School projects costing a fortune

[MomToOne]

And while the teachers might convince themselves that they reward kids for using cheap stuff creatively, I'm in the schools enough to know that is most certainly not the case. The teachers reward the kids for having jazzy looking projects. Yes, they need to incorporate the intellectual content appropriately no matter how they do the projects. But the nicer-looking projects, where it's clear the parents have dropped some $$$ at Michaels inevitably score better than the ones where they have not.

DD10 has had a couple of teachers where this was true - the child whose parent's spent the most money and basically did the project for them got the highest grade. But she's also had a couple of other teachers where they really did care about the work the CHILD did and have actually gone out of their way to praise the children who used what was on hand in creative ways instead of just running out and buying something. Thankfully, DD10s last 2 teachers have fallen into that latter group. My daughter has some struggles in school due to a slight learning disability, but has a real talent for drawing and painting. When it comes to projects, I have her draw pictures instead of just printing out something she finds online because (1) her drawings are truly good and she learns so much more by doing them and (2) I don't have to waste the printer ink Thankfully, her last two teachers have LOVED that type of thing on her projects.

We have a dress up project coming up, and I know her teacher has said over and over that students should just make due with whatever things they can find around the house. She did mention once that renting a costume was possible, and obviously that wasn't prohibited, but it wasn't what she really wanted the kids to do. How did my daughter interpret that? "Mom, we've GOT TO go rent a costume!" LOL

 

[fortwildernessishome]

We still have homework and projects during testing week. A a mom, I think that is ridiculous! Really? Don't get me started!

I LOVE our great state of NH, and after reading some of these posts about testing week, not advancing to the next grade if you do poorly (are your kidding me???????) and homework and projects during testing week......yikes, I love NH ever more!!!!!! I always thought we were fortunate to live here, mountains, the ocean, good jobs, great schools.......now I realize how fortunate we are to have an awesome testing week too!!! So sorry to everyone who struggles with this......

 

[Cindy B]

We have no homework or projects during testing week as well. Even better (or worse depending on how you look at it).. teachers are not allowed to have any subject tests on the Monday before the test.. it is supposed to be a review day.

 

[KristenF]

I agree with you, my professors post assignments online and we have to print them out. I did a 20-page research paper in my Medical Physiology class and the professor wanted a hard copy of ALL sources used I must have went through 3 ink cartridges on that assignment alone

invest in a laser printer. I've printed REAMS of paper on one toner cart.

 

[seashoreCM]

I've got one kid who routinely throws up the nights before these tests. Both of them come home looking like they've been hit by a truck. Break? You've got to be kidding.

Intentional bulemic behavior or just anxiety? Either way, these two are not disease related and the kid should not be ordered to stay home and get a doctor's note.

 

[Pigeon]

Intentional bulemic behavior or just anxiety? Either way, these two are not disease related and the kid should not be ordered to stay home and get a doctor's note.

No, no bulemic behavior. She's stressed out by the multi-day tests.

She's a straight A student. We put zero pressure on her and tell her we don't give a rat's behind about how she does on the tests. But she feels extremely pressured by the teachers and by the tests themselves.

 

[Coll0610]

Back when I was doing science projects, many of the dads bought pegboards and hinges and made stands for our projects. They were really heavy to carry in, but each year you just had to buy new poster boards and fasten them on the front. I remember one creative kid that used some old board game boards as supports for his poster boards. We were required to have three poster boards for our projects and no one used the tri-boards even if you advanced to the state science fair.

 

[Beckypooh1972]

That is my point. Teachers should get that times are tough. There isn't any reason for the big showy projects.

See, I kind of think teachers have to do big elaborate projects to get kids engaged. With video games, on demand tv and internet - kids are so sophisticated teachers have to make a big deal to get them excited about learning.

Added to that - student grades and test scores are often tied to teacher compensation. If I were a teacher, I'd pull out all the stops too.

 

[twooley2]

I gave up on the battle of the cost of school projects long ago it is not like you can win against them. I complained so much about the cost it caused more grief to my kids than anything so just submitted to buying the stupid stuff. Now they are in High school and the projects are less but there are other cost to make up for it

 

[GJM]

Our testing is coming up also - the school and teachers put such pressure on the kids. My DS gets so worried about it, I tell him just do the best you can. He is a straight A student, but will panic with the state tests.

We have no homework or tests for that week, and after testing they are pretty much done with school even though they don't get out until June 4th.

 

[GinnyEmma]

See, I kind of think teachers have to do big elaborate projects to get kids engaged. With video games, on demand tv and internet - kids are so sophisticated teachers have to make a big deal to get them excited about learning.

Added to that - student grades and test scores are often tied to teacher compensation. If I were a teacher, I'd pull out all the stops too.

I disagree. And I don't believe schools should attempt to mimic the hype. I have seen teachers reading a simple story to 5th graders and they have been mesmerized. A good teacher can engage without smoke and mirrors. Besides oftentimes the big projects become more about a parent than about the child anyway. (not always, so no need to get all up in arms if your child is actually the one engaged.)

 

[jjsmom]

As a former elementary teacher, I feel your pain, regarding the cost of materials. I also feel that projects are not fair. Some student's families have more time and money to invest. I fought with administration every year about this issue and basically I was told to "get over it and get on with it". My advice to frustrated parents is (1) Do not complain to your child's teacher. Her hands are tied. (2) Contact your school's administration. They will probably feed you a line that sounds something like this- "Sorry, Mrs. X that particular project is part of our curriculum" (3) Contact your local Board of Education and ask for a copy of the curriculum. If it is indeed there, than ask for financial assistance through a grant program.

 

[book_junkie]

Back when I was doing science projects, many of the dads bought pegboards and hinges and made stands for our projects. They were really heavy to carry in, but each year you just had to buy new poster boards and fasten them on the front. I remember one creative kid that used some old board game boards as supports for his poster boards. We were required to have three poster boards for our projects and no one used the tri-boards even if you advanced to the state science fair.

I think we're related by blood. Right around when I started needing 3 panel displays, my dad was re-doing the upstairs hallway, and just took some of the extra paneling and some hinges and voila! Display board. Heavy as anything, but used every year from then on for every project by me and my brother. In fact, when my parents moved from their old house to their new house across town a couple of years ago, we found it in the garage, still in good condition 10 years after it's last use.

 

[Styx Fan]

As part of my learning to not wig out about my kids school stuff, I have taught myself that it really doesn't matter one bit one a kid gets on an elementary school assignment. It really doesn't even matter what they get for the marking period or semester. Heck, my kids don't even get letter grades until 3rd or 4th grade.

I know it sounds like a bad parent, but think about it......except for maybe looking at getting into gifted/talented programs or advanced classes or placement in junior high paths, what do the grades really matter for and who sees them? They don't compute a grade point average, they aren't taken into account for college admission and don't have anything to do with scholarships. (Well, maybe grades would come into play if you were trying to get $ to attend a private school).

Now I am not taking about letting my kid get poor grades, or skip assignments just because or in any way messing up their education. But I in dealing with my ADHD, but very smart son, I have learned to grin and bear it. I was a straight A student all through school, but he just wasn't going to be that way. And I got sick of stressing about having wonderful, expensive costumes or projects. If they get a lower grade, so be it. What matters is did they learn the subject matter. If they did, all is fine. I really don't care if they get a grade lower because I don't scrapbook and make his posters snazzy. My kid does as much possible, not me. I am there to help...not do or buy. They must do their homework, but if an assignment gets nuts, we do our best then let it go.

My kids have absolutely no idea I feel this way. But it keeps our house much more sane.

By junior high (7th grade in our schools), I focus much more on grades as they must get used to it mattering come 9th grade and the computation of GPA. But I will not stress or spend $$ to satisfy some random requirement.

 

[MrsPete]

As part of my learning to not wig out about my kids school stuff, I have taught myself that it really doesn't matter one bit one a kid gets on an elementary school assignment. It really doesn't even matter what they get for the marking period or semester. Heck, my kids don't even get letter grades until 3rd or 4th grade.

This is true and un-true.

No college, no scholarship committee will ever look at a student's elementary grades; however, those early grades convince the student himself of whether he's capable in all things academic. A student who earns As gains confidence and at older ages will approach more difficult work with a better attitude. However, upper elementary students are perfectly capable of discerning that they can screw up on one project (or even be weak in one subject) and still be good students.

On the other side of that coin, I made a point to let my children know that once they reach high school 9th, 10th, and 11th grade report cards are what'll get them into college. Senior year grades aren't nearly so important. Why? Because they're going to file the applications in August-September-October -- before they've actually completed any senior grades! My youngest and her friends are all going in to 9th grade now, and at an Open House I explained this to a couple of them (all college-bound students). Except for my daughter, they were surprised, and one even said, "I thought you applied to college AFTER high school graduation", and all the others nodded agreement. I point this out to kids because so many of them seem to think that 9th grade is kind of a "freebie" and hey don't really need to apply themselves during that transition-to-high-school year, when the reality is that the clock really starts ticking on the first day of high school, and it's important that a college-bound student hits the ground running.

So, overall, should you stress grades or not stress grades? It depends upon the student and the circumstances. But you're right in saying that the numbers that come home on an elementary report card don't actually "matter" to anyone outside your house.

 

[timzagain]

The thing that really ticks me off is the teacher's or school's presumption that their students have access to expensive tools like computers or digital cameras at home. In my part of the world, electronics are quite expensive, prohibitively so for many families Teachers should not set assignments that are inherently disadvantageous to students who come from financially challenged households. Thankfully, we have been able to meet our children's school needs, but I will be very quick to voice my objection to a potentially expensive project.

School projects were often a strain on my family especially when all four of our children were of school age! I quickly learned to have on hand a generous supply of stationery, craft materials and recyclables (boxes, magazines etc.) It helped that we are a crafty/ DIY household. Sometimes I swear I'm married to McGyver - hubby's ability to repurpose things has saved the day many times.

 

[Pigeon]

As part of my learning to not wig out about my kids school stuff, I have taught myself that it really doesn't matter one bit one a kid gets on an elementary school assignment. It really doesn't even matter what they get for the marking period or semester. Heck, my kids don't even get letter grades until 3rd or 4th grade.

I know it sounds like a bad parent, but think about it......except for maybe looking at getting into gifted/talented programs or advanced classes or placement in junior high paths, what do the grades really matter for and who sees them? They don't compute a grade point average, they aren't taken into account for college admission and don't have anything to do with scholarships.

This does matter to us for exactly this reason. In our district, decisions about tracking are made as early as fourth or fifth grade that will ultimately determine whether or not your kid can take AP and advanced classes in high school. And the honors and AP classes DO matter for college admissions, etc.

 

[ironz]

I agree! Ink is costing me a fortune!

check your printer settings (might have to do it each time you print).... if it is something that you are printing for your personal use or to just read from, see if the "lower quality" print job is readable for you and use that. Don't print on "highest quality" unless you really have to....you can cut down on your ink usage significantly that way.

I also read a while back that the font you choose may also impact how much ink you are using, but you may want to google that, because I am not really sure.
But for sure, use less ink by printing lower 'quality' whenever you can get away with it...and in school below college age, I bet that is more often. Now for a work resume or something...then, go for the best quality printing.

 

[mickeyboat]

My kids' school does not assign these silly projects. They have done some group display projects in class. Their art classes often coordinate with they science and social studies learning, so they produce those projects in school. They use their computer lab class time for power point projects related to their curriculum.

 

[book_junkie]

check your printer settings (might have to do it each time you print).... if it is something that you are printing for your personal use or to just read from, see if the "lower quality" print job is readable for you and use that. Don't print on "highest quality" unless you really have to....you can cut down on your ink usage significantly that way.

I also read a while back that the font you choose may also impact how much ink you are using, but you may want to google that, because I am not really sure.
But for sure, use less ink by printing lower 'quality' whenever you can get away with it...and in school below college age, I bet that is more often. Now for a work resume or something...then, go for the best quality printing.

Definitely change your font settings and see if that helps out. Instead of using Ariel or Times New Roman (usually the default on word processing programs) try a skinny looking font like Century New Gothic. NPR: Changing Font to Save Ink If you're printing out banners or posters, think about maybe printing out the headings in an outline format and having the kids color them in with crayon as opposed to ink.

Another thing to think about (in regards to paper) is check your default settings for page printing with whatever word processing program you're using with regards to what the teacher will allow. For some reason, our computers are auto set for a default of 1.5" margins on the sides and 1" on the top, but a lot of the teachers will accept .5" all around if they don't need headers or footers. By changing that, you can fit more on a page. And see if they'll take 11 point font instead of 12; not that big of a difference reading, but it saves a smidge more for you printing...