500. I will stick with used.

[mary51802]

I grew up in Chicago and we never paid for portraits, band uniforms, cheerleading uniforms etc. The only thing was band kids had to rent the instruments.

We never even paid for the yearbook. Oh well.

[Everett McGill]

Just because "we've always done it that way"  does not mean it has to continue. 

Who is in charge of making the decision to invite LifeExtortion.....uhh I mean LifeTouch to serve their....ooops I mean our needs?

It is time for a Real Change here.  Change we can believe in.

Seriously.

[cccoach]

I borrowed a woodwind from a family member and it is in the shop right now for repair and cleaning. Being a music dummy I about fell over when I saw entry level instruments at a store in Burlington for $1000 to $1500. I will stick with used.

Yep -

The funny part is that if you check craigslist or ebay during the off season ( middle of school year) you'll find the same instruments for about 10% of the value.

[Snowball]

Some of the profits from photos and rings go to the individual school. Is that bad? Just asking. At least it keeps money in the county.

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