Conflicted Feelings (a bit long sorry...just bear with me!)

[Lanie_momofone]

 Ok, so last year i started volunteering at my DD's school, in the nutrition room, making the snacks (they have a snack program..they feed 450 students every day but thursdays , when the church comes in with muffins and milk). Before me there was a lady name Rhonda, well once i started she showed up maybe 5 times between May-June. Which fine whatever, my problem was that i would go into the office, sign in...LOOK at the secratery and she wouldnt say ANYTHING to me, so i went ahead and did the snacks, it was ONLY on the days that Rhonda came in, that the secretary would come in with me being there for about 30-45 minutes already and tell me that what i was doing was wrong, and she didnt want me to make what i was making ..so i would have to toss that food and make what she wanted. (alot more happend), when i talked to the prinicipal about it she said she couldnt do anything because Rhonda has been there longer then me.

So...this year, it was just ME doing the snack program, i have been doing it on my own from September until November. I started getting respect from the secretary, there were a couple of times when we butted heads (like the time that she wanted to get the health nurse to come in the same room, where i was preparing food...to give the 8th graders needles for their trip!), i stated very clearly that there wasnt enough room for the both of us at that time, (plus...its not exactly healthy!).

Well i guess i pissed her off. Shortly after that the kitchen got new locks for the cuboards, the Secretary gave me a key for them...because i was the only one in the kitchen. (we have problems with teachers taking food without asking first).

About a week after that we got another volunteer....Inga, she was great...i was still getting respect from the secretary, and she was still swinging idea's to me and what not. THEN...we get another volunteer ..Sasha, well within three days...me getting respect from the Secretary went out the window, i walked into the office to sign in, and she was talking to Sasha about the snack program (now..when there are three of us its a TEAM effort.), you know the secretary just glanced at me and kept talking to Sasha, like i wasnt even standing there...like i had NOTHING to do with the snack program.

Now i am getting told by Sasha, how they do things ...i try to make a suggestion , and say ...well me and the kids (we have students helping as well), have found that this way is alot faster and easier, and i get told by Sasha, yea well we arent going to do it that way....uhm excuse me ?

Dont get me wrong, i know that its a team effort..but why ...WHY was it last year i get told i shouldnt feel bad about the disrespect because Rhonda has been there longer, but now im the one that has been there longer and I AM the one getting disrespected?

Now, when i go in...i come back home feeling like sh^t, like im being laughed at ..because i show up and i know that im not wanted there at all.

So last week i started the library on wednesdays, and i had alot of stuff to do last week (and i felt like crap..so i gave myself time off of the snack program), and the secratery called me on friday and asked for the key back..because she didnt have anymore! (there are three copies of the keys, which means that inga and sasha have the other two).

I have conflicting feelings because ....

1) I am using the vice principal as a reference for job searching, and dont want to do anything to take that reference away.

2) Its something that i can volunteer and still babysit with (i babysit every monday..there are toys in the kitchen that the child i babysit can play with , while i snacks are being made).

3) for some reason i have this ....feeling of loyalty to the snack program, like i would feel like crap if i just walked away from it now...

Im thinking of asking the principal if there is anything else i can do in the school , with a child. But i SOO want to bring up the way the secretary has been treating the volunteers that she doesnt like, but i dont know if thats going to fix anything or if that is going to cause more issues.

[Lanie_momofone]

 anyone?

[megarooniduh]

I would

1. Bring up the situation with the principal
2. Not let people walk over me
3. Not volunteer somewhere that I am not getting any respect at

 

[lilmomade]

i'll bite 1st :)

i personally would talk to the secetary and find out what her real problem is. just tell her how u feel maybe she feels diff... then i would say something to the principal. i think ur takin it to heart too much. u never know maybe the kids do feel the other way is easier. if it bothers u tell the other ladies how u feel. maybe u could help with organizing school functions or tutoring, or a diff after school program. theres got to be something else, hey there is even girl scouts idk good luck tho!

[Lanie_momofone]

Quoting lilmomade:

i'll bite 1st :)

i personally would talk to the secetary and find out what her real problem is. just tell her how u feel maybe she feels diff... then i would say something to the principal. i think ur takin it to heart too much. u never know maybe the kids do feel the other way is easier. if it bothers u tell the other ladies how u feel. maybe u could help with organizing school functions or tutoring, or a diff after school program. theres got to be something else, hey there is even girl scouts idk good luck tho!

Thanks for your reply, i dont think there is any way to talk to the secretary, she really is a "B", i can see it in her face..she knows exactly what she is doing.  And its an adult (Sasha), that had the attitude that her way was better period.

This whole thing bothers me because , for the past two years i have been sitting at home doing nothing, feeling like im not much more than a mom, then i got into doing the snack program and i started feeling better about myself, and the principal at the end of last year was talking to my SO (we are both on the school council) and told him that she hopes that i stayed on as the volunteer of the snack program because she has some idea's she wants me to run for the program...but i never heard anything more about it.

I take my time after school , to go into the snack program and do a quick clean up from the other's events in the room that day, i have always gone in after school and removed the banana's and apples from their boxes after they have been delivered, so that the moist doesnt spoil them. (to save the school some money).

Im there at 8:00 - 8:15 am, until about 10 every day ...i dont know, i just put everything i had into it, for a couple of reasons.

1) It made ME feel good about myself
2) It made my 7 yr dd proud of me (you should see her face when she see's me delivering the snacks to the classes).