Questions for Teachers...

[mum4jenn]

I am not a teacher but I am the lunchroom manager at my school. I do know the teachers get a certain amount of money for things for their classroom and the office has a well stocked supply room for things like white board markers and things they need to do their teaching. The students are provided a list on the website for the supplies they will need. The school my dd goes to(primary)has a list or the parent can pay a $25 supply fee and the school buys in bulk and they are set for the year. Ind. teachers also usually send out requests for things like tissues,sanitizer or soap,ziplock bags. Of course dd likes to have some of her own things to use like cute pencils and the twistable crayons. The teachers also used their leftover money at the end of the year to paint their halls with their "grade themes". I know the teachers also spend some of their own money for decorations and some of the lower income students.

I on the other hand have to buy almost everything I need as far as supplies.Some of the things I buy are not "have to have" things but rather things that make the lunchroom more desirable!! I have also been painting a mural on a lunchroom wall this summer and that has come out of my pocket. I have bought "oops paint" so that has brought the cost down. I have spent alot of money since I became a manager in January. Considering my salary is in the "poverty lines" it puts a hurting on the budget!!

 

[cruisnfamily]

So, when stuffy nose season comes around, instead of just asking for donations, I allow a one time extra credit bonus to any student who brings in a box of Kleenex. It works for them and keeps the kids from wiping it on their pants! (And this is what I always get asked, "If I bring in three boxes, can I get three sets of extra credit??" - No!)

A good friend of mine(also a HS math teacher) does this too! He does it all year round on every single test he gives. Bring a box of tissues get +5 on your test. If they bring 3 boxes they don't get anymore then the 5points though. He says everybody does it the first time or two and then after that it's usually just 2 or 3 kids that remember every time. At least it keeps the class in tissues though!

Aprilgail-your list is absolutely absurd! Our elementary lists have the same type items but not to that extent. It's usually crayons, markers or colored pencils, scissors, glue, pencil box, pencils, some folders, etc. As for pencils, our supply list just says "1 pkg of pencils" wonder how many they actually want.

Last year our superintendent of schools did a survey of all the teachers in the district asking what they were requiring the students to purchase and I believe he pared it down to suplies totalling "such and such" an amount and no more. Also, the teachers are no longer allowed to ask for money. They used to buy the binder, dividers and notebook paper and have it all set up for each child and ask the parents for like $3 for that. No more. Now the parents have to buy it themselves or the teacher has to pay out of pocket. Also, many of the teachers have water coolers in the classroom that they personally rent so the kids can have cool, sanitary water all year long. They used to be able to ask for like $15 per kid which would help cover the monthly rental cost plus cups for the whole year but now they're not allowed to ask for that either. Goodbye water coolers

DD's list was the worst I'd ever seen last year(6th grade). It asked for an absurd amount of stuff but you'd keep it at home or in your personal binders for use as needed. Well, she didn't end up needing the fancy $25 calculator or most of the folders and composition books and spirals they requested. So, now I have more than half of the stuff they're requesting for this year already purchased from last year.

Oh, also our elementary school does the old "boys bring paper towels, girls bring hand sanitizer" or something like that. It might be baby wipes and tissues. But either way, the boys bring one housekeeping item and the girls bring another and that's it. We don't have to do all of those type of items per child.

 

[cruisnfamily]

2 pair of sissors

Don't you ever wonder what happens to those scissors from year to year? I mean I know crayons, glue, etc get used up but scissors don't. Obviously a few will break but most won't. We don't get them back at the end of the year either. You would think after a couple of years the teachers would have these HUGE stashes of scissors somewhere.

 

[mickeyboat]

OMG! What a learning experience this thread it! I would have never believed teachers spent so much, and that some schools' lists were so absurd.

My DD's are just starting K this year, but in pre-K we were not asked to bring in one thing. I visited the classroom every day and never saw missing items. The markers never ran out, there were always tissues, a huge stack of blank paper, etc. If I had ever seen anything lacking, I would have been more than happy to provide it for the classroom. I would much rather so that than expect the teachers to pay for it out of their own pockets.

I gave each classroom a $25 Staples gift certificate for Christmas, but I am not sure they even needed it.

I think this year, once I get to know the teachers, I will make it very clear that they have my permission to ask me to bring in anything (within reason) that they need.

Denae

 

[paigevz]

Don't you ever wonder what happens to those scissors from year to year? I mean I know crayons, glue, etc get used up but scissors don't. Obviously a few will break but most won't. We don't get them back at the end of the year either. You would think after a couple of years the teachers would have these HUGE stashes of scissors somewhere.

I wonder about this too. I always send them home unless the kid has lost them during the year, which sometimes happens, and then he's just been borrowing mine or waiting for a turn for another kid's. We don't use scissors that much anyway. My son has also always brought his home, but I know I hear all the time about kids not bringing them home. We usually end up buying new ones anyway because the old ones got dull, have glue on them, or otherwise are undesirable to start the next year with (in my son's eyes).

I did have one year when scissors kept disappearing. This was in Pre-K where we use them often. Kids were going home and saying their scissors were gone, and I had 1 or 2 parents a day coming to tell me (often the kids wouldn't tell me something, but would go home to tell their parents.............I'm not unapproachable, but they always thought they'd get in trouble for "losing" something.........no one ever did, so I don't know why they thought that). Anyway, several parents were upset, and I told them I also have child-size scissors they can use until we find theirs, and if we don't find them, they can have mine..........................after about 6 complaints, I started questioning the kids one by one, and a name kept coming up. They were saying Melody always had scissors in her backpack. This was surprising, since Melody was new and hadn't brought in any supplies at all. I asked Melody, and she said she didn't have any scissors, and I asked all the parents, if they'd go look under beds, in closets, and in toy boxes to see if there was a little stash somewhere, as by now we were missing 11 pairs. Melody's mother came in the next day with a baggie full of 14 scissors! She'd been just sneaking them out daily. The mom said they were behind the TV.

My friend had a similar situation in second grade with her Clifford toys. She has her room all done up so nicely in Cllifford, and all these toys everywhere, and they just started disappearing, one by one. Finally, the big stuffed Clifford that sat on top of the computers had gone missing, and she searched lockers at lunch time and found it in one little girl's locker. She asked the little girl about the other Cliffords, but the little girl said that was the only one she took. So, she sent home a note that day, and the next day the child's mother came in with a leaf bag stuffed with Cliffords! She'd ended up getting away with way more toys than the teacher knew were gone! The mother said she knew the child had been bringing them home, but she'd told her mom they were bingo prizes!

 

[Disneymomma]

I get $50. I know I spend WAY over $1,000 a year. My kids have very little and I have very little parental support.

 

[Grandma Bear]

I know all states are not equal;but I can tell you that within my own school district all schools are not equal. Like most of you I too spend a lot out of my own pocket! However reaching children is our main goal so most of us do what we have to do. I spent 15 years working some rough inner city schools;but every year that some of my students got turned on to learning
made whatever it took worth it. Some even came back after several years and let me know I had made a big difference in their life. This is what it is all
about for me.

 

[piglet too]

Well, I will be sending in extra supplies for my sons teachers this year! Maybe just a gift card to Staples, but definitally something. As for supply lists, here is my DS for 1st grade. I still need to get my other DS's and he is in junior high this year.

Coin Purse (for lunch/milk money)
1 Fiskars scissors (metal with pointed tip)
20 regulr, shrpened #2 pencils with eraser
1 eraser (pink rubber)
2 boxes of 16 regular sized crayons (no florescent)
2 Elmer's white glue (8 oz)
1 large box unscented Kleenex (teacher may request an additional box in January)
1 box 8 water color paints (Crayola or Prang; no florescent)
Headphones with 1/8" jack - for computer use
1 pair non-marking gym shoes to be kept at school (lace or Velcro - no platform shoes)
school box (approx 5"x8" or smaller)
book bag (no rollers)
1 "old" white cotton sock (lable please)
1 box of Crayole white, anti-dust chalk
4 pocket folders (1 each of red, blue, yellow, and green)
1 set of Crayola water-washable, broad tip primary colors
colored pencils
2 containers Clorox Wipes (unscented)
10 glue sticks
Last names A-L 1 box (quart size) Ziploc plastic baggies M-Z 1 box (gallon size) Ziploc plastic baggies
** Please do not send ballpoint pens or pencil sharpeners. There may be additional materials requested by individual teachers during the course of the school year **

 

[Soccer Princess]

I am the VP of Academics for my Panhellenic Council and I am trying to organize a school supply drive for community service this semester. I was trying to get an idea of what items would be the most needed in local schools. The suggestions I sent out to the sororities were:
glue sticks
glue
pencils
notebooks
folders
crayons
markers
erasers
colored pencils
scissors

I am adding:
kleenex
clorox wipes
hand sanitizer
chalk
index cards
binders
rulers


Anything else you think I should add. I am trying to keep things inexpensive, but needed. Thanks!

 

[sjh801]

Don't you ever wonder what happens to those scissors from year to year? I mean I know crayons, glue, etc get used up but scissors don't. Obviously a few will break but most won't. We don't get them back at the end of the year either. You would think after a couple of years the teachers would have these HUGE stashes of scissors somewhere.

Scissors are like socks in an elementary classroom. They just vanish and never re appear - at least in school.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Do they have to bring anything the first day of school??..my goodness the list I get I feel I am supplying the whole class with just what I have to buy!!
This is all for first grade, they have to bring it all in the first day (I have to drive her and walk her in with the stuff, she could never carry it all!!....as the grades go up the list gets bigger

5 Composition Notebooks
100 pencils
4 boxes of crayons
6 bottles of white glue
12 erasers
10 glue sticks
pencil box (where to find a box that fits 100 pencils!!!)
4 pocket folders
10 packs of 3x5 index cards
2 index card boxes
4 boxes of tissues
2 pair of sissors
4 highlighters
2 boxes of markers
2 boxes large ziplock bags
2 boxes small ziplock bags
2 boxes baby wipes
1 smock
1 ruler
pencil sharpener
3 books covers (one red one blue and one green)
1 dictionary
1 looseleaf binder
1 packet of loosleaf paper

This is what school supplies list look like all over the state of Florida.

 

[sjh801]

We are not to send out supply lists in our school district. I never have. Board policy. However, some people do anyway.

We inventory our supplies at the beginning of January and submit our orders then. It's always really hard to project a whole semester in advance. We recieve general supplies that we have ordered at the beginning of the year. Of course, the crayons are usually on back order. I have spent money for almost all of my teacher"things" - bulletin boards, borders, books,books, and more books, stickers, stamps, games. puzzles, craft supplies, bookshelves, organizers, postcars, postage, CDs, CD players, casstte tapes, hand sanitizer, tissues, etc., etc., etc. That's why some of us are super shoppers. We know how, when and where to shop, scrounge and store. I think that may be one of the reasons I will always be a packrat.

And I can easily say that most elementary teachers spend, spend, spend, because it's worth it. It comes down to what is important.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

What's with the "no wheels" on back packs? You would think it would be safer for the kids than carried too much weight on their little backs.

 

[sjh801]

We don't prohibit wheels but a lot of schools do. If you were ever in an elementary school at arrival or dismissal, you would probably wish for no wheels . Think of giving a little boy (or big one for that matter ) a car and saying "Now be sure to go slowly and carefully. Don't let the car go fast!" All he can think of, and the girls, too, is, "Ready! Set! Go! We're off to the races!"

It's something about wheels and the exhiliration of speed and motion!

 

[eeyore kelly]

Do they have to bring anything the first day of school??..my goodness the list I get I feel I am supplying the whole class with just what I have to buy!!
This is all for first grade, they have to bring it all in the first day (I have to drive her and walk her in with the stuff, she could never carry it all
5 Composition Notebooks
100 pencils
4 boxes of crayons
6 bottles of white glue
12 erasers
10 glue sticks
pencil box (where to find a box that fits 100 pencils!!!)
4 pocket folders
10 packs of 3x5 index cards
2 index card boxes
4 boxes of tissues
2 pair of sissors
4 highlighters
2 boxes of markers
2 boxes large ziplock bags
2 boxes small ziplock bags
2 boxes baby wipes
1 smock
1 ruler
pencil sharpener
3 books covers (one red one blue and one green)
1 dictionary
1 looseleaf binder
1 packet of loosleaf paper

OMG!!!!

That list looks like the ones I had for my kids 4-5 years ago. Not including uniforms I spent almost $400.00 on school supplies for 2 kids. We parents got together and we talking--a.k.a. complaining--about the school supplies to each other. We decided to call our school board members, superintendent, and the director of elementary ed.-- each received about 50 phone calls within that first month. The next year school supplies were much more reasonable.

Some items I remember from that list were:

8 bottles of glue
8 packs of crayons
5 packs of markers
4 packs of construction paper



With the new list some things are not on it, but are a given. No one asks for pencil pouches, book sacks,etc.

I should have known some places would actually be reasonable enough to let the teacher say what she/he thinks they need!

If our teachers were reasonable we would have never called and complained. It was the ole' "Give them an inch, and they take a mile."

For Halloween I do boo baskets for the teachers that include supplies for their desks (i.e. red pens, correction pens, sharpies, staples, tape, etc.)

For Christmas I do baskets for the teachers that include card stock, expo markers, pencils for the class, black and blue pens, colored paper, transparencies)

For Easter I do pencils, erasures, markers, colored pencils, construction paper, glue

For teacher appreciation I do desk stuff again, including post it notes, and a $10 gc to office depot for copies

For the end of the year I give a nice bath pampering set.

I buy this stuff throughout the year on sale. I don't mind helping the teachers, but they can't expect me to spend $400.00 to outfit my kids in supplies.

 

[MsLeFever]

Teacher expenses don't stop in grade school.

I have to buy most office supplies I need. I can usually get freebies from publishers on textbooks but not always (when I use novels it just doesn't happen). I have to purchase my own grade books. I frequently have been expected to front money for business travel or things for shows and then have to wait a month or more to get that money back; although I'm starting to tell them that I can't afford to do that anymore.

And since I've got kids away from home I also do a lot of inviting kids for a good meal or dessert or something - but that is, of course, totally up to me and I enjoy doing it.

 

[Corpulite]

Our school gives each teacher 200 dollars

 

[Byrd]

My school gives us $75 for supplies, and the state will give us $200 for out of pocket expenses. I do spend way more than that. I was lucky one year for Christmas my husband gave me a copy machine for Christmas. He used it for Scout stuff as well. The machine died last year after 7 years of service. He went out and bought another one in fear that I would retire (LOL). I start my 31st year in less than 2 weeks and can't wait!
Some things I do buy in excess kleenex, hand sanitizer, and dry erase markers.

Good news I discovered today, Sam's has there own brand of hand sanitizer. I got a 2 liter bottle today for only $6.00.

Teachers if you find any great bargains please share.
Byrd

 

[eeyore kelly]

Good news I discovered today, Sam's has there own brand of hand sanitizer. I got a 2 liter bottle today for only $6.00.

I'll have to remember that. I bet kids' teachers will love it.

 

[lajones81]

Holy cow! What a thread!

As for my school district, our lists are sent out at the end of the current school year for the following school year. Our PTO also runs a program (I'm sure it's done nationally) where they tell the company what each child needs and the company packages it all together. Yes, it's nice if the kids get to pick out their folders, etc, but, boy, I can understand why so many parents just choose to by the box for their kids.

As for the excess supplies, I personally would have no use for 100 pencils from each of my 25 students. Not sure about that one (or that list...don't know!)

At the end of the year, a number of us are stuck with tons of paper, pencils, etc. and we always give them either another teacher or fellow staff member. (Some of our staff members have spouses who teach in Chicago - yeah, good luck getting supplies there!) I don't feel bad about it at all, as I'm not going to need to hold onto 10 packs of paper when I'm going to get another 25 the following year. As a team, we also review our school supply list to take away/add anything each year.

One thing that I personally love is baby wipes. They work great on the chalkboards and are wonderful on your hands, as well!

Any more questions? I love to talk about my job!