Our school had a Christmas party tonight. It was supposed to be a very nice event. However, when we walked in, some people had brought their own party in a bottle. They had their bottles of alcohol sitting right on the table. Quite a number of teachers were drinking. No one was sloppy drunk or anything--at least not before I left--but gosh. The P and AP were there and our spouses were there. It just seemed really tacky and disrespectful. I was so surprised! I would NEVER drink at a school party. These are people I want to maintain a respectful relationship with. I certainly see a few of them in a totaly different light. Especially once the music started and the dancing began. Don't get me wrong. I keep a bottle of wine in the fridge and MIGHT drink with one or two close school friends--but not the whole school. This wasn't just wine--but bottles of liquer. What are people thinking? I can't imagine what the P and AP were thinking. I was embarrassed that we had so many spouses there, witnessing this. ACK!
We have our school Christmas parties at someones house and many of us drink anything from beer to wine to liquor. We know we are all adults and adults do drink including our principal. No one gets drunk and obnoxious. I really don't see anything wrong with it.
That seems quite distasteful to me. I realize that teachers have lives, and we do drink occasionally, but... that seems really informal. I can see a glass of wine, but beer and liquor is just a bit... no. just, no.
I think we look at our Christmas party as an informal gathering among the teachers and principal. It is our time to relax and visit with each other socially. We do have some teachers that do not drink at all but they still attend. The staff at our school is very close for the most part and I guess that is why we feel comfortable drinking. I have been at our school 12 years and we do it every year. Actually we have a bonfire in the fall and a picnic in the summer and there is always some drinking. I really can't recall anyone getting drunk, just social drinking. I guess it really just depends on the type of relationship the staff has with each other.
Go 4th, so how long did you stay? If it was that uncomfortable to be there, you should have left. Maybe not leave the moment you got there, but a lot sooner than you planned since you saw how the evening was turning out. You don't have to tell anyone the reason why you're leaving so soon, just leave. I'm not a drinker at all, period, not even a glass of wine once in a blue moon. I think people expect those of certain professions to be classy, prim, & proper, but that's not the case. No one knows what anyone does in the privacy of their own home. Many teachers do a lot more than what you think. On Monday morning, no need to feel awkward or unable to look certain people in the eye. Just act like nothing happened & be back to your usual professional self.
Our school parties have an open bar. So, yes, I've had a glass of wine with my boss and co-workers. And back in the early days we had a DJ and dancing. But this is different. It was a party being given by the school, and booze was not included. Bringing your own seems incredibly rude. At any social gathering, you come and you accept what the host or hostess has provided. You don't bring your own party.
I did leave a lot earlier than I had origianlly planned. I enjoyed being able to socialize with several people that I don't normally get a chance to. I was just very surprised by the whole thing. If it had been a casual event, just hanging out, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. But this was a very nice, formal event, with spouses and SO's. Neither our P or AP drinks and they were clearly avoiding those who were. It was just embarrassing to have such a nice event, bring our spouses or significant other, and have all the drinking going on. I just thought it was a total lack of respect for the school, the planners, and themselves.
Our school parties are at restaurants or catering places so there ususally is a bar...2 glasses of wine over the course of a 4 hour evening is my limit...especially at work functions. I wouldn't bring a bottle to a work function unless the invitation said to BYOB in which case I would bring a bottle of wine to share.
We had our party the other night and it had a bar at it. Some were drinking lots but that is there choice. It was Friday night. I had one glass of wine. I don't drink a lot esp when I am driving.
I understand what you mean. It was a formal affair & many acted like they were at the beach in their flip flops. Pretty classless in my opinion. There's a certain way to act depending on what type of event it is.
I guess it really depends on your area.. our faculty has happy hour every Friday and its not uncommon for the P to show up and buy a round for everybody
Our party was Friday and it was BYOB. Some of us drank, some of us didn't. The invite specifically stated BYOB so it was up front that booze was going to be available. Our p and vp were there and drank too. It's a social gathering at a private residence. There's a huge difference between socializing at a public restaurant and a private home. Our staff is noted throughout the district for being close and like a family, cutting loose and relaxing with friends is a great way to build community. We karoaked and danced and drank and talked! It was a wonderful time.
It depends on the area, I think. At my school that would never fly, and I would also be uncomfortable, even though I occasionally drink and don't care when others do. I live in the bible belt. However, back home in New England, that wouldn't be a big deal, and I'd be drinking with the rest of them more than likely.
Is this your first year at that school? Perhaps they have a party like this every year? Personally, I wouldn't bring alcohol, but different strokes for different folks I guess.
You don't have control over what others do and there's always someone who's going to do things differently. We have our school party at school so there's no alcohol. We occasionally do get together at a local restaurant and have a few drinks. One glass of wine is my limit.
Once out and about, I have no problem with any adult having a beverage of choice. As long as the party was not on school grounds, it seems (to me) as it should not be frowned upon. Even at a nice event, individuals should be able to drink what they want to... until the bong comes out that is. Although I do not drink a lot, I will have "something" sometimes. I am not a wine drinker and would not expect to be obligated to have a glass or drink something non-alcoholic in its' place. I like fruity drinks... wine coolers, fuzzy navels, etc. I would not be concerned about this event at all. Our Christmas party is next week at a teacher's home which is definitely "higher class". However, it'll be a BYOB and that will open the "bars" wide open. Hope you had a good time even though you were shocked at drink selections.
Personally I didn't go to our Christmas party because we had to pay. I went to my bf's (who's not a teacher) and they had an open bar......nearly everyone there was drinking. At the other school I worked at we always had the party at the school so there was no alcohol...However the end of the year party was at a restaurant and some were drinking and some were not. I don't see a problem with adults drinking around other adults at a party.
Our district party invitation specifically says bring your own alcoholic beverages as they will not be provided. It's held off campus. I've never gone, but not because of the drinking.
Our staff Christmas party is always BYOB, some people do, most people don't, but no one cares what everyone else does. Even people who do drink usually don't bother to bring alcohol. Our principal has the party at her house, which also might make a difference. This year, the classroom teachers are mad at our principal for a variety of reasons and only 7(!) people went to the party. Our secretary, cafeteria manager and husband, a first year teacher, a PE teacher and our AP and husband. We have a total staff of about 70. Principal said there must have been alot of other parties that night!
That doesn't offend me. I don't care for beer and seldom drink wine, so I'd have had a mixed drink at an event like that.
I am not surprised that teachers would drink alcohol at a Christmas party. But it should never be allowed if the party was held on school property.
I just dropped my principal a note. Ours is tonight, in a lovely catering hall (with an open bar.) And I had already RSVP'd that I would go. But I'm in a foul mood this week after my last doctor's visit. So I'm begging off. I don't want to be the wet blanket at the party.
You know, it just occurred to me that we have never had any kind of faculty Christmas gathering, and this is my third year. However, the last two years we all went out to lunch on our last inservice day for the whole year--after lunch you are allowed to go home--and I've had a mixed drink (and other teachers have had assorted adult beverages) at the BBQ place. The principal wasn't there, though. Interesting. . .
We've always had a catered lunch the last day of school after the students have gone where we do a gift exchange. And there is no alcohol. We have had a gathering at another teacher's house where there has been drinking, but it wasn't "official".
We had our Christmas party at a restaurant and people were complaining that they didn't have mixed drinks. My school has a really small staff-about 15 certified teachers and then paras, secretaries, and custodians. We've had weekend get-togethers before and people drank. I don't really drink myself, but it doesn't bother me. What does bother me is that they'll bring their kids over and drink with the kids there. (Not at the Christmas party, just on occasional weekend get togethers.) Some of the staff have kids that go to our school. I would never want to drink in front of one of my students, even if their parent (another staff member) was ok with it. Not that I usually drink anyway!
