What???

So I get this broadcast e-mail from Rachel's school every school day that outlines the schedule and addresses any thoughts or concerns the principal may have regarding school policy changes, etc. for parents to keep "in the loop".

Todays, including all the regular stuff, is a plea for help. There is a plan in place for the district to lose 19.3 million dollars in funding from the state, or $590 per student next year. They want to solicit donations of any amount anyone can afford to send, and they list the people who are being let go because of the budget cuts (including librarians for ALL schools, which kind of ticked me off.)

Anyway, later in the e-mail it outlines the schedule for the next two months. Apparently the 7th grade band goes to Disneyland this week, and the 8th grade band goes to Magic Mountain at the end of the week, and next month all the 8th graders go to Knotts Berry farm, and then the day before the last day of school all the 8th graders go to Boomer's, (another amusement-style park here), and the last day of school the 8th graders have a huge party at the school where they (according to Rachel) are allowed to wreak havoc on the school and the teachers and "tell them what they really think about them". There is no class schedule, and the kids are provided pretty much all you can eat food, munchies, and mayhem they can get themselves into.

Um... HUH? If we are going into a year where we are having to fire teachers, assistant principals, and librarians, why are we sending our kids on extravagant field trips, parties, and the like? I get the feeling we are teaching our kids the wrong thing here...