Post your crazy school supply item here.

[reginaastralis]

My mom was a teacher for years (she's now a media specialist, so she at least gets a bigger budget) but there were a number of years where her principal wouldn't let them send out a supply list, it would have been rude My mom was able to get everything her students needed for less then $5 a student, but it was a stretch. She would have parents berate her about not giving out a list ... even though the supplies were always on the desk for back to school night.

I haven't looked at the list, but because of my mom, I'll pretty much buy anything, lol. I know my dd's school does a combined list, so I usually wait until I can talk to the teacher and ask what they really need ...

 

[cornflake]

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.

As others have said, it's a quality/consistancy issue.

The Ticonderoga are quality, they last, they're almost all number 2, so the teachers don't have to worry someone is using something that won't work on a scantron, and I'd wager even specifying yellow would invariably lead to the coated ones. Kids love them but they gunk up sharpeners and make a mess and kids peel them and etc.

Same with the Crayola. The cheapy crayons are not only inferior, break, don't write as well, there may be issues with what's in them and if you're talking about kids that young, someone is eating a crayon at some point. Easier to demand the ones you know will work and be non-toxic. Also there won't be any weird colours floating around for people to argue over or get upset over being stuck with or whatever.

 

[beansmom]

As others have said, it's a quality/consistancy issue.

The Ticonderoga are quality, they last, they're almost all number 2, so the teachers don't have to worry someone is using something that won't work on a scantron, and I'd wager even specifying yellow would invariably lead to the coated ones. Kids love them but they gunk up sharpeners and make a mess and kids peel them and etc.

Same with the Crayola. The cheapy crayons are not only inferior, break, don't write as well, there may be issues with what's in them and if you're talking about kids that young, someone is eating a crayon at some point. Easier to demand the ones you know will work and be non-toxic. Also there won't be any weird colours floating around for people to argue over or get upset over being stuck with or whatever.

agreed. i'd rather buy a few good quality supplies than a whole bunch of crap that needs to be replaced constantly.

 

[Swimalie]

We don't really have any crazy items on the list (I'm almost done and have only spent $8). But they are asking for alcohol-free hand sanitizer. Everything I've read about the effectiveness of hand sanitizer says that it must contain alcohol to be effective. I think I'm going to buy the one with alcohol in it despite the request. And I'm buying a small one for my son to keep in his desk.

 

[latexscooter]

My daughters school does things that I think are kind of strange. They put out a "recommended" list that includes brands. On that list there are two to three things my DD gets to keep and the rest gets put into a pool which the teacher divides up amongst the class. What bothers me is when I purchase all the branded stuff and then my kid is given the cheap pencils that are brittle, the crayons that break and the paper folders when we were told to buy plastic.

I would much prefer for my DD to keep the items I purchase and then ask for the school/teacher ask for additional to be used as a class pool. I have no problem helping out and buying additional but I don't like following the recommendations and having my child not get what I've purchased. Students that need to supplement their incomplete supply should be able to do so from the pool and students who have all their items shouldn't get anything from the pool.

 

[plummer925]

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.

Okay - this is WAY off topic, but i just had to reply - taxes...I do not have children and 83% of my property taxes go to education. So, yea, it IS socialist, but the schools do not seem to realize it...

 

[bdoyledimou]

Okay - this is WAY off topic, but i just had to reply - taxes...I do not have children and 83% of my property taxes go to education. So, yea, it IS socialist, but the schools do not seem to realize it...

Plummer -- yeah I guess the irony didn't come though.

I just can wrap my head around how school districts always seem so strapped for cash when so much funding is handed to them.

In Ontario, the provincial govt. actually passed a law that prohibits schools from forcing families to provide supplies for schools cause it was getting out of hand (2 years ago each of my kids was expected to provide $300 for supply costs!!)

 

[drcmk]

I work in a suburban/urban district. Some students bring everything requested, some nothing. .

In my opinion (parent of a ninth and eleventh grader) it is the requests for parents to buy an outlandish number of items that discourage people from fulfilling the list. I think districts think that asking for extra will help cover families that don't bring everything in when, in fact, it annoys people to the point that they decide not to go out of their way to bring everything in.

After a few years of extreme effort to fulfill the list, I now buy what I think is reasonable and, since we go to public schools, I figure no one will be expelled if they don't have the precise brand and color of high-lighter.

 

[wgeo]

We don't really have any crazy items on the list (I'm almost done and have only spent $8). But they are asking for alcohol-free hand sanitizer. Everything I've read about the effectiveness of hand sanitizer says that it must contain alcohol to be effective. I think I'm going to buy the one with alcohol in it despite the request. And I'm buying a small one for my son to keep in his desk.

$8 and your almost done! I will spend more then that on ziploc bags alone . I'm a very careful shopper, but my kids school lists are single spaced and an entire page long. They need multiple boxes of different size ziploc bags, which is expensive but at least I see them getting used during the year. The 3 ring binders almost always come home unused, and then next years teacher wants a 1inch instead of the 2inch from this year. Oh well, I try to buy the name brand because they are better quality - like the Prang water colors, but every year they tell us to buy prang because the kids can reuse them next year - not so much. The only thing I don't get is the Ticonderoga pencils, we had hundreds of decorated pencils the kids are given over the years and now I send those, I know they're not as good but I'm not throwing literally hundreds of pencils away and we won't use that many at home.

 

[maggs1035]

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

They wouldn't get them from me! One pack for my child is enough! We don't even get our list or class/teacher assignment until way into August. So I have mo idea!

 

[maggs1035]

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.

Its about supplies for the whole year, and everyone covering the kids who parents can't afford school supplies! However, I pay my high school taxes and do my part, so why should I be buying 4 times as much as my child will use? My district is a rich district, they can make up for the kids who don't have it? I wouldn't mind giving more of one item to help out, but not on everything on the list!

 

[maggs1035]

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!

Hell No!!!! I wouldn't do it! What happens if you don't bring all that in?

 

[goofyredraider]

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!)

Supposedly yes, but in ALL the years I have used a rewards card at Staples...I have NEVER received a rewards check/coupon/whatever. I have spent money there every year shopping for my classroom and own children...they've confirmed there's nothing wrong with my card...and still, NOTHING.

The thing that bothers a lot of teachers about this deal is - we aren't buying the supplies for US. I would buy spirals, paper, pens, pencils, and folders for the kids I knew could not afford school supplies. To a high school kid, coming in and trying to explain that their parents couldn't or didn't buy supplies is so embarrassing for them. I've had boys cry because they were so mortified that they didn't have anything....and being able to go in a cabinet and give them some basics supplies really means a lot to them. This happens more than you think...and without the good "deals" I can't personally afford to do this for them. I have between 100-120 students PER semester (so 200-240 a year).

 

[Samar]

*grump* Yet another thing I have to do this week before Ramadan starts

Last year, it was crazy the amount of stuff they needed. And the first day, DD's teacher sent a good portion of the supplies back home so I was griping that I could've saved "all this money" to not buy it in the first place.

My son's class kept everything.

It would be nice to only have to shop for what our children needed and have the school shop for those who can not afford it at that time. Or at the end of the previous year, survey people or something.

***Side note for dry erase boards, send in a clean "lost" sock for an eraser instead of buying one

 

[labdogs42]

This makes me SO thankful that my district actually pays for our supplies. The kids are provided with everything they need for actual school work and we can send in some extra art supplies, crayons markers, etc for them to have in their desk for seat time if we want. We also get a list of items we can send for the classroom, but that is optional. Amazing how much more fun it is to shop for the stuff when you know you have the option! I always send in tissues, wipes, glues, sticks and crayons that I get during the back to school sales. I'm happy to do it, but if I HAD to do it, I'd totally be annoyed!

 

[rantnnravin]

Plummer -- yeah I guess the irony didn't come though.

I just can wrap my head around how school districts always seem so strapped for cash when so much funding is handed to them.

In Ontario, the provincial govt. actually passed a law that prohibits schools from forcing families to provide supplies for schools cause it was getting out of hand (2 years ago each of my kids was expected to provide $300 for supply costs!!)

3 words: UNfunded Federal Mandates

As a teacher, I can only afford to supply so much. I was so grateful that Staples used to allow us to stock up - because I DO need those extra pencils, folders, notebooks, etc. And I always take them out of my closet IN the staples bag and on the rare occasion that a child actually thanks me, I tell them to thank Staples. I'm not going to be able to afford to do that this year if I have to pay full price (I have 150 kids on my rosters - and there are a large percentage of needy families in our district)

As far as our own school supplies: My DD is starting public school for the first time this year. When she went to private school, I would get a full page, single spaced list every year that included disinfectant wipes, PLUS non-alcohol wipes, 4 boxes of tissues, ziploc bags, name brand crayons and "made in USA" only pencils, etc.. There was so much stuff, I would have to make two trips from the car with a rolling suitcase to bring it all into the building (and don't even get me started about "drop off" only being 3 hours on the day before school started - when that was MY first day of school ) And it really busted my buttons to hear about fights over crayon colors when I had sent my kid in with 4 boxes!! So i started writing my DD's name on everything - and when i say everything I mean like EVERY crayon in EVERY box had her name on it.

 

[littlebit0863]

In my school district, you don't even get the option to buy school supplies. You buy them through the school, and from what I've heard from my friend it is $25 a semester. (No school agers myself.) I'm not sure what happens if you never pay it. If it hasn't changed over the years then you just don't move on to the next grade. I remember in between 5th & 6th we had to go one morning in the summer bc my parents still owed the supply fee and couldn't register me in jr high. I don't know if it's still like that.

 

[Samar]

In my school district, you don't even get the option to buy school supplies. You buy them through the school, and from what I've heard from my friend it is $25 a semester. (No school agers myself.) I'm not sure what happens if you never pay it. If it hasn't changed over the years then you just don't move on to the next grade. I remember in between 5th & 6th we had to go one morning in the summer bc my parents still owed the supply fee and couldn't register me in jr high. I don't know if it's still like that.

That is bizarre!!! We are lucky to be able to get our kids school stuff but if something happened to DH's job and we were strapped, how could they punish our kids by holding them back over something so stupid?!?!

 

[jessp1021]

I didn't really have anything outlandish just seems like an excess of all supplies..DS will be in 6th grade this year and just for the base list alone we have already spent $70 :O and will have more requests from his elective class! We live within the city and I cannot begin to imagine how several parents in our area will be able to afford spending that amount plus uniforms.

My biggest gripe is that no matter what you buy your own child or how many extras you send in they don't get to keep what you send. The teacher pools it and disburses it to the students. I completely get that this is to make sure that every child has supplies but I don't agree with taking specific folders (themes or designs on them) or other specific supplies (pencil pouches, etc.) from one student that has brought them in and turning around and giving them to another.

 

[HayGan]

In my school district, you don't even get the option to buy school supplies. You buy them through the school, and from what I've heard from my friend it is $25 a semester. (No school agers myself.) I'm not sure what happens if you never pay it. If it hasn't changed over the years then you just don't move on to the next grade. I remember in between 5th & 6th we had to go one morning in the summer bc my parents still owed the supply fee and couldn't register me in jr high. I don't know if it's still like that.

I don't know how they could get away with that in a public school system. Public education is supposed to be open and free to all. If someone wanted to challenge that I'm sure that they could easily do so. Just because no one has challenged it doesn't mean that it is ok.

As for the quality issue, so what if the valentines pencils that my kids still use require sharpening twice a week instead of once. If people dont like these then quit giving so many of the darn things in the treat packs you insist on giving out for every darn holiday. NO crayons sold are toxic to children. Not everyone's blue has to be the exact same shade. So what if a crayon breaks - kids have been using broken crayons for over a hundred years! They still work. Everything doesn't have to be perfect for little Susie or Steven Snowflake or even their teacher! It is so wasteful to have to tell people they have to get new stuff every year! The focus on these kinds of issues in the schools is just another example of why our education system continues to fall further and further behind.

I know that these threads come up every year but I still say that these kind of requests are ridiculous.

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