possible debate..school supplies

[totalia]

If they are paying for the supplies, I understand why they do it that way.

In my schools, a list was sent home the first day of school that my parents had to go buy. School supplies such as pens, erasers, paper, scissors, pencils, etc, all had to be paid for by the parents. It didn't even occur to me that other places might do it differently because this has been the norm from Kindergarten to college.

If you want your kids to have those supplies, then buy them for your kids yourself. The schools don't have much money. If they don't need to spend money for your kids supplies then the money can go somewhere else useful.

 

[Bumbles]

I'm also confused as to why a parent would have to supply border paper.......classroom decoartions should not be part of the deal IMHO. Paper towels, Kleenex, ok.......border paper?

Wow, I've learned a lot on this thread

 

[Pete's Mom]

Originally posted by shortbun
I'm there-today!!!!! Thanks for the tip. Glue sticks for
$.09? Do they stick good? Thanks again!
mimi

The "dollar" stores are another great place to check as well.

Here's our general list (of course the teacher will have more items on hers)

Second Grade
• Book Bag or Backpack (no rolling book bags, please)
• White school glue (1 bottle)
• Glue Sticks (2)
• Crayons (1 box of 24)
• Washable Markers (basic colors, 1 pack)
• #2 pencils (at least 4 packages of 12)
• Fiskars Children’s Scissors (1)
• Pencil/ School Box (small, plastic, 1)
• Spiral notebook (solid color, 1)
• Wide-ruled paper (2 packages)
• Two, three-pronged pocket folders (solid colors)
• Kleenex (2 boxes)
• Gallon sized sandwich size Ziploc bags
• 4-pack of dry erase markers (1)
• Plastic ruler (12 inches, with centimeters)
• Package of pencil top erasers (1)

 

[AirForceRocks]

Originally posted by totalia

The schools don't have much money. If they don't need to spend money for your kids supplies then the money can go somewhere else useful.

The school systems have plenty of money - unfortunately, it doesn't get down to the schools, where it is needed.

 

[Pin Wizard]

That's not a bad list. I guess as they get older, it grows! DS is headed to middle school...6th grade. They sent home a sheet of paper with supplies, and the entire 8.5 x 11 sheet is FULL!

 

[totalia]

Interesting. I would be the first to argue that teachers make enough money. But they honestly don't make that much. $24 000 a year (and sometimes less) on average is NOT alot of money.

So where is the money going to I wonder if they are supposed to be receiving enough money?

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I prefer that my children have their own supplies in a school box. I think it cuts down on sharing colds and illness.

As a former teacher, I always admired the parents that unselfishly thought of others. They would send extra supplies and field trip money for those less fortunate. They would do so in a discreet manner just for the joy of giving. True Angels! There are some very poor students in most classrooms. I wish you could see the smiles on their faces when they get something brand new and it belongs to them.

Lori

 

[twinmomplus2new]

Our district now does not do this, And I for one am glad I think it is a rotten practice. If I go and supply supplies for my child in particular I expect he or she to retain them.

when my DD was in 4th grade... They sent home an extensive list, that went somthing like this....
6 glue sticks.
5 one subject notebooks
magic markers broad
magic markers thin line
3 boxes of tissue
3 liquid hand soap
3 paper towels.
package of white chalk

All of this went into a communal supply cabinet, we were building here at the time, and we supplied all and moved a month later. They refused to forward my DD's records as she had not turned in some flash cards. Lets just say it got ugly. I was so steamed, when after we unpacked (Just to find the cards) and they were homemade from a manilla folder. They held my dd's records, for that after I had spend 60 dollars on supplies my child was never going to use?

 

[disneyjunkie]

Originally posted by Az Pirates
OK here's our list kindergarten list. They try to ease you in somewhat gently. I have not even dared to pick up the supply requests for 3rd grade yet!

This is what each child is to supply:

1- box kleenex
2- 24 count disposable cameras
2- large glue sticks
1- roll paper towels
1- pkg. colored markers (no fine pt)
1- large bottle white glue
1- box 48 count crayons
2- easy view binders (stop in office first... as only specific kind will do)
1- pkg. gallon size ziplock bags
1- pkg. dixie cups
1- pkg. 81/2 x 11 border paper
1- pkg. white reinforcement labels for binders
1- pkg. 100 ct. or higher paper plates
1- box baby wipes
1- pkg. 65lb cardstock
1- bottle rubber cement
2-3 boxes snacks (this is an on-going request throughout the year)

$3-$5? - I don't think so!

I still prefer sending items specific to each child and have them take resposibility for those items rather than bunching everything together.
Kids who take good care of their items have nice things, while those who don't have to deal with the consequences.

I said BASIC supplies. When I say basic items I mean pens, pencils, notebooks, paper, glue, scissors...
That price was just enough to get the kids started, not to carry them through the year.

I'd be pretty angry if I had to purchase the items on your list.

Why do you have to supply paper towels, plates, and cups?


How many students are in the class?

I think some teachers go over board with the supply list. Why not ask each child to bring in two or three Ziploc bags? Why should each child have to bring in a full box?

Will parents have to pay for all of the film developing?

 

[Bojangles]

Originally posted by disneyjunkie

Why do you have to supply paper towels, plates, and cups?

Probably because most Kinders still get a snack/juice every day. Our school used to provide it but they don't any more.

 

[Az Pirates]

Originally posted by disneyjunkie
I think some teachers go over board with the supply list.

I agree with you there.

I have seen the "supply closet" for the kindergarten. They don't really need a lot of the stuff on the list - they have shelves full of paper goods!

I have no problem sending in basic supplies for my child - and will gladly help out if there are children who can't afford the supplies. Although as stated in one of my previous posts, I really don't think that's the case with the many kids who don't send in anything at our school.

I also don't think I should have to pay a fee for 'facilities use and maintenance' when my child is participating on a school team - is that not why we have a school with a gym, etc? But I pay a hefty fee for that as well.

Sorry, probably getting off topic here. It's just that one thing leads to another....

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

I think if the teacher wants to pool the supplies, then she should get some money from the parents and buy a bunch of whatever she needs. I would be livid if I bought nicer things for my kid and she gets stuck using the less desirable product (I'm thinking of crayons right off the top of my head...some are much better than others).

Of course, I keep saying every year about how nice it would be to be told "you owe $50" or whatever for supplies instead of being nickel and dimed to death.

Oh and I decided somewhere around the 3rd grade that I was not supplying kleenex to the school any longer. They wanted 3 boxes from each kid.

 

[sharbear]

My kids are older but I wanted to give a few points about school supplies.

Dry erase markers-my kids use them in Math class. They have the class go to the board and do problems. Just like a chalk board. If you have ever bought dry erase markers, they dry out really fast, I'm sure that each child could go through a whole pack in a year.

Kleenex and other items such as zip lock bags. My kids seem to think that you need a new Kleenex for each wipe of the nose. I've tried to train them but they use a lot of Kleenex. Magnify that by 25 kids, 17 of who seem to have a never ending cold and you will go through a lot of Kleenex.

I feel for the HS teachers, my DD's English teacher resorted to extra credit in exchange for Kleenex. She told the kids she was going poor supply them with tissues!

I know that teacher here will ask for different items in different years. If one year everybody was required to bring in gallon size zip lock bags, the next year the kids bring in another item that is needed. It all evens out in the end.

I personally think that if I am buying my kids school supplies, it frees up the school to buy new better textbooks or computers or the lastest computer program to better help prepare my child for college. My DS took a summer art class and they used a computer program that costs somewhere around $700. He was able to learn a program that will probably be useful in a career he might chose.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

The past few years our PTO has asked the teachers to put together baskets to be raffled off. We have to buy things to fill a specific theme. This year our grade level had Cd's for a theme. Everyone knows these are not all that inexpensive. When I said that it made me kind of mad that the teachers in addition to putting out their own money for school supplies need to pay for items to fill baskets to auctioned someone said, "well look at all the PTO does for the teachers". Let me just say, the PTO does NOTHING for the teachers what they do is buy items to enhance the classroom experience of the students in the school. So for all of you who feel the need to complain AND feel that teachers are making these huge sums of money. I say how would you like to work at a job where you get little respect, need to pay for your own supplies and then need to contribute to an organization that purchases items for someone else's kids. Jeesh I am getting a littel tired of all this complaining about school supplies.