Writing names on backpacks?

[declansdad]

Maybe there are several kids in the class with the same backpack. Why didn't you put her name on it. Then there would have been no problem

The issue is the teacher wrote directly on the backpack. She did not ask permission to do that and should reimburse the OP for the backpacks. If she did need to label them, for whatever reason, she should have not have done so in the manner she did.


Teachers, if my son came home with his backpack, lunchbox or other non-classroom supplies labeled with a marker you could expect a callfrom me.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Again my son is still using his LL Bean backpack from kindergarten (now in 4th grade) and it is in PERFECT shape. Not a string or rip or tear anywhere. So yeah I'd say investing 40-50 bucks for 6-7 years of use is pretty good.

I am not debating the quality of more expensive backpacks. However, you appear to have 3 of them now, and 2 out of 3 have been messed up (not from use, but from what I would consider to be the normal sort of things that happen to kids stuff). I applaud your son for taking such good care of his school supplies! I know I wouldn't expect any child of mine to be that careful. In all honesty, I'd probably expect them all to take magic markers to their stuff in an art inspired fury.

Teachers, if my son came home with his backpack, lunchbox or other non-classroom supplies labeled with a marker you could expect a callfrom me.

Perhaps this is why my view is different. My mom was a teacher. So were many of her friends. So are many of my friends and acquaintances. I guess my experiences are more along the lines of parents calling because their children lost their bags, or got them switched up with another kid's, and wondering why the teacher didn't do more to keep track of their children's stuff.

 

[aprilgail2]

The worry about names being on things is really nothing to get overly excited about. It is better to teach them to just not go with anyone, which I hope by kindergarten they do know. If someone wants to learn their name it is pretty easy since people say their name out loud constantly.
.

 

[AndreaDM]

I would be furious if a teacher wrote on ANY of my daughter's belongings with a sharpie! OP, I totally get where you're coming from about the backpacks now looking tacky. I'm mad for you.

 

[marmalade]

No, I won't look inside. With 100-110 1st graders on the playground, we don't have time to unzip backpacks or lunchboxes & check the inside. (And I saw a teacher do that once, and when she opened it, an open juice box spilled all over her). After all the kids have lined up from recess, we hold up any unclaimed lunchboxes. The ones with names on the outside are easy to return to the owner. The ones without names...well, we ask all the classes (while the kids are lined up on the blacktop), "Who does these belong to?"

You would be surprised how often NO ONE claims his/her lunchbox. Any unclaimed ones go straight to our school's LOST & FOUND. With over 700 students at our school, it gets a lot of items. The parents can then go there & retrieve anything they are missing.

The same goes for unnamed backpacks found lying in the hallways.

Why do 1st graders have their backpacks and lunchboxes on the playground? This just seems odd to me that they would carry these things out to play at recess.

As for the OP, I would be very mad if my kids teacher took it upon herself to write their names on the front of their backpacks with a sharpie. Actually it would make me mad everyday when I looked at it and I would probably break down and buy my kids new backpacks.

 

[declansdad]

Perhaps this is why my view is different. My mom was a teacher. So were many of her friends. So are many of my friends and acquaintances. I guess my experiences are more along the lines of parents calling because their children lost their bags, or got them switched up with another kid's, and wondering why the teacher didn't do more to keep track of their children's stuff.

My wife, brother, sister-in-law, father-in-law are all teachers. I understand why people call them. The point is a teacher can label something like a backpack without writing on it with a permanent marker.

 

[AndreaDM]

We will just have to agree to disagree.

I think this goes for just about anything you post lately, for someone with the word happy in her user name, you seem anything but.

 

[daisyduck123]

Why do 1st graders have their backpacks and lunchboxes on the playground? This just seems odd to me that they would carry these things out to play at recess.

As for the OP, I would be very mad if my kids teacher took it upon herself to write their names on the front of their backpacks with a sharpie. Actually it would make me mad everyday when I looked at it and I would probably break down and buy my kids new backpacks.

Students go straight from the cafeteria to the playground for recess. Lunchboxes are deposited on the blacktop when they get outside.

Early-arriving students (who arrive before we open our doors) wait on the playground until school begins. Everyday, one or two come in while leaving their backpacks on the playground.

**And as a teacher, I never would've written on the backpacks like that myself. I would've just sent home another school supply list, same one as over the summer, & highlighted where it states to label items on the outside.

 

[arthuruscg]

In the letter home to the parents did it list the requirement for items to be labeled with your children's name? If so, then the teacher is doing the job you were suppose to do. You can use regular rubbing alcohol to remove Sharpe.

My wife is a teacher and you will not believe how often 11 year olds grab the wrong backpack / book/ stuff.

I didn't know LLBean sold backpacks with out initials on them.

Jansport also has a life time warrenty on their backpacks.

 

[mad madam mim78]

Why do 1st graders have their backpacks and lunchboxes on the playground? This just seems odd to me that they would carry these things out to play at recess.

As for the OP, I would be very mad if my kids teacher took it upon herself to write their names on the front of their backpacks with a sharpie. Actually it would make me mad everyday when I looked at it and I would probably break down and buy my kids new backpacks.

LOL...that's totally how I am. I will look at it everyday and cringe. Would probably save myself the mental torture and buy a new one. My DH is way more upset about it than I am. If he gets his way the school will be cutting us a check.

 

[luvsJack]

From another prespective:

When dd was in K, she got a brand new "sponge bob" backpack. Only one the store had and she loved it! I didn't write her name on the outside of it because she didn't want to "mess it up" and when we got to school, I thought "well its the only one like this so no problem". Yes, problem.

The thing was stolen! A kid in the class across the hall took it home with her. Apparently her mom thought it was ok, and over night she took everything "identifying" out of (some pictures dd had put in a little wallet and a folder with her name on it) and the child brought it back the next day. The teachers were a little unwilling to just go by our word so, one teacher got the backpack and asked me to see if I could find anything that identified it as dd's. Luckily I had put some pencils in it that were "off" colors and the child had left the pencils in the back pack.

The next day it had DD's name written on it.

Masking tape will either fall off or can be taken off.

So, while I don't know that I would be thrilled with the idea of a teacher writing a name on a backpack with a sharpie, I can understand it.

DGD starts preschool next week. Her backpack will be monogramed with her name.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Then that is your issue....

Best post yet...


This person clearly defaced brand new personal property....
No request for parents to label the items in some way....
No asking for permission...
No prior notice "unmarked items may be labeled by staff... The school can accept no responsibility for unmarked items... etc...

There is simply no justification, reason, or excuse here, at all.

And, to the person who is actually questioning a parent for buying a nice backpack....

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

The issue is the teacher wrote directly on the backpack. She did not ask permission to do that and should reimburse the OP for the backpacks. If she did need to label them, for whatever reason, she should have not have done so in the manner she did.


Teachers, if my son came home with his backpack, lunchbox or other non-classroom supplies labeled with a marker you could expect a callfrom me.

I agree!

 

[Wishing on a star]

From another prespective:

Ohhhhh, I absolutely agree...
I am the one who had DS name permanently and prominently embroirdered on his backpack!!!

I still can't excuse the teacher in this case, though.
Not at all.

 

[mad madam mim78]

In the letter home to the parents did it list the requirement for items to be labeled with your children's name? If so, then the teacher is doing the job you were suppose to do. You can use regular rubbing alcohol to remove Sharpe.

My wife is a teacher and you will not believe how often 11 year olds grab the wrong backpack / book/ stuff.

I didn't know LLBean sold backpacks with out initials on them.

Jansport also has a life time warrenty on their backpacks.

Of course it didn't say these things. The only thing on the supply list for Kindergarten was $15 dollars and a backpack with no wheels. It says nothing about proper labeling. I realise I didn't label their backpacks. My fault. So write on it with a sharpie? I would NEVER write on anyone's belongings!! No matter how convenient it was for me.

 

[Disney Doll]

I probably wouldn't make this a hill to die on during the 1st week of school.

There are ways to remove Sharpie marker, with a little work. Try the rubbing alcohol first...I've had good luck with that method.

I'd then put a luggage tag on the outside for easy identification for the teacher and do something more permanent on the inside (Sharpie) in the event that the backpack gets stolen, a la luvsJack's post.

 

[marmalade]

Students go straight from the cafeteria to the playground for recess. Lunchboxes are deposited on the blacktop when they get outside.

Well that explains why they are there, but it still seems odd to me that they wouldn't put them back in their lockers before going outside.

LOL...that's totally how I am. I will look at it everyday and cringe. Would probably save myself the mental torture and buy a new one. My DH is way more upset about it than I am. If he gets his way the school will be cutting us a check.

My first reaction would be to make them pay, but then after thinking about it and after buying new backpacks, I would just take it as a lesson learned and to label everything the way I wanted it labeled and be done with it.

 

[sbell111]

Again my son is still using his LL Bean backpack from kindergarten (now in 4th grade) and it is in PERFECT shape. Not a string or rip or tear anywhere. So yeah I'd say investing 40-50 bucks for 6-7 years of use is pretty good.

I'd say that you are paying too much for a kindergarten backpack. LL Bean sells them for $29.95, after all.

My wife, brother, sister-in-law, father-in-law are all teachers. I understand why people call them. The point is a teacher can label something like a backpack without writing on it with a permanent marker.

Of course, there is no such thing as permanent marker. If the OP is that upset about it, she can spend five minutes removing the offending name.

 

[Art 1]

I'm pretty upset about this one. I have twin girls that started kindergarten this year. On the first day of school the teacher wrote their names in plain sight ON their backpacks with a Sharpie!!!

These are nice new LL Bean backpacks and she wrote on them with a Sharpie without asking me. Not only is the graffiti bothering me, but you are NOT suppose to write your kids names on anything where a stranger can see it and use it against the child.

"Hey (name), your mommy told me to pick you up today.) I'm just plain mad about this. Would anyone else be mad?

No.

 

[daisyduck123]

Of course, there is no such thing as permanent marker. If the OP is that upset about it, she can spend five minutes removing the offending name.

Good point. I use nail polish remover to remove Sharpie stains. Works great!