I went to the school ... ( about the school supplies list )

[momm2four]

Here in Chattanooga, each public school charges a "School Fee". This is supposed to go to things like copying, art supplies, etc. Our school's is pretty cheap at $35, but some schools charge up to $60 per child. On top of that, we are charged for certain workbooks and things like Weekly Reader if the teacher wants. My second grader's extras add up to $21.50, so his total fees are $56.50. My third grader's total is$50.25.

On top of these fees, we are given a supply list at the end of each year for the next year.

I don't mind being asked to bring in things that the students will use, or that will be used in lessons, but I have heard of students being asked to bring in air fresheners. Nope, that's just one thing to many. Being a former teacher, I know that a teacher can't supply all the tissues that a class will use (and boy, will they use tissues), but I think if someone wants air freshener in her/his room, that's their responsibility.

Lori P.

 

[Stimpy]

We have to buy the supplies for DS who is entering Kindergarten in the fall. He's going to a public school, that we pay a ton of taxes to. They have the lists posted on their website already. It's very specific. I can't bring myself to look at the other grades yet LOL

"1. One composition notebook (any color)

2. A 4oz. bottle of Elmer's school glue or glue-all (orange top). Please only get Elmer's. Other brands clog easily and this is frustrating for all. Also do not buy the no-run glue. It's very hard to use. The glue bottle will be refilled from school supplies as the need arises.

3. A good quality scissors. We recommend Fiskars for Kids. These scissors are outstanding and often make the difference between being able to cut and being frustrated.

4. Wide markers (please label each marker)

5. A sturdy folder with 2 bottom pockets for transporting papers and notes. (side pockets make it difficult for children to inset papers)

6. A large (not 13oz.) coffee can for storing supplies. Please cover with contact paper, wrapping paper, etc. Your child may decorate it any way he/she likes.

7. A large backpack to carry home papers and projects, big enough to fit a folder inside.

8. A smock or large size tee shirt. The shirt should cover to the knees. Please no shirts that have buttons. These are difficult for the children to manage on their own."

 

[skiwee1]

Our elementary schools give out a list a week ahead and Walmart and Target also have a list. Once you get to middle and high school it is different. They will tell you that each teacher wants a certain item so the kids have to wait to have that class first. I hate this! These teachers can be such a pain. One teacher wanted this huge binder with separate sections and it couldn't have this, had to have that, and cost $40. Another teacher had to have one kind of folder and it couldn't have those little metal clips in it and so on so on. Each of his 8 teachers had these ridiculous requests! Well I took DS out and bought him these two really nice binders that held stuff and zipped closed. One binder for each day. I also bought him two bookbags, one for each day. The load he carries home is horrible. There was no way I was running store to store hunting down all the stuff they wanted. Do you know, not one teacher ever said anything. They didn't even look to see if anyone got the stuff they asked. This was in middle school. Now that my son is in high school they do it the same but aren't as picky.

 

[Cindy B]

I really don't wind up spending a lot for supplies either.

I save a lot from next year, and I recycle a lot from the other years.

I think I wound up spending maybe $25 for two kids for supplies. They are good about saving stuff too.

 

[soccerchick]

As a HS teacher, I don't have much that I require: a notebook, a spiral notebook, a highlighter, pens/pencils, and a couple of computer disks. I also recycle items students toss out at the end of the year. You wouldn't believe the stuff students throw out. I also stock up on the spirals when Target has them on sale (like 12 cents). I also buy a big box of disks and sell them at cost (usually under 50 cents each). A ton of my students take advantage of either the hand-me-downs or the stuff I purchased -- and I work at the school in my district that has students coming from 400K - 1.5 million $$ houses.

It seems like the lower grades could be a bit more flexible in their requirements. Asking for brand names seems a bit over the top; perhaps they could just say "No Trapper Keepers bc they don't fit in the desks" or "No X-brand glue because it dries out very quickly."

Our school's PTSO also supplies teachers w/a few supplies if asked (tissues, post-it notes, index cards, poster board, etc.) .

My niece's school has a parent run school store for the first week of school. They purchase the items teachers want/require and sell them from after school until about 8 at night. I don't know if they actually make any money off this as a fundraiser since the prices seemed reasonable to me, but it is a nice convenience for my niece's mom; they walk to the school and avoid the crowds at the stores.

 

[eeyore45]

we also have a long detailed list for our public school, it is sent home with their last report card, when ds was in 4th grade I went over the top... they ask $3 each for the class parties, they ask for over $100 of supplies (including tape, glue, folders, paper, notebooks, pens, pencils etc) and on top of that the teacher asked each of us for $4 for MISC supplies!! I wrote the superintendent, I asked the teacher what was on that misc. list, she said "green pens" I told her that was on the list and showed her the green pens (which were extremely difficult to get back then, I had my mom scour 2 states to find them!) So no specific answer.

What's worse is I'm a sub for the district and most teachers will use the supplies, there are several teachers that "horde" supplies. For instance, kleenex. Esp at the endof the year some classrooms has boxes and boxes stored... but the art teacher, gym teachers... have none, you'd think they would/could share? hah...

and the worst teacher for hording, everything, she's very interesting... well she gives back the things she doesnt use!! LOL talk about stirring up trouble with the other teachers!! Can you imagine, her class doesnt use the 26+ rolls of tape, and she sends it back!!

Most teachers that are giving, they leave out the supplies, and they get so taken advantage of - the filler notebook paper, she just keeps it in a central location, and kids use it all the time - then she runs out!!

I will agree I dont mind sending in the clorax sheets, there are so many diseases going around, I think that's a great thing to include in the list!

One of the other teachers before holiday break, she sends a 'wish list' home explaining she understands many want to show thier appreciation by gifting the teacher, she would appreciate it if the room was gifted instead!! I was astounded when I was helping her put her 'stash' away - dry erase markers, pencils, etc... and I know some teachers are very gracious with those gifts, the secretaries at our school have a collection and take the articles/items up to the women's shelter...

Last year for my 2 kids I spent over $200 in "supplies" and I couldnt believe the 25cents on markers,crayons, pencils, spirals, so I went back and bought more - I keep them stashed for March!!

 

[Nancy]

My school district hands out the elementary list at the end of school. Middle and high school get the list the first day of school. It has been like this for yrs and never causes a big stir around here. After years of my kids going to school I pretty much know the basics they will need and start buying them now. paper, binders, folders, notebooks, pens and pencils. I have never had a problem going out after the first day of school and getting all the extras they need.

In elementary school we always had to supply the tissues and paper towels for the room...if we don't then the teacher has to buy them...same thing for the kids that don't bring in supplies...the district doesn't supply them , the teacher does. Elementary they also would request no trapper keepers are any of the more expensive "name" items.

High school and middle school are very specific in what they want. Size of binders, what type of notebooks, etc. I probably spend close to 200.00 on supplies before we are all done (3 kids)


My only complaint with school supplies is high school math and having to buy that calculator that costs over $100.00! Yikes!

 

[SC Minnie]

We usually get the list when we get the teacher assignment about 2 weeks before school starts. I usually pick up a couple of extra packs of loose leaf paper and spiral notebooks because DD always runs out before the year is over on a Sunday night at 9:00 . Often I the first week of school I will send an extra pack of pencils and some paper for 'classroom' use.

Anyway, we have to provide a lot for our classrooms but I don't mind. I want my child to have the very best education and I would rather the district spend the money on computers, books, etc instead of pencils. Teacher don't make the highest salaries and I don't think they need to be buying paper and pencils for the kids out of their on pocket. My boss wouldn't expect me to buy my own ink pens and printer paper.

 

[Mskanga]

Nancy, I dread that one, but I still have a while to go.
Our kids last year were asked to get a 3" specific binder , two months into the year they asked the parents to buy a trapper keeper one because the 3" ones were falling apart.
But my main thing is, if they know the basics that they are going to need , they could send notes home with the report cards, that's what they said last year they were going to do, but they didn't.
I love to go school supply shopping , but I don't like scrambling for specific things two days before school starts.
The same thing the teacher told me yesterday ( because they have already agreed before hand on that ) , could have been said on a note back in June like they said they were going to.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Originally posted by Nancy
My only complaint with school supplies is high school math and having to buy that calculator that costs over $100.00! Yikes!

I think my son will need a graphing calculator this year. I'm not looking forward to that purchase.

 

[believe]

I will not get DD's supply list the the Friday before school starts, which it begins on a Monday. Talk about a lot of time to shop.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I have lists for my DD#2 (going into 4th) and my DS (going into 1st). My DD#1, going into 7th, is another story. She has registration on Aug. 24 (they start Aug. 30). I know from last year that when she finds out which of 3 teams she is on, she will get a list of needed supplies. I can buy some generic stuff--loose leaf paper, markers/colored pencils--but I'll have to go out that last week of August to get specifics. And unfortunately I start school that same day (Dad gets to take her to register this year LOL) and the last thing I want to do on MY first day of school is go shopping!!!
High school will be the same--I give my kids a list of what they need on the first day--a folder, paper, blue/black pens, pencils. I know NOW what my students will need, I've been doing it for 16+ years, but schedules will continue to change up until the first day--no one wants to buy stuff for my class and then have to change to another teacher.
Robin M.

 

[Talking Hands]

Our PTO has a school store that is open several afternoons a week with school supplies. Also the first few weeks of school they sell a supply pack with everything required. Music teacher sells folders at cost as well as recorders. No list is sent before school.

Middle school and high school are different. Most teachers want duotangs or 3- ring binders and some are quite specific. Btw these are often kept in the classroom and passed out each class. In other cases they are collected a intervals and checked to make sure all papers are there.

When I taught high school fulltime my system was easy and the students only needed binder paper and pen. I collected work daily and placed it in a folder for that class so I could grade and record it. All work was entered into the computer and weekly I posted a list by id of what I had recieved and what was missing. How they kept track of it after it was returned was up to them.
Actually my biggest expense as a teacher was transparency sheets. Oh and a copy of all transpacencies were placed in a notebook that the student could go to if they were absent and copy the information (2nd copy given to a hard of hearing student as a accommodation rather then having a notetaker)

 

[piglet too]

We get our list at the end of the year, and the Kindergarten one was actually available at registration in March. It is a basic list of paper, crayons, pencils, glue and so forth. We are also asked to get a certain item based on if you have a boy or a girl. It says right on the list that the individual teachers may request certain items not on the list or may not use all the items that are on the list. At my son's old school, the first three years we did not get a list until registration in early August. However, they also had a lot of stuff to buy right there, and that helped. They did away with the whole "in person registration" however when too many parents complained that it was too late in the summer to find out everything.

I think the whole problem with this today is that stores start to carry the supplies now, and don't really carry them after they run out. I find that this is true on a lot of things though. It is very hard to go find long sleeved shirts say in January, because a lot of stores have started to carry their spring/summer stuff already. Then by the time it is really hot enough for tank tops and shorts, they have their back-to-school clothes in.

 

[Mskanga]

Piglet, that was the big problem last year with walmart in our town , once they run out of supplies, they never brought in anymore.
And the closest staples in 25 minutes away.