And the school supply list is in--

[beautybelle]

ahhh, homeschooling. Gotta love it.

 

[teacherforhi]

I am a teacher and I don't understand the crazy supply lists that I see from other teachers. Here's mine:

•*pencils (Please bring extra to keep in your pencil box.)
•* notebook paper (To be kept in the classroom.)
•*colored pencils
•*box of Kleenex
•*glue sticks
•*dry-erase markers (This is for your student's use and will be kept in their pencil box.)
•*hi-liters

That's it. The only thing on the list that's for communal use is the notebook paper and the Kleenex. The only reason I have communal notebook paper is that, historically, certain students will waste dozens of sheets drawing and then not have any when they need it for class. It's easiest for me to just hand out paper when they need it.

I have yet to understand why any teacher needs 20 boxes of gallon-size Ziploc bags or, even better, my niece's supply list has coffee filters on it. I told my sister not to buy those unless the teacher could justify what educational need they would fulfill.

 

[aprilgail2]

Just wait until high school. Our twins are going into 9th grade and they both need graphing calculators--these will be #3 and 4 that we will have to buy as DS17 "lost" his first one after some kid took it out of his back pack. They are $100+ EACH.

They are no longer allowed to ask parents to buy them here- that was passed a few years back- the schools must provide them for each student if they want them to use them.

 

[DarthKTrava]

What kills me about these lists is that DD's says at the top "Do Not Label Your Supplies With Your Child's Name". So I'm guessing these are "community" supplies. That irritates me a little because I suspect there will be parents who will send ZERO supplies. I get that some people cannot afford supplies and I would have no problem making a donation in some sort of way, but to go out and buy supplies for my child like I am asked to do and then have them "shared" does not sit well with me.

I'd still label with the child's name anyways. It's for him/her, not the whole class.

One coworker had a list for his son (who stays with his ex) that had 150 pencils on it! What the heck was a 6yr old going to do with that many freaking pencils?!?!?! He didn't buy that many, certainly. It was ridiculous. Were they asking HIM to buy for the WHOLE SCHOOL? I know I wouldn't do so. If I were going to buy all that, it stays AT HOME UNTIL THE STUDENT NEEDS IT.

 

[HsvTeacher]

Our PTO has bought the basic supplies for the last few years. It's nice because all of the kids have the exact same stuff. The teachers do occasionally request that parents send in a box of tissues or other supplies and I have no problem contributing.

Since we don't have to buy school supplies for our kids, our family sponsors the school supplies for a low-income child in the area through DH's work. We'll get the information soon which includes the age and sex of the child plus favorite color and character/sport/other interest. We buy a new backpack, fill it with the listed supplies and a new book and DH's work throws in a $100 GC for clothes.

I just wanted to give you a great big THANK YOU! I teach 2nd grade. It's absolutely heartbreaking to watch a child come in on the first day of school and have no school supplies. They don't understand why mom or dad can't afford school supplies or simply choose not to buy them.

You can imagine what it's like to see their face when someone brings down a bag of school supplies from the office. (Thank goodness, we also have kind souls who donate school supplies! ) It's just like Christmas morning! So, thanks again for making a difference in a child's life!

 

[Buckalew11]

New crayons are a must though, and yes, they must be crayola. I'd never make my kids color with RoseArt-waxy little suckers!

I never use Roseart either. Why even bother making them. They are terrible.

ahhh, homeschooling. Gotta love it.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Not that you don't need supplies but you certainly don't need a lot of the goofy stuff,

 

[aprilgail2]

I just wanted to give you a great big THANK YOU! I teach 2nd grade. It's absolutely heartbreaking to watch a child come in on the first day of school and have no school supplies. They don't understand why mom or dad can't afford school supplies or simply choose not to buy them.

You can imagine what it's like to see their face when someone brings down a bag of school supplies from the office. (Thank goodness, we also have kind souls who donate school supplies! ) It's just like Christmas morning! So, thanks again for making a difference in a child's life!

My daughter does something local like that- she has run her own school supply drive and donated them all to local needy kids and this year her girl scout troop is doing their bronze award by collecting school suppliesand backpacks and packing them for needy kids so they will have everything they need for the first day of school, they are trying to get a new set of clothes for each one too.

 

[Mandychelle79]

Its this time of the year that Im glad I live in Pa. Granted we still dont have a passed budget. But I only need to get my dd her personal things like bookbag, lunch box and clothes

 

[Buckalew11]

Our whole church collects supplies and backpacks each year for kids who need them in the community. It is a fun project!

 

[golfgal]

Can you rent them from the school? DS hs rents them.

No, they don't rent them here. I think there are a few to use in the classrooms if someone forgets one but you can't take them home. Other then being a big expense at first, they will use them for at least 8 years-we would just have to buy them for college if they rented them in high school anyway.

 

[EthansMom]

I just wanted to give you a great big THANK YOU! I teach 2nd grade. It's absolutely heartbreaking to watch a child come in on the first day of school and have no school supplies. They don't understand why mom or dad can't afford school supplies or simply choose not to buy them.

You can imagine what it's like to see their face when someone brings down a bag of school supplies from the office. (Thank goodness, we also have kind souls who donate school supplies! ) It's just like Christmas morning! So, thanks again for making a difference in a child's life!

We're big supporters of education and helping a disadvantaged child feel good about school is something we really think makes an impact. I make sure to get the L.L. Bean backpacks because they last forever (and have a great guarantee).

Many people at DH's employer participate in this program. I think they had over 80 filled backpacks last year. It's really wonderful to work for a company that's willing to fork out thousands of dollars in GC for the school clothes too.

For those interested, I think United Way may have a similar program.

 

[luvmy3]

Walmart has dry erase boards with lines (the kind with two solid lines separated by a dotted line). They carry them in the office supply area next to the other dry erase boards.

Thank you

The reason teachers are specific is that they've learned from past mistakes. We've all learned that Rose Art school supplies are the absolute worst. I take any Rose Art supplies down to the detention room and drop them off there. Ick. Also, if you don't specify, and some kids bring in really good stuff, and others bring in really crappy stuff.......there's going to be jealousy and all kinds of problems.

TARGET has dry erase boards with lines in their Dollar Section.

I"ll check Target $spot (I already checked the school supply section and the office aisle) first then Walmart.

I realize why some things are asked for like Crayola instead of Roseart but when you are asking for a very specific item with a particular name brand, I don't think its too much to ask that the teacher let the parents know exactly where they can find it.

 

[agnes!]

...I realize why some things are asked for like Crayola instead of Roseart but when you are asking for a very specific item with a particular name brand, I don't think its too much to ask that the teacher let the parents know exactly where they can find it.

Probably impractical, but I like this idea .

We ran into Impossible Dream Items a couple of years in grade school. Can't remember exactly (by the time the kid gets to high school you forget a few things about 2nd grade) but the teachers asked for *VERY* specific things but nothing seemed to be available *anywhere*...it was really frustrating. My friends & I would be like "Did you find it yet?" "No, did you?"

And I still think my friend who ordered online from an office-supply place when the kids were in grade school/middle school was brilliant.

agnes!

 

[luvmy3]

Probably impractical, but I like this idea .

We ran into Impossible Dream Items a couple of years in grade school. Can't remember exactly (by the time the kid gets to high school you forget a few things about 2nd grade) but the teachers asked for *VERY* specific things but nothing seemed to be available *anywhere*...it was really frustrating. My friends & I would be like "Did you find it yet?" "No, did you?"

And I still think my friend who ordered online from an office-supply place when the kids were in grade school/middle school was brilliant.

agnes!

I don't think its any more impractical than a parent running around with her 3 kids all summer trying to find the specific items that are on the list only to find they were only carried in one store and sold out

We had something new this year, we could order supplies from Staples or office depot. An order form was sent home before the last day with prices on it, supposedly the teachers had given a list of exactly what they needed. I didn't order because it was pretty pricey compared to what I can get on my own and I'm glad I didn't. Half the specific stuff that was on the real list sent home with the report cards wasn't on the order form so I would have had to go out and find that stuff anyway.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Here in high school we don't get a list for supplies.

So, we show up the first day of school with a backpack or tote bag or whatever and paper and binders and pencils. That's about it.

THEN after about a week they give us a list PER CLASS. It's frusterating because by then all the good supplies are taken

DD16 will be a junior in High School and this is how it goes for her too...EXCEPT...she gets the lists from the teachers the first day and is expected to have all the items the very next day! Usually the requests are very, very basic in high school though. Basically notebook/binder, dividers, paper, pencils, the occassional specialty item but really very simple. Usually no crayons/markers/glue/scissors.

DS13 going into 8th grade will have a list but usually nothing too crazy now that he's in middle school.

Elementary school was a killer with weird and random supply requests and the never ending list. Middle and high school seem more straightforward.

Oh, and Mrs. Pete, some of DD16's high school teachers have taken to giving +1 bonus point on tests or quizes for a box of tissues donated. Even that 1 little point really gets the kids motivated to bring in those tissues!

 

[MM27]

some of DD16's high school teachers have taken to giving +1 bonus point on tests or quizes for a box of tissues donated. Even that 1 little point really gets the kids motivated to bring in those tissues!

I don't think bringing in supplies should, in any way, be tied to grades and/or extra credit points. I ask for tissues each year and I'll get a few boxes here and there. I also wait for BJS to send out their coupons books because they usually have good coupons for Puffs and I'll go buy an eight or twelve pack myself. My school does not supply us with tissues. Some teachers steal a roll of paper towels, the hard rough ones, from the bathroom and have the kids use that.

 

[dvcnewgirl]

What kills me about these lists is that DD's says at the top "Do Not Label Your Supplies With Your Child's Name". So I'm guessing these are "community" supplies. That irritates me a little because I suspect there will be parents who will send ZERO supplies. I get that some people cannot afford supplies and I would have no problem making a donation in some sort of way, but to go out and buy supplies for my child like I am asked to do and then have them "shared" does not sit well with me.

Haha I had a thread on here last year about that. It had hundreds of posts telling me that I was an awful person for wanting to label my supplies. One peson called me "cheap" and "tacky" so I wanted to warn you.

 

[Minnie_me]

Regarding community supplies, let me just try to put it into perspective for you.

I teach pre-K and have 30 students (15 in the a.m., 15 p.m.). If those kids each had their own set of 24 crayons, that would be 720 crayons to keep track of. I've tried labeling them with initials, or numerals, without much luck. It's SO MUCH EASIER to have a couple of baskets of crayons at each table for all to share. Then, when one falls on the floor (which happens approximately 357 times a day), we don't have to all ask, "WHOSE CRAYON IS THIS?!?!"

 

[Erin1700]

Are these lists from private schools or public schools? Here in PA public school, you need a backpack and a lunchbox. I send my kid with pencils too, but they are not necessary.

 

[momof1princess]

well, i went to my local wal-mart today, all i needed was a clear backpack (last year, they had DOZENS in stock, even after school started) and there wasn't a single clear backpack to be found! so i go to k-mart, and the only clear backpack they had was $18.99! DH said let's drive over to academy sports (just 2 blocks away) and see what they have-i was skeptical, b/c their prices are usually pretty high-but they had a clear, pink backpack for $9.99!