I got the kids' school supply lists today....

[pigletz]

FYI: I teach 4th grade in an inner city. The students are not required to buy ANYTHING!!!!! Which means I end up buying many of the supplies for my 24 students with my own money
I don't mind getting them started BUT I must say that I am a single mom of 2 of my own children, so it really irks me when the students come up to me and say I need a new folder or I don't have crayons (after I fully set them up with everything). I now say to them: "I got you started, now you have to tell your parents to buy what you need."
Do you think that is mean??????
I feel their parents need to take some responsibility I mean geez!!! Students will tell me that they have no paper or pencils at home! I mean you can find a pack of lined paper at Staples/Walmart/Target periodically on sale for .50! The majority of the students in my class have nicer clothes, more playstation, etc. games, and go to movies/Chucky Cheese/local amusement parks more than my own kids ever do!!!
Certainly the district provides most things, but I buy a lot too!

I'm in the same situation. I teach 8th grade in an inner city school and we're not supposed to ask kids to bring anything except a pencil (most of them don't even bring that). The school doesn't provide much either. Usually we just get a few packs of paper and maybe 50 pencils. Sometimes we'll get more stuff like the year I actually got a folder for each student but that is rare. Everything I have to buy myself. I have around 200 students each year. Most of the families in the district move around a lot so I have to buy extra for the kids who will eventually transfer in or the kids who will start with me then leave and come back later in the year.
I started my shopping yesterday.
300 two pocket folders
20 boxes of kleenex
600 pencils (we're not allowed to even ask them to bring one. I'll
have to replace these by Christmas)
50 boxes of Bic pens
20 rulers (I have 25 but I heard class sizes are going up and a few
go missing every year anyways)
50 boxes 24 crayons
25 boxes of colored pencils
60 packs of notebook paper
50 pencil boxes (I divide up supplies into the boxes for kids to share.
unfortunatly the boxes I had we're about 5 years old
and starting to fall apart.)
50 glue sticks
20 pairs of scissors (same situation as rulers)
Assortment of construction paper
10 1" binders (I do require my students to bring a binder.
Shh don't tell the superintendant_
I'm really glad that this isn't my first year teaching since the items that
I bought are just to supplement what I've already accumulated through the years. I suppose I could just get by with pens/pencils and paper but I like the hands on activities that I do with the students and they learn a lot by doing them.

 

[Dislifer]

Wow Pigletz...that's really something! At least my district is still supplying the majority of the supplies! You know what's not right???? We can only write off a minimal amount of supply purchases from our taxes, but you still have business men having golf outings and going out to wonderful dinners and calling this a business expense!!!

 

[pigletz]

I know. The sad thing is I haven't finished shopping yet. I actually got lucky this year. I was part of a pilot program last year where they combined Language Arts and Social Studies into one double period class. It was perfect for me because I'm certified in both and I got to do a lot of creative projects. My superintendant came to see how we were doing with the program and loved seeing all of the students projects. She told me to order whatever I wanted for next year. I was able to get some things that everyone in the building could use. I ordered a large paper cutter since we only have one that the art teacher won't let anyone use and a small laminating machine. I also ordered a ton of posterboard since that stuff can be expensive when you go through as much as I do. I didn't order the basic supplies because our district is broke and I figured I could pick up a lot of it on sale. I just wish I could deduct all of it on my taxes

 

[Luv'sTink]

Same for us, he brought home a lot stuff not used and they gave him tons of stuff through the year that I would not of had to buy if they hadn't asked us to!

 

[golfgal]

I got the twins' "recommended school supply" list yesterday--they are going into 6th grade:

Folders with pockets-9
college lined spiral notebooks-9
loose leaf notebook paper, college ruled
pens, black, blue, red
#2 pencils
colored pencils
highlighters
markers
glue sticks
scientific calculator (TI30xhs)--they are selling them for $15 at the school open house
protractor
padlock
3-5 book covers
3x5 lined notecards
planners-for 7th and 8th grade only--our kids had planners last year, I have to see what they do for 6th grade because they liked having those
3.5 floppy disk
box of kleenex
band workbook

It says that individual teachers may require more and will give a list the first week of school.

Not too unreasonable.

 

[golfgal]

I know. The sad thing is I haven't finished shopping yet. I actually got lucky this year. I was part of a pilot program last year where they combined Language Arts and Social Studies into one double period class. It was perfect for me because I'm certified in both and I got to do a lot of creative projects. My superintendant came to see how we were doing with the program and loved seeing all of the students projects. She told me to order whatever I wanted for next year. I was able to get some things that everyone in the building could use. I ordered a large paper cutter since we only have one that the art teacher won't let anyone use and a small laminating machine. I also ordered a ton of posterboard since that stuff can be expensive when you go through as much as I do. I didn't order the basic supplies because our district is broke and I figured I could pick up a lot of it on sale. I just wish I could deduct all of it on my taxes

They do the combined LA/SS at DS's new school. I am curious to see how that goes. My license is in SS and we did combined projects with LA but only a few through out the year.

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

Wow, I can't believe some of the items being requested. 50 pencils? 20 glue sticks? You know, I don't think I've used that many pencils or glue sticks in my entire life! The schools here ask for scissors, glue sticks, and crayons but a good majority are just for home use. The only thing the 5th graders were asked to buy were specific color notebooks and folders. But they were to help keep the kids organized for when the move up to the middle school the next year.

No one was ever expected to supply pencils, crayons, glue, or tissues for the entire class. I think the tax payers would be in an uproar if they had to supply things for the entire class. (One school had a budget vote for something like an 18% tax increase this year!) The high schools here never send home lists. As long as you went to class and took notes they were happy.

 

[Aidensmom]

Got DS's list yesterday - pencils, pens, wide rule paper, 4 folders, crayons, a composition book, and a pencil box.

VERY reasonable list - no brand names specified, no "pooled" items, no basic janitorial/cleaning supplies. Glad to see our school district seems to know how to use the tax money given to them.

 

[teacherforhi]

I usually ignore the list they send. I figure if they are going to be so careless/clueless as to ask for supplies my boy will never use in this lifetime(scissors? a paper-back booK??) then they probably will never know that I "neglected" to buy them.

Christian(11) is in a self-contained severely mentally impaired class. He works on learning his colors(red, yellow, &blue so far ), going to the bathroom(for which i supply diapers, wipes and hand soap--he's allergic to the school brand), feeding himself(with snacks I provide), and carrying things in his basket to the table. At no time in the last 6 yrs has he ever needed a pencil, a marker, a notebook, or a camera. If he lives to be 100 he will never use those supplies.

On the first day of school I will send the following:
graham crackers
Kool-aid mix
peanut butter
fruit cups
granola bars
instant oatmeal
diapers
wipes
hand soap
two sets of extra clothes

Believe it or not, they do use an electric frying pan in his class As part of their therapy, they cook pancakes, cookies and cakes, and practice eating, pulling chairs out from the table, clearing their dishes, and stirring. Who needs markers?

I teach a self-contained class and always send out a letter to parents reminding them to ignore the OTHER list they get in the mail just because their children are assigned to a particular grade level. I also include a list of things they will need and that I keep for the student. Such as a pack of pencils (that I label and keep for the individual child) and KLEENEXES!!!! You can never have too many boxes of Kleenexes.

 

[D L and K's Mom]

YIKES!!! I am a first grade teacher. We do send home a list of school supplies. It is not as long and specific as those that have been posted. I do request baby wipes, hand sanitizer and kleenex...lots and lots of KLEENEX. The school does buy some but it is terrible hard and rough. I have found that first graders eat pencils....no really, they just really enjoy sharpening them so they tend to need more in December. I always send home a list at Christmas asking that Santa put pencils and new crayons in their stocking. I do buy quite a few supplies myself (last year in Sept I spent $400) I also end up buying lots of stuff throughout the year as the school will not pay for "Special Stuff".I feel that is nessary so I buy it (sticky number lines for the desks,binders,index cards, yes, post it notes, postage for our pencil pals, special paper for special projects, caterpiller cocoons etc). It is a shame that some of you are getting huge lists of things the children do not use or need. I am sorry.

 

[tw1nsmom]

I have a question for the teachers on this thread. What is the difference between regular markers and watercolor markers?

One of the items on DS's list was watercolor markers classic colors thick tip. Now, I found scented watercolor markers that had both classic and some brighter colors in the pack. They were the only markers labeled watercolor. I also bought a pack of classic colors washable Crayola markers just in case the other item is wrong. Which pack do you think the teacher wanted?

Oh, one of the things I'm concerned about is that the teacher specifically said thta she didn't want any cartoon characters or distracting products. Will she thing that the scented markers are distracting?

 

[minkydog]

I teach a self-contained class and always send out a letter to parents reminding them to ignore the OTHER list they get in the mail just because their children are assigned to a particular grade level. I also include a list of things they will need and that I keep for the student. Such as a pack of pencils (that I label and keep for the individual child) and KLEENEXES!!!! You can never have too many boxes of Kleenexes.

Thanks! I forgot the most important item! *adds kleenex to made-up list*

 

[poohs_hunny]

At work we do a school supply drive every year. I was looking at this year's list and one of the items boggled my mind as to why they need it:

Post-it Notes.

Does anyone have a kid that uses Post-it Notes in school?

I don't remember ever sitting in school thinking "Gee, I sure could use a Post-it Note right now."

Kimya

I haven't read the entire post yet, so this may have been answered already. I'm a teacher and I'm working on my Master's degree. The class that I'm taking right now is about reading comprehension strategies. I don't do this in my classroom (yet), but one of the "big things" to do is to have kids use post-it notes to write questions, comments, etc. in books while they're reading. This strategy gets quite entensive, and the number of post-its they go through must be astronomical. So this may be what the post-its are for. If that is the case, I would be thankful and gladly supply them, as this technique is fantastic if done correctly. Of course, the teacher may just want them for her own use, but then getting some from every child would be excessive.

 

[Planogirl]

Someone mentioned PTA fundraisers a ways back. I specifically avoid these now because I can't figure out where the money goes. Our district sends 5th graders on a two night camp trip each year that costs a couple hundred bucks. The PTA said that they would assist families that could not afford the fee but I found out later that they never did and some kids went to school and sat in study hall each day.

I realize that not every PTA is like that but ours doesn't appear to help anyone. We have a separate fundraiser for school supplies now and I would rather give to that than deal with the PTA or bring in extra supplies

 

[aprilgail2]

Someone mentioned PTA fundraisers a ways back. I specifically avoid these now because I can't figure out where the money goes. Our district sends 5th graders on a two night camp trip each year that costs a couple hundred bucks. The PTA said that they would assist families that could not afford the fee but I found out later that they never did and some kids went to school and sat in study hall each day.

Thats what people say at my daughter school but they don't realize that the school does not put on any of the programs that they have during or after school, the PTA funds all that. They also do seperate fundraising for hte 5th grade trip and party. We have a family picnic for the whole school funded by the PTA, Fall Festival, Halloween parade, assemblies like reading rocks and dino digs, we also give each teacher a set amount of money to buy supplies for their classrooms, a dance, ice cream social, welcome back to school breakfast for all the grades...all that is paid for with the money from the PTA...along with many other things.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

I wish the school would stop asking for large glue sticks. I never can find these anywhere. I have already been to 4 stores looking for them and they are already sold out. Why is it if the schools all prefer large glue sticks is it that the stores only stock a small supply of them?

My dd has to have 12 of them, the JUMBO ones. The only problem besides them being sold out, is they are $1.29 each (store brand, $1.99 for Elmers). There is NO way I am paying that much for glue sticks. I got the regular ones and they can deal with it. If they aren't enough, I will just get more of the regular ones...that are .10 cents each!

And we have to have Ticondoroga pencils...which of course are the most expensive ones and also sold out everywhere!

And the funniest thing, 4 tennis balls! Everything else is normal and acceptable.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

Last year DD8's 2nd grade teacher didn't want most of the stuff on the list and I wound up having to return half of it. DD6's kindergarten teacher didn't want the whole class to bring all the house-keeping stuff in at once (no storage). Instead, she requested 5 kids bring paper towels, 5 kids bring Ziplocs, etc. and just replenished supplies throughout the year.
Mary

Last year, they had each Kindergartener bring in FOUR *Large tubs of Clorox wipes. With 180 Kindergartners, that was a LOT to have to store!

This year, they are doing like yours, having these type supplies brough in on each childs birthday month! Luckily my child was born in the summer...

 

[Miller1412]

My dd has to have 12 of them, the JUMBO ones. The only problem besides them being sold out, is they are $1.29 each (store brand, $1.99 for Elmers). There is NO way I am paying that much for glue sticks. I got the regular ones and they can deal with it. If they aren't enough, I will just get more of the regular ones...that are .10 cents each!

And we have to have Ticondoroga pencils...which of course are the most expensive ones and also sold out everywhere!

And the funniest thing, 4 tennis balls! Everything else is normal and acceptable.

The Jumbo glue sticks often work better because they don't break as easily out of the casing as do the smaller glue sticks. Ticonderoga pencils are good pencils that sharpen and erase nicely. Some pencils have to be sharpened down to a nub before you get any kind of point.

I ask for tennis balls as well. We cut slits in them and put them on the legs of the chairs. It stops the scraping noise of the chair on the flooring and makes a much quieter environment.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I just came back from Target.

Last year our elementary started following the standardized grade level supply list for the district instead of using one just for our school. Talk about WASTE! I sent all that stuff with DS last year for 4th grade and half of it came back home in the first week because the teachers didn't want it! I stuck it in a bag in the closet. Good thing, because half of what we bought last year and didn't use is on the 5th grade list!

The list the district provides says it will cost $62 for all of the 5th grade supplies, but I REALLY have to wonder where they shop! The things I had to buy came to $20, but the district has them priced at $28. Don't they go to Target?

We have the deal where the boys bring quart size Ziploc bags and the girls bring gallon size bags - no clue what they use them for.

The strangest thing we ever had to buy was Prang brand colored pencils. I had to buy them at an art supply store! (This was when DS was in private school.) Then they told me the supplies would be pooled!! If I am paying THAT MUCH money for colored pencils then my child damn sure better be the one using them! I am sure there were parents who went to Dollar Tree for colored pencils, and I wasn't about to have DS stuck with the crummy pencils when we went to the effort to buy the required ones! They decided after that to allow each child to maintain their own supplies, so if your parents bought crummy supplies that was what you were stuck with!

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

The thing with the glue sticks is though, it is only the 1st grade that has to have the JUMBO ones. IF the regular ones are good enough for all the other grades, surely they are good enough for the 1st graders.

And the pencils I am not concerned about at all. I will get that brand, IF they ever get them back in stock!

And you are probably right about the tennis balls...my sister just told me that actually. Neat idea. I assume I can send in used ones then...if that is the reason anyway. I will find out at the orientation night.