Back to school *vent*

[mum4jenn]

On DD's 5th grade list, the one that I thought was strange was a 50 page package of 12" x 18" WHITE construction paper. Let me just say that only one store in town had it....Office Depot. It was a PITA to find. They go to school for something like 183 days. Divide that by 50 pages and you get 1 huge page of white construction paper used just over every 3rd day. WTH are they doing? Making the world's biggest collection of cut out snowflakes?!?!?!?!?!

Sounds like they will be doing something like a "scrapbook". Not the type like you would make at home but one that they would use for Social Studies or MAth facts, etc.

 

[ouran92]

Wow! That is A LOT! :O I remember when I was back in seventh grade, we didn't need to use half of the stuff.

 

[princessmom29]

At our school (private school), the elementary students pay a $100 supply fee at the beginning of the year and then we buy nothing. That even includes a tote bag (no backpacks allowed for space issues) with her name on it to keep. I do know that by the end of the year, the teacher still has spent quite a bit of their own money for supplies. I personally love paying the one-time fee and then not having to go buy supplies.

For our secondary students (7th -12th), we pay a $50 supply fee. We then have to purchase basic supplies (paper, notebooks, binders, pens) for our children. There are very few special purchases on top of the basic stuff.

I know that many people could probably shop sales and end up spending less than the $100 fee, but the absolute ease of it makes it worth it for me. The teacher buys what she know she needs and there is much less waste.

This is what DD's school does (private) and LOVE it. Everyone has exactly the same supplies and I don't have to run around and gather it all up. Totally worth it. Out fee is $175, but it also includes all field trips for the year, and they do 6-8.

 

[mum4jenn]

Next week's STAPLES ad is online!

 

[punkin]

So true - last year my DS come home with a Science, Social Studies, and 2 Math workbooks, 1 math workbook was used. The others not even touched, and they went right in the garbage. One year he come with a cursive handwriting book, never used at all.

I think that people on this thread are complaining about several distinct issues. One is the cost and the other is the waste. I myself have no issues with the COST of school supplies. My problem is with what you said. There is so much waste. Obviously no one ever thought about what goes on the stupid lists.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Many times when a district chooses a textbook, the textbook company will throw in workbooks as part of the deal. The textbook company will provide workbooks for all students for X amount of years.

In this case sometimes the textbooks are great and workbook aren't.

Thank-you for explaining that to me, I always wondered why they did that.

Just chiming in here...as far as the workbooks go, sometimes the workbooks come with the textbook, there is no option or price difference for not getting it. (Luckily when I taught I was in a middle school and did not have to deal with workbooks.)

Everyone is complaining about workbooks, and wasting money there...what about these schools that have multi-million dollar sports stadiums that only service 2-3% of the kids. Talk about crazy! If our society as a whole had our priorities in order that would not happen!

Thanks to you, too, for clearing that up. I do use the workbooks some in the summer to keep up with what the kids have learned.

On DD's 5th grade list, the one that I thought was strange was a 50 page package of 12" x 18" WHITE construction paper. Let me just say that only one store in town had it....Office Depot. It was a PITA to find. They go to school for something like 183 days. Divide that by 50 pages and you get 1 huge page of white construction paper used just over every 3rd day. WTH are they doing? Making the world's biggest collection of cut out snowflakes?!?!?!?!?!

 

[melancholywings]

Our list is very resonable and the school puts what supplies are shared, and what supplies are individual. I often buy 'extras' for the teacher when I find them at a good deal. I'd like if the teacher sent a 'wish list' as well. Things she often runs out of, or things she could use with in the classroom. And I wish they would state that they would take partially used supplies for community use. I wouldn't mind them taking all the half used glue sticks that came home 2 months ago from 3rd grade. Or the gallon sized baggie of used crayons. So much waste.

 

[ilovejack02]

Thanks to you, too, for clearing that up. I do use the workbooks some in the summer to keep up with what the kids have learned.

I use the workbooks too . Happy to have them at home to practice with.

 

[torinsmom]

At my old school, teachers were allowed to send out a list, but also give the option of a supply fee instead. I LOVED that! I think it was $50 and included your child's field trip t-shirt and their ticket to the circus(which was our big field trip and needed to be paid for early in the year). We priced it out and it would have been hard to get all the supplies for $29,even with sales(t-shirt was $10 and the circus tickets were $11). The checks went into a special fund at our school and we could order the things we needed in bulk. We got the brands we wanted and did not have to store 50 boxes of kleenex, 25 boxes of markers, etc. either. If we had money left towards the end of the year, we used the money for a big pizza party or something else all the kids could enjoy.

Marsha

 

[KKB]

I work in a district that I also attended as a student...we have NEVER had to purchase our own supplies, for the most part. There are some recommendations to accommodate all the different courses (notebooks/binders/trapper), but it notes that our district WILL supply everything children need.
Cost should NOT be a factor with all the amazing sales I see at Target, Office Depot, Office Max, Staples, Walgreens. My children know that what is on SALE is what they get--not what they think is cool.
As far as waste goes, it is not always possible for teachers to know exactly how much students will need.
Do you have school supplies leftover from last year or in your home office? Why not raid those first?
It is a very reasonable list.
And as a school librarian, I LOVE LOVE LOVE that elementary students are asked to bring a memory stick--THAT is the direction every district should be going!!

 

[karice2]

I am a little confused why so many people have complaints about the school supply list. Kids go back to school every year. Prices are dropped every year around this time for school supplies. It is possible to stock up and spend about $50 for school supplies.

I guess I just think that back to school shopping is part of the cost of being a parent.

I remember when I was in public school, I had to pay for calculator, plus extra textbooks that were not provided by the school for advanced students. In private school, we had to play for every book, meal and supply.

It is what it is.

 

[mum4jenn]

It happens here EVERY single year. Lots of griping and complaining about school supplies and how dare the teacher try to teach with the proper supplies.
Last year I knew my Dh was going to be losing his job and I did not know what a year ahead would be like so last year I bought LOTS and LOTS of supplies so I have not had to buy too much this year. Some things Dd can use from last year. She even has colored pencils that this will be the 3rd or 4th year using them.

I still have purchased a few items just because of the good sales. I even went today and got sheet protectors at Walgreens because it was such a great deal and I also use them at work.
I work at one of the schools so in my office I keep most of the extra supplies so if Dd decides at 7:45 she needs pencils or paper...it is right there for her to get.

At our system all of the schools post the supply list and they keep it up all year long. So I will usually look at the supply list for NEXT year to see if there is anything I need to stock up on or look out for sales on so I will be a year ahead!

 

[torinsmom]

And people on these boards drop twice what the supplies would cost easily in one TS meal at WDW. That food is long gone in a few hours, while the supplies are for the whole year, LOL. It's kind of like complaining about buying your kids new clothes to me--dang those kids, they just keep on growing! LOL

 

[powellrj]

My DD is going to a new high school this year and I went to pay her book fees and was pleasantly surprised when they were 1/2 the price of the old school! Her brothers have both graduated from her old school and I always had to pay $250-$300 in bookfees and this time only had to pay $110!!

Haven't gotten the supply list yet, but I can't imagine it will be much different than the old schools so we are looking at $50 or so. DS still has his old calculator so we can use that and its a huge savings.

 

[wendydarling826]

Just out of curiosity because it's been a while since I had a child in elementary school - do parents today complain as much about the money they spend on sports and the required equipment as they do about buying the supplies needed for their children to use in school?

 

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

We are really lucky! My kids started at a new school last year, it just opened and they didn't want any supplies! Of course I sent him with his pencil case, and some pencils and pencil crayons etc (the basics) so that he had some of his own stuff. I think that the OP list should only cost about $40 at the most if she/he shopped sales

 

[monsterkitty]

Just out of curiosity because it's been a while since I had a child in elementary school - do parents today complain as much about the money they spend on sports and the required equipment as they do about buying the supplies needed for their children to use in school?

That would be a no.

 

[NYCDiane]

All I can say is OMG

Here is a list of what my youngest DD 7th grade wants purchased for the school year.

9 Composition notebooks
Pen/Pencil Pouch
3 boxes of Tissues
Blue and black pens – for all classes
Pencils – for all classes
Loose Leaf paper – All Classes
Hand held pencil sharpener (no batteries)
3-3 ring binder 1 ½ inch
1 Three-subject notebook
Calculator (Texas Instruments TI-34II)
2 pads of yellow lined paper
1 box of colored markers
Post Its
1 roll of scotch tape
5 folders
and some smaller stuff

I do not mean to disrespect any teachers out there but, REALLY!?!?!

Spanish class even has crayons on the list.
Math class alone has listed 2 com books, 3 subject notebook and a binder. I am blown away.

Anyone else out there floored by this list?

At least you GOT your list while all the sales are still going on!! We won't get our list until the first day of school which is the day after Labor Day and all the sales will be long over and most of the items will be out of stock.

I can't even buy "generic" items that she "may" need. Last year, everything had to be certain sizes and color coordinated in specific colors. The binders had to be a specific size. The notebooks a specific type. Etc, etc, etc.... Had I gone out and just bought "stuff", I would have been totally out of luck.

Your list isn't too bad, though. Head over to Wal Mart. They've got everything on sale now and they have TONS of stuff so you can get it all in one trip.

I know I have a $15 reward check from Staples for some ink cartridge returns ---- I'll probably use that to stock up on pens, glue sticks, pencils, loose leaf.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Shop slow (week to week and just what is on sale,) shop often (there are always new things on sale,) and shop NOW (this week has great deals!) This week at Staples I spent $58 and I submitted all my rebates and will be getting back over $54. Not all of it is cash, all but the free bookbag is, but the free bookbag comes on a non-expiring gift card so if nothing else yo uhave it to buy for next year.

I have $20+ coming back in rebates for last year and I only spent $23.

Go to these places every Sunday when the ads first come out and stock up. They are practically giving stuff away! After rebates yo uare getting items for a penny!

 

[disneyfan2kids]

Trapper Keepers are strictly forbidden in our district. I'm not even sure what they are. But every single school supply list always has "NO TRAPPER KEEPERS" written in 30 pt font. I thought they were the crack cocaine of office supplies.