Post your crazy school supply item here.

[ekatiel]

So, after my poly-envelope thread, and a little venting about my kids' school wanting them to have Ticonderoga pencils, I figured some of you might like to vent a little about the crazy items on your child's school supply list. And it will make me feel better if I'm not the only parent having to shell out for Ticonderoga pencils for their kindergartner . So, vent away!! I'm eager to hear what other nutso things are on school supply lists this year. BTW-- Apparently, we don't have it as bad off as the other elementary school in our district-- my second grader needed 36 Ticonderoga pencils (costing me about $6)-- the other elementary school is asking for 96 Ticonderoga pencils for second grade-- and they want them sharpened!! That's like $15-$20 in pencils ALONE! --Katie

 

[sookie]

So, after my poly-envelope thread, and a little venting about my kids' school wanting them to have Ticonderoga pencils, I figured some of you might like to vent a little about the crazy items on your child's school supply list. And it will make me feel better if I'm not the only parent having to shell out for Ticonderoga pencils for their kindergartner . So, vent away!! I'm eager to hear what other nutso things are on school supply lists this year. BTW-- Apparently, we don't have it as bad off as the other elementary school in our district-- my second grader needed 36 Ticonderoga pencils (costing me about $6)-- the other elementary school is asking for 96 Ticonderoga pencils for second grade-- and they want them sharpened!! That's like $15-$20 in pencils ALONE! --Katie

I'm irritated because they want my 1st grader to walk in with 5 packs of crayons.
Five. For each kid. I said that sounded like communism - my husband corrected me to socialism - but whatever! 5 packs of unmarked crayons totally ticks me off. In spite I am thinking about labeling them anyway - that has me fuming.

 

[HayGan]

So, after my poly-envelope thread, and a little venting about my kids' school wanting them to have Ticonderoga pencils, I figured some of you might like to vent a little about the crazy items on your child's school supply list. And it will make me feel better if I'm not the only parent having to shell out for Ticonderoga pencils for their kindergartner . So, vent away!! I'm eager to hear what other nutso things are on school supply lists this year. BTW-- Apparently, we don't have it as bad off as the other elementary school in our district-- my second grader needed 36 Ticonderoga pencils (costing me about $6)-- the other elementary school is asking for 96 Ticonderoga pencils for second grade-- and they want them sharpened!! That's like $15-$20 in pencils ALONE! --Katie

Thankfully our district/teachers don't ask for anything really crazy. I'll be honest - there is NO way I would spend that much on (or buy that many) pencils for my kids. They can use the ones we have. If any teacher or administrator tried to tell me differently they would would get a polite yet unabashed discussion of how ridiculous their request is!

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I don't have kids so this isn't an issue for me but I was intrigued by the thread title so I decided to stop by. I vaguely remember having name brand stuff (mainly Crayola lol) was something of a status symbol, do you think that's what they're trying to prevent now? I think either way specifying a brand of pencil rather than just "plain yellow pencil" is insanity.

The only really weird thing I remember having to get was a 3" binder for Global 9. We went to 5 different stores that night (and my mom kvetched the whole time) and ended up spending something like 10 bucks on this stupid binder only to find out it was so we could put our text book in it and make a rectangle out of it rather than putting the binder and book in our bags seperately because that method took up more space.

 

[ekatiel]

I'm irritated because they want my 1st grader to walk in with 5 packs of crayons.
Five. For each kid. I said that sounded like communism - my husband corrected me to socialism - but whatever! 5 packs of unmarked crayons totally ticks me off. In spite I am thinking about labeling them anyway - that has me fuming.

My kindergartner needed 6 . And they wanted Crayola, specifically (the Crayola request doesn't tick me off, though, b/c they really are better by a long shot). Walmart has the 24 packs for $0.50 right now ! The thing is, we live in a pretty affluent area with a very low free and reduced lunch population. Pretty much every kid in the class will bring in 6 packs of crayons!! That's A LOT of crayons! --Katie

 

[Patience]

I posted on your other thread but I'm game.

I had to buy fruit scented dry erase markers and could only find them online. One of the markers, the black one, is actually chocolate mint scented but I guess the school will just have to deal with it. They specifically said they did NOT want low odor dry erase markers, just the fruit scented ones.

The other things I had to buy were not crazy (well, maybe the box of golf pencils I had to buy is a little crazy) but I couldn't believe the quantity of things they wanted: 8 boxes of crayons, 9 glue sticks, 3 big packs of diaper wipes, 3 big containers of clorox wipes, 3 boxes of colored pencils, 3 white three ring binders, 2 boxes of quart sized ziplock baggies, 2 boxes of gallon size ziplock baggies, plus much more. I am supposed to bring all of this stuff to school on the first day. We're going to need a huge box!

 

[ekatiel]

I don't have kids so this isn't an issue for me but I was intrigued by the thread title so I decided to stop by. I vaguely remember having name brand stuff (mainly Crayola lol) was something of a status symbol, do you think that's what they're trying to prevent now? I think either way specifying a brand of pencil rather than just "plain yellow pencil" is insanity.

The only really weird thing I remember having to get was a 3" binder for Global 9. We went to 5 different stores that night (and my mom kvetched the whole time) and ended up spending something like 10 bucks on this stupid binder only to find out it was so we could put our text book in it and make a rectangle out of it rather than putting the binder and book in our bags seperately because that method took up more space.

I used to teach third grade, and one year ONE teacher on the team decided that she NEEDED 3 in. binders on the list or she was gonna die . I had no use for them. I felt awful, but by the end of the year, we still hadn't used them, and I sent them home. I bet the parents were fuming at me ! --Katie

 

[Leajess99]

So, after my poly-envelope thread, and a little venting about my kids' school wanting them to have Ticonderoga pencils, I figured some of you might like to vent a little about the crazy items on your child's school supply list. And it will make me feel better if I'm not the only parent having to shell out for Ticonderoga pencils for their kindergartner . So, vent away!! I'm eager to hear what other nutso things are on school supply lists this year. BTW-- Apparently, we don't have it as bad off as the other elementary school in our district-- my second grader needed 36 Ticonderoga pencils (costing me about $6)-- the other elementary school is asking for 96 Ticonderoga pencils for second grade-- and they want them sharpened!! That's like $15-$20 in pencils ALONE! --Katie

I don't know if it has been posted but Office Depot has buy 1 get 1 free on Wooden pencils starting tomorrow and Ticonderoga are showing as eligible.

As for crazy items, we don't really have any.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

The only things that really bother me with my kids' lists is when the teachers ask for things then never use them. One year they asked for this specific pad of paper that had lines on the bottom and a space at the top for them to draw a picture. I was fine with buying it and could see how it would be useful, but it was expensive and they didn't use it once! Every year my kids come home at the end of the year with composition books that only have a few pages used in them, but at least those come home, I just tear out the used pages and send them back in the next year.

 

[Leajess99]

I'm irritated because they want my 1st grader to walk in with 5 packs of crayons.
Five. For each kid. I said that sounded like communism - my husband corrected me to socialism - but whatever! 5 packs of unmarked crayons totally ticks me off. In spite I am thinking about labeling them anyway - that has me fuming.

These are because they are shared in most cases and trust me those crayons will not last the year. They get lost and broken and need to be replaced.

 

[ekatiel]

I posted on your other thread but I'm game.

I had to buy fruit scented dry erase markers and could only find them online. One of the markers, the black one, is actually chocolate mint scented but I guess the school will just have to deal with it. They specifically said they did NOT want low odor dry erase markers, just the fruit scented ones.

The other things I had to buy were not crazy (well, maybe the box of golf pencils I had to buy is a little crazy) but I couldn't believe the quantity of things they wanted: 8 boxes of crayons, 9 glue sticks, 3 big packs of diaper wipes, 3 big containers of clorox wipes, 3 boxes of colored pencils, 3 white three ring binders, 2 boxes of quart sized ziplock baggies, 2 boxes of gallon size ziplock baggies, plus much more. I am supposed to bring all of this stuff to school on the first day. We're going to need a huge box!

I think you win for the fruit scented markers AND the 8 boxes of crayons!!! I LOLed reading your post about the "chocolate mint" marker!!! I think you should keep that one at home since it's not "fruit" scented . --Katie

 

[Leajess99]

I don't have kids so this isn't an issue for me but I was intrigued by the thread title so I decided to stop by. I vaguely remember having name brand stuff (mainly Crayola lol) was something of a status symbol, do you think that's what they're trying to prevent now? I think either way specifying a brand of pencil rather than just "plain yellow pencil" is insanity.

The only really weird thing I remember having to get was a 3" binder for Global 9. We went to 5 different stores that night (and my mom kvetched the whole time) and ended up spending something like 10 bucks on this stupid binder only to find out it was so we could put our text book in it and make a rectangle out of it rather than putting the binder and book in our bags seperately because that method took up more space.

The name brand stuff if asked for because often they are a better quality and don't break as easily. Crayola crayons are so much better than rose art and others just as Ticonderoga are a stronger pencil. papermate pencils are the worst and break easily.

 

[bdoyledimou]

I'm irritated because they want my 1st grader to walk in with 5 packs of crayons.
Five. For each kid. I said that sounded like communism - my husband corrected me to socialism - but whatever! 5 packs of unmarked crayons totally ticks me off. In spite I am thinking about labeling them anyway - that has me fuming.

If it was truly socialist, the school would already have the funding and materials required to do the job based on the taxes that are paid specifically for this purpose, including by those who do not have school age children.

 

[DisneygirlTeacher]

I teach in a school with many children living in poverty.We have over 80% free and reduced lunch at our school. We ask for very little because our students don't have much. I ask for 2 pencils and a pencil box and still have about 5 that don't bring that. I just usually get people that donate some supplies and of course, I buy the rest. It infuriates me when schools ask for so much...they act like every family can afford it. The whole problem lies with the funding we DON'T get. Teachers are always having to do without, or buy it themselves. With no raise in five years, I am done doing that. I just do the best I can. My advice to those with those expensive supply lists is to go to Target or Walmart and buy whatever pencils you can. I can assure you that in the end it won't really matter.

 

[naomi78155]

This totally gripes me because the school made a huge deal of going "paper free" last year! They no longer send the weekly newsletter out, only email. Everything is online, which is nice, but why the need for so much paper?

 

[disney fan4]

I'm irritated because they want my 1st grader to walk in with 5 packs of crayons.
Five. For each kid. I said that sounded like communism - my husband corrected me to socialism - but whatever! 5 packs of unmarked crayons totally ticks me off. In spite I am thinking about labeling them anyway - that has me fuming.

My kindergartner needed 8 packs of crayola crayons, 1 large pencil bag w/zipper and 1 pair fiskars brand blunt tip scissors and $15 donation. I know this is a lot less than most school supply lists but we pay an addtional 1% sales tax in our city dedicated for school use only.
My crazy school supply is a clear or mesh backpack! My ds hates that he can't choose a character backpack because of this rule! And now I have to try and find a cute girlie one for my dd this year. I am sure it sound like our school is a scary place, but we chose this area to live because it is a good school district.

 

[Earstou]

Well, my kids are grown now, but I still remember that stupid red tablet, it might have been the Big Chief tablet, they needed in 1st and 2nd grade.
I don't know how many stores I went to looking for it the first time. Of course it was the most expensive item of 1st and 2nd grade.
The store I found it at closed before child #2 needed one, so I had to search all over again.
The kicker...they came home at the end of the year with just a couple of pages used.

One item, I can't remember now what it was, I never did find. The teacher told me not to worry about since no else could find it either, so they were taking it off the list!

 

[Aurora D]

As a teacher I kind of understand the Ticonderoga request. Other "decorative " pencils don't sharpen as well and wind up going to waste. Also, for years I have relied on Staples 1c sales. I work in a suburban/urban district. Some students bring everything requested, some nothing. Every year I shop the sales to have enough to last the class all year.Three years ago Staples let teachers purchase 25 of each item for a penny. Last year it was "Spend $5 and then get 25 of each item for a penny". No problem, my son needs supplies. I spend the $5. This year "Spend $5, pay full price and spend $25 for the items, get a Staples reward check for the $25 to be spent at Staples". I said "no thanks!" it will still cost me $25.....I'm done.

 

[KennesawNemo]

I'm irritated because they want my 1st grader to walk in with 5 packs of crayons.
Five. For each kid. I said that sounded like communism - my husband corrected me to socialism - but whatever! 5 packs of unmarked crayons totally ticks me off. In spite I am thinking about labeling them anyway - that has me fuming.

I am fine with buying 5, heck, I will even be fine with 10.

But last year, I was so irritated that my kindergartener's teacher wanted one pack of 12 crayons, one pack of 16 crayons, one pack of 24 crayons or some more. I was not able to find the 16 pack or 12 pack anywhere!!

I ended up buying all 24 pack. It didn't even matter. I think they pool everything and share.

 

[allison443]

As a teacher I kind of understand the Ticonderoga request. Other "decorative " pencils don't sharpen as well and wind up going to waste. Also, for years I have relied on Staples 1c sales. I work in a suburban/urban district. Some students bring everything requested, some nothing. Every year I shop the sales to have enough to last the class all year.Three years ago Staples let teachers purchase 25 of each item for a penny. Last year it was "Spend $5 and then get 25 of each item for a penny". No problem, my son needs supplies. I spend the $5. This year "Spend $5, pay full price and spend $25 for the items, get a Staples reward check for the $25 to be spent at Staples". I said "no thanks!" it will still cost me $25.....I'm done.

If you buy $25 worth of supplies you get a $25 reward check to use at Staples? Couldn't you use the rewards for something you personally need anyway like printer cartridges or something? So you'd get a free $25 worth of supplies? That seems good to me (Sorry if I misunderstood the terms of the deal!)