Post your crazy school supply item here.

[Promomx2]

Ds only needs 4 binders, 4 folders and a digital volt-ohm meter. . . . He's in his second year of auto tech. I wonder where I can find a coupon for that???

 

[MM27]

The oddest things to me on our lists are cleaning supplies. Guess the Board of Education doesn't buy their own anymore. I get there are budget cuts but really, families have a budget also. We had to buy 2 Clorox containers for each, 2 boxes of Kleenex for each, and Lysol for each. Also had to have copy paper and each one had to have a dry erase board. When I was a kid we just needed a notebook, pencils, pens, ruler, and paper and the schools in this area were much better then. Why all the extra stuff these days? I just don't get it but I still go out and make sure we get the stuff they need.

In my school, the custodians clean the floors and empty the garbage in the classrooms. They don't clean desks/chairs or do any other cleaning. If we want the rest of the room cleaned, we do it ourselves and buy the supplies ourselves. I buy my own supplies for that, and you should see how filthy desks get after even a week of use. So would you be happier if the desk went uncleaned all year or if the teacher asked for a container or two of Clorox wipes?

Tissues are another thing not supplied by the school/district. I ask for kids to bring tissues and I also buy them. Some teachers in my school do not. I guess the kids use their sleeves
One of the teachers on my floor puts out the brown school paper towels. Kids end up bringing their own tissues because they hate using those hard, scratchy things.
I can't tell you the number of times I've had kids from other classes come to my room, with hand over their nose, seeking out tissues. Call me mean, but I send them away. I'm not supplying the school with tissues. If their teacher refuses to buy or seek out tissues, I'm certainly not paying for them.

 

[jkclark68]

I love shopping for school supplies with my 3 girls. It gets them hyped up and excited for school. I guess I've been lucky as I've never had a problem with a teacher taking my kids' supplies and redistributing the items. In fact, prior to 3rd grade, I only had to buy a backpack and homework folder. Tissues and wipes were politely wished for by the teachers.

Our PTA used to do the Supply Box for $25 a year, but I found that by shopping the sales, I could get everything I needed, plus a stock of replacements to use throughout the year for a lot less than that. This year, the school is waiting until 1 week before school starts to announce schedules and teachers so I don't have a supply list yet for my 2 middle schoolers. Missing out on the sales does NOT sit well with me. I really get into bargain hunting for back to school supplies! I have bought some of the basics and hopefully the teachers won't add too much to our lists.

I think saying it's the teachers' responsibility to pay for supplies is the same as expecting your doctor to pay for your medications. Any teacher that spends his/her own money is going above and beyond in my opinion. Teachers work damn hard and shouldn't have to give up their hard earned money in order to do their job.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

I agree that teachers should not have to pay out of pocket for supplies but neither should parents. American government needs to rethink their spending. 2 1/2 billion dollars to explore mars, how about taking care of the kids here on planet earth!
Maybe I am the only one who feels that way. I don't know.


I do know that Chicago public schools purchased 33 expresso machines to the tune of 66,000 few years ago (purchased in small groups to avoid oversight) 1 was found in use, 2 in storage and the rest went "missing". That story was hushed up fairly quickly. So there is some random abuse as well.

The system needs a little tweaking in a few places.

 

[Cindy B]

Ds only needs 4 binders, 4 folders and a digital volt-ohm meter. . . . He's in his second year of auto tech. I wonder where I can find a coupon for that???

If you have a Harbor Freight near you, they have them. I think you can get them at Home Depot, Lowe's and maybe Radio Shack? (All of our Radio Shacks closed many years ago).

Harbor Freight does have coupons- I was just looking at a 20% off that my DH got in the mail.

 

[torinsmom]

Ds only needs 4 binders, 4 folders and a digital volt-ohm meter. . . . He's in his second year of auto tech. I wonder where I can find a coupon for that???

You might try Amazon and Ebay for some competitive pricing.


Believe me, teachers see the waste in spending as well. Money in the budget is earmarked for certain purposes and cannot be spent any other way. So, whether we need new computers or not, if we have $10,000 to spend on technology and only need $5,000 worth at that time, we still have to spend it on something tech. If we don't spend it, the next year the tech budget will be reduced, and who cares if that year we do need it?


We also have contracts with certain vendors, so even though we could get laptops for $500 through one company, we have to spend $800 through another because we have a contract with them. That kind of stuff drives me crazy!

 

[Qwackertoo]

No crazy item here . . . DD first year in college, DS 10th grade

but I remember when DD was in 3rd grade, new teacher to the district, I had to go to 13 or 14 stores to find EVERYTHING on her list. One item, only me and one other Mom managed to find it. It was the white-out tape . . . which I think now is easy to find but 9 years ago . . . IMPOSSIBLE to find. LOL

 

[spacemountainmom]

The hardest to find school supply item I ever had to buy was 3M post-it tape. It was requested when my ds was in 1st grade. I spent the entire summer looking all over for the stuff. I knew it existed because I had seen it when I tutored reading in a first grade classroom.

My in-laws came to visit just before school started and I asked my fil if he could check the 3M company store for the tape. Only current 3M employees and retirees are allowed in the store. FIL can shop there since he is a retiree. He found it there and bought several rolls.

During BTS open house, parent after parent complained that they could not find the tape. The teachers were shocked that it was so hard to find. I shared that it was available at the 3M store if anyone had access. Parents were really irritated. The in-laws had gone home or I would have asked him to get some more.

 

[torinsmom]

If something is ever hard to find, please just wait until school starts and let the teacher know. No teacher would want parents to go to the ends of the Earth to find something.

 

[LucieInTheSky]

All through elementary school we would just pay the school $25 for supplies, then junior high hit. The strangest request was 40 mechanical pencils!?! Really, they are refillable so why 40?

 

[momtosam]

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.

amen sister!!!!!!!!

 

[momtosam]

Cheap pencils don't sharpen and mess up the pencil sharpeners. Kids can go sharpen and then go sit, they get right back up because the lead 'falls out' of the cheap pencils.

Cleaning supplies and Kleenex are needed....have you been in a class with 20-30 kids in the winter or who are sick. Some kids will used 10-15 Kleenex a day ---they will get up and barely wipe their nose just to get out of their seat. Then there are those who are truly sick who should be at home but are sent to school who use tons of Kleenex. Then they touch the pencil sharpener and all the surfaces and you don't think the teacher should have Clorox wipes to wipe down the things you know custodians don't have time to wipe down daily!

Teachers are in contact with the supplies daily and know what they need. They don't ask for batteries or cleaning supplies because they want parents to whine and complain. They ask because they are needed and they shouldn't have to pay out of pocket. They might ask for a specific brand because they know it lasts better in the long run....doesn't break pencil sharpener, glue sticks better, crayons work better, scissors don't break, etc. That printer paper is probably because the district is short on money and limits how much teacher can print. Then they have to pay out of pocket to send notes, etc home.

The Kleenex...if there are 20-25 kids bringing in 2 boxes each (and you know darn well not everyone does) that is 40-50 boxes max per year. Divide that by 36+ weeks of school and you will find that 1-1.5 box per week is not enough...especially in younger grades.

I think parents need to open their eyes and go into school and see what it is like, not compare to when we were kids. Parents need to see how much teachers spend out of pocket for supplies....probably would be a big eye opener! BUT lots of people would rather whine and complain, don't get involved in school and helping and *itch about it instead.

My kids are high school and I still watch for sales- Staples is great on FAR items. I still have a closet full of pens and pencils I got for free. I watch starting in July and stock up....buying enough to get through the school year. I went out and spent $5 for our 'stuff the bus' with school supplies. I got 10 folders, 10 spiral notebooks, 4 REAL ELMERS GLUE (not school glue) and 4 boxes of CRAYOLA 24 count crayons. This was just walking into my local store and not even searching for stuff.

Just my 2 cents...teachers know what they are talking about and asking for. If it is a real economic hardship then talk to the teacher and ask what else you could send in besides the more expensive stuff (maybe extra Kleenex or something).

I am a parent...not a teacher. Teachers need our support but so few parents really appreciate what the teachers do and how hard it is for them.

This year go to your kids class, meet the teachers and ask if you can help or what they need. Teachers appreciate parents and kids like that.

Thanks to all you teachers....

Please move to my school district...

And regarding parents not knowing what teachers must buy, one year during the school year I had a student move in. Another teacher gave me a name plate for her desk because I didn't have any more. On the first day the child asked me why her name plate didn't have the same design as the others. I explained how I got it and her mother was shocked to hear that teacher buy things like name plates, alphabet strips, posters, bulletin board trim, stickers, etc. and not the schools.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

ok, I've got one, we've been to several stores and asked all around.

1st grader needs a 9x12 laminated plastic or poly Navy Blue folder ?

I ran into a teacher from his school at the store and asked her what it was, she said she had no idea.

She then told me that this year the teachers didn't make the school supply list !

This last year the PTA offered as a fundraiser, a school supply kit for some obnixious price of like $75. She said the PTA convinced the assit principal to just copy the list from the PTA fundraiser, so that the kids who purchased the kit would have the same things as the other kids and vice versa !

P.S. what brand sells 110ct facial tissues ?

 

[lllovell]

ok, I've got one, we've been to several stores and asked all around.

1st grader needs a 9x12 laminated plastic or poly Navy Blue folder ?

...snip...

P.S. what brand sells 110ct facial tissues ?

I believe that just means one of the plastic pocket folders. Walmart sells them in many different colors so finding a blue one won't be an issue. They are inexpensive as well. They are asking for them to not be the paper ones as they rip easily. They comes with prongs or without - this sounds like a "without" request....but get what you can find at this point.

And I LOL about the 110ct facial tissues. You ask me for 110ct facial tissues and you will get the same box of what I buy for my home...regardless of "count". That is obsurd.

We have bought all sorts of stuff for my kids this year. I purchase way more to make it through the year for home use and to replenish their supplies. I will not be taking anything to meet the teacher tonight except for my lists. I want to know what they are having me purchase that will belong to my child and what they are having me purchase that is community property. If it is to belong to my child, I won't be taking it to school until it is needed. S/he can take it the first day of school if it is a binder, etc.

My 3rd is entering 1st grade so this is becoming somewhat of a joke. The first year, I made sure to take the supplies early and it made no sense. Like others here, there were items they didn't really need on the list, so now I always go in and ask. We also help with pencils and paper goods (tissues, papertowels) at other times during the year when asked. I really really wish they would ask each semester to get a realistic picture of their needs at that time. It would also spread the cost over multiple months which would really help.

 

[pigletto]

Some of these lists are bizarre

We get the standard "Pencils, Crayons, Pencil Crayons, Ruler, Eraser, Box of tissues, Markers". The end.
In fact, I always find deals and send in extras to throw into the pot because the list is so easy and I'd like to help out any kids who's parents couldn't get their items for whatever reason.

Even dd's high school list was easy. The only really specific thing was the type of calculator, but you can pick the brand.

I suppose we get off easy. However our uniforms all have to come from one ridiculous overpriced supplier who can't fill the orders. DD waited until mid December for her sweaters last year and we had ordered them in MARCH of the year before. So I suppose we get off easy in one area only to be hassled in another

ETA) Although it did just occur to me that every year "markers" are on the list. And every year I bought them and they get sent home lol. They don't want the 5 and 6 year olds with markers in their desks and I totally get that, so I stopped. Maybe they should edit the generic list then.

 

[leebee]

The binders have been my pet peeve since DD16 started Middle School. I understand that they help the student stay organized but the teachers seriously need to come up with an organizational system that is more portable. By last year, Sophomore year, my DD was still carting around a ridiculous load but she vows to join the rebels this year who get a spiral for notes and a pocket folder for handouts for each class. She hasn't had a teacher since 8th grade that actually checked the binders so I agree that it's time to come up with her own plan. She's extremely organized by nature so I have no worries that she can't keep things together.

In 6th grade DD was required to have "trapper binders" (I think that's what they were called). They were huge, covered in fabric, had pockets and ring binders and whatever. One for each of 5 classes, and they cost about $10 each. The real kicker is that they were too big for backpacks or lockers, so really useless. That is the year she swapped to a spiral notebook and color-coordinated pocket folder for each class; SO much easier to deal with. She'll be a college sophomore in a few weeks and still uses this system!

Not sure that anyone has answered the complaint about supplying copy paper, but in the school where I teach, we haven't always been able to afford enough books for everyone, so entire chapters are photocopied and handed out to students periodically. I am 100% sure that right now, as I type, there are a couple of admin support people in my school photocopying an entire year's worth of math packets for every 6th, 7th, and 8th grader. Ditto (no pun, and I guess I just dated myself) for 3rd-5th grade reading packets. We go through a TON of paper and copier toner every year, and pay salary and bennies for endless weeks of photocopying, yet somehow this is more cost-effective than buying textbooks...

A few random comments on supplies... "Name" brand pencils work better and last longer than cheap-os. The lead on the cheapo pencils is often almost prebroken inside the pencil, so as soon as you get a decent point sharpened, you can pull about a centimeter of the lead right out of the pencil and get to start sharpening all over again. Pretty, decorative pencils are covered in paper that messes up the pencil sharpener and makes it useless. Chlorox wipes contain bleach, so we aren't allowed to let the kids use them, although we are required to wipe down desks after school every day with a bleach-containing disposable wipe, to keep illnesses at bay (although if parents kept kids at home when they are ill, this'd work too...). We can't let the kids use any wipe with bleach in it or any hand sanitizer with alcohol in it as these are chemicals and could be dangerous if the kids ingested them. (yeah, don't eat the hand sanitizer. Cheap crayons often contain wheat products which will cross contaminate and put gluten sensitive kids at risk (personally if my kid were in such danger I would send their OWN stuff and not take chances...). Yes, I think a LOT of this is silliness but in our litigious society, many schools won't take chances...

My final comment is on seniors and childless property owners paying school taxes. IMO, it comes down to this: As a society we have decided that an educated populace is most beneficial to our continued success as a country. Therefore, everyone pays to provide a basic public education for all children. It's part of being a member of a society. Yes, options for other types of education exist, and childless members of the community also exist, but basically it comes back to the notion of an educated society being more beneficial to the country than an un- or semi-educated society... so we all pay for it.

 

[dis75ney]

DS's school supply list isn't really all that crazy. Thankfully, DS has a bunch of barely-used school supplies from years past that he just keeps recycling every year (his Crayola washable markers are on their third year and still work perfectly fine). The one item I don't understand is the plastic accordion folder, but those aren't that expensive, so I'll let that one slide.

The one item I thought wasn't crazy, but apparently is...

2 orange pocket folders

Apparently, orange pocket folders are the in-demand items this year, as I cannot find these darned things ANYWHERE. I can find every other color of the rainbow (which I've stocked up on), and some colors that aren't in the rainbow, but orange is nowhere within a 30 minute radius. I suppose I'll just keep checking, and if I can't find them, DS will go to school with purple folders...

 

[KennesawNemo]

60w light bulbs!

In all fairness, it's on the wish list, not required list.

 

[Ephany]

The one item I thought wasn't crazy, but apparently is...

2 orange pocket folders

Apparently, orange pocket folders are the in-demand items this year, as I cannot find these darned things ANYWHERE. I can find every other color of the rainbow (which I've stocked up on), and some colors that aren't in the rainbow, but orange is nowhere within a 30 minute radius. I suppose I'll just keep checking, and if I can't find them, DS will go to school with purple folders...

Walmart has them with prongs and Office Depot has them without prongs. I think I paid .59 cents yesterday for them at Office Depot. And yes, they were the hardest thing on DD's list to find......

 

[littlebit0863]

I have a couple. My coworker's kid has to bring 5 packs of printer photo paper, and 5 packs of stickers of their choosing. They are going to make a scrapbook. Hmmm... seems like my earlier comment of making kids do your scrapbooking is not so far fetched!