We don't do individual things like that - most all are class room. So, if the class get's the most, then the class gets ice cream party, pizza, extended reccess, etc.

Recommendation is to have parents that are not "in the lead" or two teachers do the counting. Not a parent that has her child a chance of winning. Whether there is cheating going on or not, the toughts are there and it's not fair to the child that I am sure has heard that the only reason she wins is because of her mom. Don't put the kids in that situtation either.

Have the principal announce the correct (already established by the count on Friday) winner during the morning announcements. Everything was done on the up and up to that point, so go with the fact that the principal is on your side and give the winning child his due. Sometimes you have to just step up to the plate and swing at your best pitch. Hope you hit this one out of the park.

It's good you have the principal and teachers on your side. What an example for the kids that coorid. is setting.

We have had a King/Queen-Prince/Princess contest at our school for 50 years. When my kids started they wanted to be a part of it. My husband went off (he went to this school, I didn't). He said that kids would sell cookies and work hard to get "votes" (which is money) only to have a mother or grandmother to write a check for $5 over the amount needed for their angel to win. Well I inquired about this. The rules had since changed. There is a bell that announces the deadline for the money in both phases. The teachers will not count the money or accept anymore after that. A committee of staff goes into a room and counts the money. The winners in phase 1 are announced, in phase 2 it is a well kept secret until the night of the ceremony.

Perhaps you could get a committee to set up strict rules for this to avoid any wrong doings and the principal and teachers would enforce it. If you current cooridinator does not like it, perhaps it is time for her to move on. If she has a problem with being fair and honest, she doesn't need to be there anyhow.

We did a contest this year that the child who brings in the most Box Tops/Soup Labels would win a ride to school on a fire truck. The deadline to turn them is was Friday at the end of school.

Our box tops coordinator is neighbors with a parent (who is very competitive) and always makes sure her kids win everything. Well, in the morning I was talking to the coordinator confirming that she was going to collect the box tops after school today and we would gather up volunteers to help count on Monday morning so we could announce the winner at our PTO meeting Monday night.

Well, they decided that they would just take the box tops home and count them over the weekend??? This was a major concern to me personally because I know this mom is a very competitive person and every year her children have attended there, one of their classrooms have been the one to win the prize for the most box tops/labels brought in and such. In the back of my head, I couldn't help but think if they brought these home, they would find who had the highest and then add more to her sons so he would be proclaimed the winner.

I made an appointment with the principal to discuss this concern and right away, she said those are not to be taken off school property because she is responsible for the counting and the results. So she caught the coordinator, who snuck in around 1pm to collect all the classroom envelopes. She told her that she didn't want them taken home and that she'll call some parents to come help count right now.

Well the coordinator was fuming and when I went up there at dismissal, the principal asked if I could come down to help and I said sure . . ..I went down and there was one parent and the coordinator there and they were counting the last envelope. The coordinator gave me the silent treatment and was trying her best not to let me know who the winner was (mind you, I'm the PTO President and this fire truck ride was my idea and I"m the one who set it up with our local fire station). The other mom told me who it was and the coordinator made a comment that he was not the final winner as she was going to collect on Monday morning because she changed the rules.

I expressed that this was a CONTEST and the parents were sent notices TWICE that the deadline was Friday, what's collected on Monday will not count towards the contest and she said "Oh yes they are, I changed the rules and I told the classrooms when I picked up the envelopes that they would". (she's a grandparent up at school and she's stubborn as all get out so I didn't continue the conversation any further).

I went up to the office to get the PTO mail before I left and the principal asked if we had a winner. I explained that there is a winner right now but the coordinator wants to collect on Monday again and then see who the winner was. The principal shook her head no, that the contest ended today and went to talk to the coordinator. There were 3 teachers in the office at the time and they all explained as well that TODAY was the deadline, monday labels schouldn't count!

The coordinator was fuming, mainly at me which really didn't bother me, but the parent who was counting with her, filled me in that neither she nor the "competetive" parent mentioned above had turned their labels in yet??????? So, while I had my suspicion that there was a reasoning behind them wanting to take them home to count them, that fact just confirmed it.

Considering that we discussed the box top contest in the morning, they had plenty of time to go home and bring them up before the end of school deadline????

You know, the kids are the ones we're supposed to be watching so they don't cheat . . ..WE'VE GOT PARENTS THAT WE NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON???

How do you handle that?

We're anticipating the coordinator to come in Monday morning and give up her box tops duty, so we'll see.