Post your crazy school supply item here.

[littlebit0863]

Oh, I have another one, not crazy supplies, just crazy school rules. My coworker's kid is going into third grade, and third grade and up are not allowed backpacks. If the student provides copy paper to the school at 2 reams per 6 weeks, the teacher will photocopy the bookwork for the student for homework purposes. If not, the student will have to take her book home. (This is in a letter that my flabbergasted coworker is reading right now.) So if her kid has 5 subjects, then she would have to carry home 5 books for homework with no backpack? A little 8 year old girl? That's crazy! I'm so glad our district (coworker lives in another city) just makes us pay for school supplies. We are also on the no locker/no backpack thing in this disstrict but our schools buy duplicate textbooks, one set for school, one set for home.

 

[Zhoen]

I just finally got a list, in person, for DD5's Kindergarten (the links on the county websites don't work... gee...) No required brands, yay!

Weird thing: "An art smock labelled with your child's name"
(I've never seen this on a list before... where do I find these? When I was a kid, you used old men's shirts, turned backwards...)

Obnoxious thing: "$20 supplemental fee, made payable to (school's name here)"
I see this a lot in this county, but 1-I question the legality, since public school is supposed to be free 2-DD8's school at least usually tells us what they plan to use the money for. Essentially this says "$20 for slush fund." If they need the money, fine, I can easily afford it, but I really want to know what they plan to do with it!


Oh, and to the teacher who said they photocopy packets because there aren't enough textbooks. I don't get it? Does the PTA know? If I found out my kids' schools didn't have enough books, as a PTA (and, yes, PitA, too!) Mom, I'd be on the phone with the newspapers while writing to congress sitting at my bake sale stand... and that's not an exaggeration...

 

[Ephany]

Weird thing: "An art smock labelled with your child's name"
(I've never seen this on a list before... where do I find these? When I was a kid, you used old men's shirts, turned backwards...)

Staples had ones made by Crayola. I remember because they were with a marker display and thought it was odd. Amazon has a decent selection or at least you can look at the reviews and see which ones not to buy.

 

[lllovell]

Just got back from the first Meet the Teacher (have two more to go) and the list they gave out there is NOT the same as the list they had on the internet. Weeeeeeee.

The new list doesn't have anything to troublesome on it EXCEPT that my son has 3 subjects where he is supposed to get 1.5 inch binders with inside pockets. That is 4.5 inches for those three classes if he brings them home. I think we are going to get 1/2 inch binders and when those fill up, we can get another one or transition to a bigger one.

 

[Dopey420]

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.

Outstanding post!!!

I get so tired of people who have no idea what socialism or communism are just throwing around those terms.

 

[Dopey420]

$85 calculator

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

I just finally got a list, in person, for DD5's Kindergarten (the links on the county websites don't work... gee...) No required brands, yay!

Weird thing: "An art smock labelled with your child's name"
(I've never seen this on a list before... where do I find these? When I was a kid, you used old men's shirts, turned backwards...)

If you live near an IKEA, they also have them
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90210490/

 

[Disneyluvr]

I just finally got a list, in person, for DD5's Kindergarten (the links on the county websites don't work... gee...) No required brands, yay!

Weird thing: "An art smock labelled with your child's name"
(I've never seen this on a list before... where do I find these? When I was a kid, you used old men's shirts, turned backwards...)Obnoxious thing: "$20 supplemental fee, made payable to (school's name here)"
I see this a lot in this county, but 1-I question the legality, since public school is supposed to be free 2-DD8's school at least usually tells us what they plan to use the money for. Essentially this says "$20 for slush fund." If they need the money, fine, I can easily afford it, but I really want to know what they plan to do with it!


Oh, and to the teacher who said they photocopy packets because there aren't enough textbooks. I don't get it? Does the PTA know? If I found out my kids' schools didn't have enough books, as a PTA (and, yes, PitA, too!) Mom, I'd be on the phone with the newspapers while writing to congress sitting at my bake sale stand... and that's not an exaggeration...

I am a kindergarten teacher and we just use old shirts. I would wait on that and ask the teacher. I'm sure she would say an old shirt is fine, just sharpie her name on it.

 

[wgeo]

I am a kindergarten teacher and we just use old shirts. I would wait on that and ask the teacher. I'm sure she would say an old shirt is fine, just sharpie her name on it.

My DD is starting her 3rd year of using my old Disney Music Days T-shirt as her art shirt. It's bright purple, has Disney stuff on it and fits over her like a dress - she loves it and it is really easy to find come art time. Sure it's now stained with random paint colors, but it works perfectly as an art smock! (really it's just my way to indoctrinate my kids into the Disney obsession early on )

 

[caribear]

My kid's lists aren't too bad, but there are so many items listed. My DD10 needs a flash drive, ear buds and twistable pencils.....I never even knew there was such a thing as twistable pencils! They were pretty pricey...so I bought the small pack....she also needed 10 folders (2 of each color listed)...and a bunch of other items. DS5 needed fat pencils and fat glue sticks.....and 4 packs of crayons. I bought about 15 packs of Crayola crayons when they were $0.33 or $0.25....so I don't think asking for several packs is extreme....they break...get stepped on...lost....

I have also donated packs of copy paper during the school year. I go to Staples whenever they have the FAR deals....so I am not really out any money in the end. Our schools only give the teachers a couple of packs of paper to last them the whole school year....they also make them purchase their own ink cartridges for the copiers!!!

 

[dimimi]

The art shirt is just an old shirt of your husband's. The kids wear them backwards (buttons in the back)

I agree it is annoying when a teacher asks for things they do not use. However, there is no way one box of crayons is going to last all year in a primary class. Also...there is no way a few pencils will last all year. If a pencil lasts a week, that is a long time....

 

[dimimi]

The craziest thing on ours is 4 dozen pencils for my 4th grader.

Only a bit more than 1 pencil a week. Sounds like a lot now, but it is less expensive to buy them now while they are on sale.

 

[torinsmom]

Just got back from the first Meet the Teacher (have two more to go) and the list they gave out there is NOT the same as the list they had on the internet. Weeeeeeee.

The new list doesn't have anything to troublesome on it EXCEPT that my son has 3 subjects where he is supposed to get 1.5 inch binders with inside pockets. That is 4.5 inches for those three classes if he brings them home. I think we are going to get 1/2 inch binders and when those fill up, we can get another one or transition to a bigger one.

I would get a 2 inch one and use folders to separate subjects. That is much easier to deal with.

Oh, I have another one, not crazy supplies, just crazy school rules. My coworker's kid is going into third grade, and third grade and up are not allowed backpacks. If the student provides copy paper to the school at 2 reams per 6 weeks, the teacher will photocopy the bookwork for the student for homework purposes. If not, the student will have to take her book home. (This is in a letter that my flabbergasted coworker is reading right now.) So if her kid has 5 subjects, then she would have to carry home 5 books for homework with no backpack? A little 8 year old girl? That's crazy! I'm so glad our district (coworker lives in another city) just makes us pay for school supplies. We are also on the no locker/no backpack thing in this disstrict but our schools buy duplicate textbooks, one set for school, one set for home.

I would just have her bring one book home each weekend and I would copy the whole book at a local copy center. Or maybe find out the book names and buy a used copy on half.com.