Post your crazy school supply item here.

[irishsharon]

I use post its for writing. Some kids can go through a whole pad in no time with the strategies I teach them for increasing the vocabulary level in writing, working on ideas or replacing sentence structure. As the national standards for education come into play this year, even kindergarten students will be using highlighters to find key words and phrases and learn how to transfer them into writing. All areas will be heavily dependent upon writing , if you think the supply lists are bad wait until you see what they have in store for them academically.

Thank you that makes sense,sometimes when you don't see things being used you wonder why it was needed,and so many.

 

[Patience]

As someone who is sending a child off to college in a very few weeks, I have to ask:

What are you going to do when you have to pay for college? You think pencils are expensive? Hooboy, you are in for a shock!

I have a rising Kindergartner and a rising college freshman. The college bill is due to arrive on Wednesday. Between the Kindy supplies and all the dorm room stuff, my house looks like Target exploded in it.

 

[LocaRoja]

No, you didn't say Disney per se. I'm too lazy to go find your quote, but you implied that if someone can afford a vacation, they can afford to donate school supplies to others in need. While it may be true that they can afford it, the bottom line is they shouldn't be guilted into doing so. Sure, I can afford to donate to many organizations. But if I donated to every single one, I wouldn't be able to afford my vacation, and honestly, that's not something I'm willing to give up. I work hard and I budget and save to afford my vacation, not to donate the money to someone else.

And I didn't say that I wouldn't consider donating. As a matter of fact, I do donate schools supplies both at the beginning of the year and several times throughout the year, I donate my time to the school and I donate books to the teachers off of their wish lists. I also donate a lot of time and money to a gift giving program for low income families, because it's an organization I feel very strongly about. However, with all of that said, I don't feel that anyone should be asked to purchase supplies under the guise that it's for THEIR children, when really, it's for the entire class, nor do I think that just because my child is in school and I can afford it, that I need to donate supplies for the other children that can't. It doesn't matter to me if it's $1.00 or $1000.00. I should be told what I need to supply for MY child and then be given the option to donate to a class fund or supply pool, if I so choose. It's more about the principle of the matter.

For public schools, class supply lists are and will always be "requests" and not mandatory. No child is going to be turned away from a public education because their parent sent either: 1) no supplies or 2) a parent-edited list of supplies that ensures there are just enough items to cover your individual child's needs.

Again, for me, and clearly I see things differently than you, I'd rather just go with the list of items the teacher requests without a lot of judgement or ire, because for me, I trust these educators with my child; therefore, I certainly trust them to let me know what is going to help their classroom function better. And honestly, in MY opinion, a better classroom environment is also benefiting my kid's individual experience!

Finally, I'll end with this: I have no belief or intention that I am going to be able to change your mind or persuade you in the least about this issue. So, I think we'll just have to agree to land here in our debate.

You can see it as forced charity that is not right/fair and I'll see it as another way to help out a classroom, teacher, and other children.

 

[irishsharon]

One thing our kids school does is at open school night the have a class giving tree.You can pick an apple or two of the tree and send in the requested iteam.Somethings are papertowels,ziplock bags,tissues(googlie eyes,pipecleaners,foam stickers for kindergarden)I love that the teacher get the extras they really need also people can choose to give or not

 

[GJM]

My DS is going into 7th. grade and they need a ton of glue stickers and 2 packs of colored pencils. I can't understand why they need to color and glue in 7th. grade. But in 6th. grade also they would glue everything in their composition notebooks and color pictures in them.

He also needs red pens - why red? I remember when I was in school only the teacher was allowed to use red pens!

 

[wgeo]

I'm sorry, but you sound quite extreme here. It's ten dollars worth of pencils, not a laptop computer or some other expensive item. It seems that if you can go on nice vacations, then sending in a few dozen decent writing instruments for your kid's class is not a big request. I guess, perhaps, you are just annoyed that a few dollars of your pencils will be used by other kids? However, in all honesty, wouldn't you feel good to be the silent person that enables a child to have what they need to be successful?

Perhaps we can re-frame the school requests that are in all likelihood intended to ensure all kids (not just your kid) in the class have what they need as a pay it forward kind of thing for the next generation. And, be happy you have the means and commitment to meet your child's needs; if all kids had parents like you, we'd be in a better place!!!

I personally feel it's great when you have a chance to help others, especially children! And hopefully, if your family ever needs a helping hand, someone will be there for you!

I appreciate that you have a right to your opinion but you are making a lot of assumptions about my life. Your first incorrect assumption is that my problem is with the price. Certainly I don't like the cost, but I could afford it if I chose to. My problem is with the waste of it. We are extremely careful stewards of our resources, both our physical resources (we don't throw things out if they can be reused) and of our money. I know my child, he is a careful kid, he's not going to lose that many pencils over the year. He brought home a decent amount of untouched pencils from last year when they only requested 20. I also know the school, the school he went to last year was economically disadvantaged, his school next year - not even close - so the pooling of supplies arguement doesn't stand.
That's your second wrong assumption - to state that I would be annoyed at a few of my dollars helping other kids. Please, please don't dare to assume something like that based on an internet post. You don't know me, I don't know you. We happen to make a small but workable income, and if you saw the percentage of money that we gave to charity you would likely be very surprised. So please just because I am very careful with how I spend my money, don't judge what I do for others.

Your third wrong assumption is that just because someone goes to Disney that they are somehow rich. You have no idea what we spend on a vacation or anything else in our life. You are making all of these value judgements about me because I don't want to send 6 dozen pencils to school with my son. I'm sorry it's just plain offensive for you to state how superior you are because you help other people out. I'm glad you fell good about yourself, I really am. I also happen to fell good about what I do to help out my community, I just don't need to make others feel bad so that I can feel morally superior.

Gina

 

[Cindy B]

I never went crazy with the lists-- if they wanted 5 tissue boxes, they got 1.
10 pencils instead of 100
Any folder instead of the color coded subject specific (the middle school asked for at on the master supply llist but not teacher specific= they said it wasn't worth it.)

They also suggested a foreign language binder complete with 2 inch binder, translation guide, verb "wheel", etc. Some people bought them, we never did and the foreign language teachers never asked for them. Once you got to high school- you didn't use them at all.

 

[karinbelle]

My DS is going into 7th. grade and they need a ton of glue stickers and 2 packs of colored pencils. I can't understand why they need to color and glue in 7th. grade. But in 6th. grade also they would glue everything in their composition notebooks and color pictures in them.

He also needs red pens - why red? I remember when I was in school only the teacher was allowed to use red pens!

There are numerous ways that 7th grade and above can use colored pencils to enhance their learning experiences. Classrooms today are much more student-centered than when you and I went to school...Student do the thinking in good classrooms. They no longer just sit and get - they are expected to collaborate, communicate, investigate, and analyze problems and solutions.

As they do these things, they will sometimes use different colored pencils to mark text as they annotate it, draw images, graph data, etc.

Check out this book for human anatomy (there are college-level books also).

http://www.amazon.com/Human-Anatomy...2391845&sr=8-3&keywords=anatomy+coloring+book

Red pens are probably for evaluating their own work and seeing where they need to improve. As you know, if you discover something for yourself, you are more likely to remember it. Just think about the last time your parent warned you about something and you did it anyway. You did not learn that lesson from a discussion. You had to experience it.

I hope this helps you understand why things that seem to be elementary are used at a higher level of education.

 

[Sandy61]

One thing our kids school does is at open school night the have a class giving tree.You can pick an apple or two of the tree and send in the requested iteam.Somethings are papertowels,ziplock bags,tissues(googlie eyes,pipecleaners,foam stickers for kindergarden)I love that the teacher get the extras they really need also people can choose to give or not

I remember some teachers do this the day before school starts (visit day). A couple of teachers will have a table in their classroom covered in sticky notes with items a parent can buy the classroom like stickers or postit notes. A parent could pick one up and fulfill it or not. Or pick several up. Nice way of helping out the teacher.

 

[LocaRoja]

I appreciate that you have a right to your opinion but you are making a lot of assumptions about my life. Your first incorrect assumption is that my problem is with the price. Certainly I don't like the cost, but I could afford it if I chose to. My problem is with the waste of it. We are extremely careful stewards of our resources, both our physical resources (we don't throw things out if they can be reused) and of our money. I know my child, he is a careful kid, he's not going to lose that many pencils over the year. He brought home a decent amount of untouched pencils from last year when they only requested 20. I also know the school, the school he went to last year was economically disadvantaged, his school next year - not even close - so the pooling of supplies arguement doesn't stand.
That's your second wrong assumption - to state that I would be annoyed at a few of my dollars helping other kids. Please, please don't dare to assume something like that based on an internet post. You don't know me, I don't know you. We happen to make a small but workable income, and if you saw the percentage of money that we gave to charity you would likely be very surprised. So please just because I am very careful with how I spend my money, don't judge what I do for others.

Your third wrong assumption is that just because someone goes to Disney that they are somehow rich. You have no idea what we spend on a vacation or anything else in our life. You are making all of these value judgements about me because I don't want to send 6 dozen pencils to school with my son. I'm sorry it's just plain offensive for you to state how superior you are because you help other people out. I'm glad you fell good about yourself, I really am. I also happen to fell good about what I do to help out my community, I just don't need to make others feel bad so that I can feel morally superior.

Gina

I'm not the supply checker/enforcer; I was suggesting that we just lighten up about a few pencils and the minimal expense associated such...as it's going to our schools. No teacher is trying to be nefarious and hoard supplies when they create their lists. The lists are suggestions, not mandatory. And if you kid ends up with a few extra pencils at the end of the year, I'd just save them for next year??

And as far as assumptions go, I think you made a lot of assumptions about my post, so I'd say the door swings both ways.

 

[alex9179]

My DS is going into 7th. grade and they need a ton of glue stickers and 2 packs of colored pencils. I can't understand why they need to color and glue in 7th. grade. But in 6th. grade also they would glue everything in their composition notebooks and color pictures in them.

He also needs red pens - why red? I remember when I was in school only the teacher was allowed to use red pens!

These are on my 3rd grader's list, she needs 2. I bought a 10 pk because it was cheaper.

Maybe I can talk about supply lists with our PTO. Do some kind of teacher supply drive a few times a year to help out instead of putting it on the kid's list and/or having the teachers pay OOP.
It's crazy that our district can't afford to provide paper towels anymore. Next year we'll see toilet paper on the list!

 

[Bell30012]

Could I afford to supply my daughter's entire class with the supplies? Probably. The point is that I am unwilling to do so. I purchase supplies for my child's use. In first grade my daughter had to bring in 10 folders. I let her pick all her supplies, most had Disney characters on them.

I am a very active parent. Often on Fridays, I have lunch with my daughter at school and then spend the afternoon there. One day, I noticed my daughter's "Friday Folder" was plain blue. Another girl at her table had a Princess Belle folder with my daughter's name blacked out. That teacher subscribed to the socialist share everything mentality.

That afternoon, I had a long conversation with my elected school board member and the principal of that school. I re-purchased my daughter the folders that she wanted, printed her name on each and sent to the classroom. The teacher had a different attitude toward me over the next few Fridays. I guess she was a bit upset with me.

In second and third grade, I made it clear with the teacher that these supplies are not for communal use. Since I gave each of these teachers a gift of a box of copy paper, they honored my wishes.

 

[wgeo]

I'm not the supply checker/enforcer; I was suggesting that we just lighten up about a few pencils and the minimal expense associated such...as it's going to our schools. No teacher is trying to be nefarious and hoard supplies when they create their lists. The lists are suggestions, not mandatory. And if you kid ends up with a few extra pencils at the end of the year, I'd just save them for next year??

And as far as assumptions go, I think you made a lot of assumptions about my post, so I'd say the door swings both ways.

It's funny to me that you say you were suggesting that we lighten up, when I had a one sentence post and you wrote 3 paragraphs specifically saying that I was quite extreme and that saying that if I could afford a trip to Disney I shouldn't complain about supplying pencils to other kids.
I did save my kids pencils, but they aren't Ticonderoga and I'm sending them anyway - hence my statement "not gonna happen". Perhaps you take some of your own advice and lighten up?

 

[LocaRoja]

It's funny to me that you say you were suggesting that we lighten up, when I had a one sentence post and you wrote 3 paragraphs specifically saying that I was quite extreme and that saying that if I could afford a trip to Disney I shouldn't complain about supplying pencils to other kids.
I did save my kids pencils, but they aren't Ticonderoga and I'm sending them anyway - hence my statement "not gonna happen". Perhaps you take some of your own advice and lighten up?

Actually, you said "Disney," not me. I'm glad you also find this whole exchange amusing.

 

[monsterkitty]

I am the mom with the fruit scented Expo markers and, yes, I did ask why. The teachers prefer them because they smell better. Simple as that, nothing nefarious.

I am a teacher and only use the fruit scented Expo markers. The regular markers, even the low scent ones, make me sneeze. I, however, purchase these myself.

One a side note, the purple markers they used to make were supposed to smell like grape. This is a conversation I had with one of my 6th graders:

Him: "Miss, have you been drinking?" ( none of us teachers have names, we are all Miss or Mr)

Me: "Ummm, no I don't drink at all. Why would you ask that?"

Him: "It smells like wine in here."

Me: "It does? How would you know what wine smells like?"

Him: "I get to drink it at Communion."

It took us a few seconds more to figure out that the grape marker was really a wine marker.

I always give my 8th graders little gifts when they leave me. I gave this child that "wine" marker. I have his younger sister now and the entire family and I still laugh about it.

 

[HoosierMomOf5]

My 4th grader's list this year included a recipe holder and a seven pocket expanding file folder. We've sent three older kids through 4th grade in this school and have never seen either of these things listed before. A recipe holder? That one left me scratching my head and wondering what the 4th grade will be doing this year. lol

 

[reginaastralis]

I'm waiting for the school supply list to come out like this:

• 5 gallons of diesel fuel for the buses
• 10 gallons of wax for the floors
• 20 lbs of chicken for the kitchen
• 1 bag of grass seed for the lawns
• 5 gallons of paint for the walls
• 1 flag for the pole (must be a neutral flag not of a nation)

Oh, and you can send in some pencils too.

I'm waaay back on page four, but from what I've heard is served in my mom's cafeteria, it's not chicken. As my mom describes it, they serve the kids CRAP. And she gets the same options, and it's $1.50 more for teachers...

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

My son is going into 5th grade and needs 6 packs of 3x3 yellow post its.I would love to know what they will be used for Also it really annoys me to send in highlighters.Fourth grade was the first time my son has ever used them but I have been sending them in since kindergarden.Now my first grader needs four highlighters and two packs of post its I went to walmart at ten o'clock this morning and they were already sold out of the 10 cent elmer glue sticks.Staples does a package of supplies you can buy for your child,from the school,I did not do it this year because I really thought I would save money well I saved NOTHING, I was shocked

My DD has 6-8 packs of post it notes on her list (1st grade). As of the other day there were 3 coupons on coupons.com for post its (use zip code 77477). It prints HEB, but you can use it at Walmart or Target where they are $1 for a single pack. I got 5 for $2 twice now... DD's school said lightly colored, but all the $1 packs are bright; so I got the lightest possible- peach and bright yellow, not purple or blue. With the coupon I can send in extra incase someone is in need, I saw the .10 glue sticksart Walmart and I think I have about 30 glue sticks for the teachers.

I did take everyone's advice and buy Ticonderoga pencils when they were 24 for $2 last week at Staples. It didn't specify it on the 1st grade list, but it did on 2nd grade. Ironically at home we use cheap pencils that dd always gets as party favors and my electric pencil sharpener died yesterday. I guess no more cheap pencils!

 

[maxaroni]

As a pp said.....college is a whole other ball game. My DS went off last year for the first time and my house was filled with Target and Bed Bath and Beyond ba bags.

To go back to the school supplies...hated it. Our schools wouldn't disburse the list until the week before Labor day with school starting the Wednesday after. Either no stock or the stores were packed
As far as the lists, ours were upwards of $80 per year. It was insane
I didnt mind pooling supplies but I'd rather have had to do half in the beginning of the year and the rest after the holiday break. At any rate, the worst was .spending the money and have lots of things come back unopened. One I specifically remember was 2 packs little sticky "flags" in green and 1 box giant paper clips. Composition books...buy 5 as per list and 2 used. Some teachers put some obscure things on the list and running around like nuts to find it. One year "no odor" dry erase markers. All we found was low odor so oh well. All the binders of all different sizes. The notebooks each teacher want different sizes.
Starting in middle school we had to start supplying printer paper as well due to
budget cuts. It's insanity!!!

 

[goofyredraider]

My DS is going into 7th. grade and they need a ton of glue stickers and 2 packs of colored pencils. I can't understand why they need to color and glue in 7th. grade. But in 6th. grade also they would glue everything in their composition notebooks and color pictures in them.

He also needs red pens - why red? I remember when I was in school only the teacher was allowed to use red pens!

I'll field this one - likely for editing and revising his writing, or peer editing. At least that's why I have always asked my students in my class to bring them (English).