Today was pet day at our school. It went very well - two chickens, an iguana, a rabbit, and numerous fish, cats and dogs. A few little squabbles between dogs, but nothing major.
Why, you might be asking, am I sick to my stomach? Well, here's why! This morning after breakfast I decided to go get one of the good digital cameras that I'd personally purchased last summer. I wanted to take good pictures of the kids/pets to use in the yearbook. I'd taken quite a few in the morning at the cafeteria with my phone, but those aren't really yearbook quality photos.
Guess what I found when I went to where I had stored the 4 brand new and unopened digital cameras along with their storage cards? Nothing. I also realized that the one camera which I'd put into use at the beginning of the school year, and which had pictures on it from Johnny Appleseed Day, as well as the motivational speaker ... was also vanished.
These 5 digital cameras plus their cards cost approximately $350. 2 cameras were pretty good ones ($100 on sale) and the other 3 were $25 ones I'd gotten from Big Lots of so-so quality.
I looked everywhere I could think to look for them. My assistant also looked everywhere she could think to look.
Nowhere. Gone. Vanished.
These were the cameras I planned on using with my journalism kids, as well as using for a digital photography unit 2nd semester.
This whole day all I've wanted to do was to kick something or scream or cry or do what I'm doing now (venting and eating junkfood.)
I'm not really upset about the money aspect of it. Although, that IS upsetting. I'm more upset that I'd bought these cameras FOR the kids/for the school. Whomever stole them didn't just hurt me, they have hurt all the kids at our school.
I considered reporting the loss to my renter's insurance, but my deductible is around $1000 I think. It isn't reportable to the school insurance because I hadn't officially donated the items so they have no record of them.
So my otipns are to not replace them - which really isn't an option because I HAVE to have some cameras for the yearbook, and the point and shoot cameras cost as much to develop 5 rolls of film as a low-end good digital camera.
Or, I could spend more of my own money to replace them, which I think I'd probably feel resentful about doing.
Or, which is what I'll probably end up doing, I'll replace one of them with $100 of the library budget, and use my older digital camera I got five or six years ago (not a great camera, but I think it still would be good enough for yearbook photos.)I really hate this option though because it means that I'll have less money to work with on books and other library supplies.
The other thing that is so horrible about this is the speculation about who did it. There are only really three people who knew exactly where they were AND had easy access - me, my assistant, and the IT person. The janitors also both have easy access, but more than likely didn't even know they were there.
I *had* mentioned to several groups of students that we now had digital cameras available to be used for the yearbook and for a digital photography course ... so it could be that one of them told a friend/older brother/sister ....
I just can't let myself speculate about who it might have been.
One thing I am doing is making sure I have a locked cabinet to put things in from now on. I also am going to be fanatical about locking the whole building up *every* time I leave it.
I just don't get how anyone connected with the school could do something like this ... knowing that they weren't stealing from ME, but they were stealing from the kids!!
Sick to my Stomach!!
October 4th, 2012 at 10:33 pm
October 4th, 2012 at 10:44 pm 1349390659
As I was reading I was thinking, "She really needs a little safe or locking file cabinet or just take this stuff home with her."
I would use money from the library budget for a digital camera and then keep it under lock and key.
Unfortunatly, I think when someone steals they don't care who it hurts down the road.
October 4th, 2012 at 10:54 pm 1349391255
I don't have a locking cabinet yet, but that is something I am working on getting ASAP. When I do get the replacement camera, it will be coming home with me every night - at least until I have a locking cabinet. (The storage cabinet has a locking mechanism, but it is non-functioning, so worthless.
Yeah, you are probably right about a person who steals not caring about who they hurt.
October 4th, 2012 at 11:21 pm 1349392882
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October 4th, 2012 at 11:51 pm 1349394681
I did tell my principal - that's how I found out that it wouldn't be covered by the mission's insurance. I also told/ranted about it to my asst. and the IT person. I just realized though that whoever took the cameras couldn't be someone very much in the know - because they didn't take the video camera in the other closet - something much more valuable than the 5 digital cameras combined. (which I will be taking home tomorrow!!)
October 5th, 2012 at 12:49 am 1349398144
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October 5th, 2012 at 01:09 am 1349399370
Laura, did you say there is a Family Dollar in your town? I saw $10 digital cameras at F.D. last time I was in there. Vivitar brand. Maybe they could be better than cell phone cameras?
October 5th, 2012 at 01:29 am 1349400567
I'd contribute $10 to your paypal account to add to the fund. Maybe you can find a camera club or camera dealer or a corporate sponsor to help offset the cost. The other thought is to post on kijiji to see if anyone has one because they've upgraded to a newer model. Good luck.
October 5th, 2012 at 01:29 am 1349400591
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October 5th, 2012 at 04:47 am 1349412434
I mentioned what happened to several of the Navajo teacher assistants who told me that they'd keep their ears to the ground. I also was given the suggestion tonight to go visit some of the local pawn shops and see if anything had landed there -- I have a photocopy of the front of the two expensive cameras boxes, which may be helpful.
I will check at Family Dollar and see if they have the $10 camera, and if they do I'll try one out.
I'm feeling much better tonight after having dinner at one of the teacher's houses with two other staff members, and seeing your sweet comments also definitely has helped.
Thank you again!
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