Writing names on backpacks?

[sbell111]

I have an update to the story. This morning I was vigorously trying to scrub the name off one of the back packs. My DH went to the school to talk to the teacher about the backpacks. For some reason the secretary said it wasn't possible to go to the classroom. Some kind of rule they have in place but that she would take a message and give it to the teacher.

He got a call this afternoon from her and of course she was soooo nice and sweet that my DH didn't have the heart to rip her a new one over it. She apologized and gave us some suggestions how to get it off and said she would avoid this whole scenario in the future.

WELL......I guess since she noticed the name was coming off the front of the backpack (I was scrubbing so hard to get off) she decided to write on the backpack A SECOND TIME!!! Putting it in a different place. So now I have one backpack with 2 names written on it poorly!!! I'm sure she decided to do this before we called her.

My DH and I have been viciously scrubbing with alcohol and all kinds of solvents for about an hour now and have only managed to fade it drastically. When they say there's no such thing as a permenant marker those are LIES. Sharpie (on fabric) is forever!!!

I'm a bit confused. She spoke with your husband in the afternoon. Had the second name already been written at that point? Also, you were not clear as to whether she told you that she wrote the name or if it was written by someone else.

 

[mad madam mim78]

I'm a bit confused. She spoke with your husband in the afternoon. Had the second name already been written at that point? Also, you were not clear as to whether she told you that she wrote the name or if it was written by someone else.

I believe she had already wrote on it before my DH talked to her. During the conversation i'm sure she was thinking "whoops".

As far as blotting goes you can only blot for so long before you decide you're over it. lol

 

[DVC-Don]

We always had our kids names embroidered on the backpacks.

 

[mad madam mim78]

Well I think we've done all we can do. My DH and I worked on them for a long time and managed to fade most of it out. There's a little evidence of color fadage but I'm going to have to accept it because we aren't willing to crucify the teacher over it (even though really, she kind of deserves it). I've talked to a friend who's a 1st grade teacher and she was really dumbfounded that the teacher wrote directly on the bag and said that is something she would NEVER consider.

I went and got little key chain luggage tag looking deals and put their name on it and slipped it through the zipper pull. I've really learned my lesson. From now on I will label stuff. I'm hoping this teacher learns her lesson about respecting personal property. I buy things for my children BUT they are still MY items. Until my children get jobs and buy their own things, their things are still my things. I don't want my nice things written on.

For those who will give me grief about not saying and doing more believe me I want so bad to have these bags replaced. I wouldn't even let my kids touch these bags until the first day of school because I wanted to keep them looking nice. I am sick that on the first day of school she took a sharpie to these beautiful and pristine backpacks.

#1 I didn't want my girls to experience any backlash from this.

#2 The teacher is pregnant and I don't want to cause her stress.

Thanks for helping me vent through this. Sometimes it's just talking to people about it and hearing opinions helps.

 

[I Love Pluto]

I think going to the principal is a bit much. Go talk to the teacher, letting her know how you feel. I'm sure she wasn't thinking of how much things cost, nor of how a parent would feel when she wrote the names on the bags. BUT - she could use a lesson in thinking BEFORE doing something so permanent.

Get a piece of stick-on tape that you are satisfied with, cover the name over with the tape. Include the child's initials on the tape. You aren't being picky. You are being smart, and exercising how YOU feel. Some are happy with names, some are happy with initials. No one has the rght to make that decision except YOU!

Hopefully, her teacher won't write her name on the outside of her first jacket she brings to school. (Actually, I see this the same way.) YOU paid for the item, YOU should decide where to put the name. If the teacher wanted names on the outside, she should have sent a note home requesting that the parents do this. Initials or name should have been acceptable. Tape or permanent marker should have been the parents' choice, not hers.

 

[NotUrsula]

Depending on the pattern-style of the packs, you might consider using an applique or sports patch to cover the damage. You can even go to an embroidery shop and have them make you a large custom name patch that will look a lot nicer than the Sharpie debacle.

Also, one other possibility. If you purchased them via CC, try calling the CC company and telling them that the packs were damaged by being defaced by someone at school. If the CC's Buyer's Protection Plan is within the coverage period, it might pay you to have them replaced.

FWIW, I do mark my kids packs, but on the inside, with fabric paint. I put it right inside the top zipper opening where it can easily be seen if the pack is left unzIpped, and I list their surname, grade, and our home phone number. (If you Scotchgard first before applying it, fabric paint can be removed with the flat of a razor blade.)

 

[CJBaby]

Thanks to this thread I made sure to iron on some name tags tonight! But I'm positive my kids' teachers would know better than to cause Sharpiegate at our school!

And OP, I feel your pain! So annoying! But you said the teacher is pregnant. Maybe you should blame it on pregnancy brain to make yourself feel better!

 

[RunningGirl]

Something made me think of this thread this weekend... DS's team all has the same backpack (required) for their equipment. We got his name embroidered on it so that he can easily tell which one is his, and 99% of his teammates do the same.

However, he cam to me after his first game and said, "Mom - Nick put his name on his backpack WITH A SHARPIE!" He was appalled.

I can guess which side of this debate he'd come down on!

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

For some reason the secretary said it wasn't possible to go to the classroom. Some kind of rule they have in place but that she would take a message and give it to the teacher.

I still think the teacher did the wrong thing, but I find this comment odd. These "some kind of rules" are to protect your child's learning from interruption.

 

[mad madam mim78]

I still think the teacher did the wrong thing, but I find this comment odd. These "some kind of rules" are to protect your child's learning from interruption.

I don't find it odd to try to speak to the teacher before the start of class. Plus it was the third day of school. Everyone knows you're working out the kinks the first few days. I would assume the first week there would still be a lot of kids being taken to their classes by parents till they become accustomed to going on their own but apparently day 3 is the limit.

 

[torinsmom]

I still think the teacher did the wrong thing, but I find this comment odd. These "some kind of rules" are to protect your child's learning from interruption.

We don't let parents come down to the class unless there is a conference scheduled. We had several situations where staff members were cornered and berated, or even assaulted to the point the police had to be called. During the first week of school, we meet students down in the lobby and we walk down together. After that, there are hall monitors to help the children if they need it. It is a small school, so at most, one turn to get to your room. We are trying to build independence and having parents walk their children down does nothing to encourage that.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

It is very normal for K parents to want to walk their kids in. Unfortunately that doesn't work because parents try and use that time to talk about nonurgent things like backpacks.

 

[Ceila]

I don't find it odd to try to speak to the teacher before the start of class. Plus it was the third day of school. Everyone knows you're working out the kinks the first few days. I would assume the first week there would still be a lot of kids being taken to their classes by parents till they become accustomed to going on their own but apparently day 3 is the limit.

You do realize that teachers aren't just sitting around having coffee before the school day starts, right? They have many things to do to get ready for their day, so leaving a message, especially for something that isn't an emergency, is the correct way to handle this. I do think the teacher was wrong in writing the names, but I would never think that just before school starts would be the right time to address the issue.

And around here, although I can honestly say that I have always, always felt completely welcomed in our school, children are not walked to class, even on the first day. In fact, the younger grades line up by class outside on their first few days with their teachers and go in together so they know how to get to class.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I'm glad you got most of the Sharpie out.
Did you send a note to Miss Sharpie and tell her you added luggage tags?

Last night DD wrote her name on the tag inside her bag with Sharpie. LOL I would have done it myself but she beat me to it! At least she got it all on one line, which is an improvement over Kindergarten.

 

[mad madam mim78]

You do realize that teachers aren't just sitting around having coffee before the school day starts, right? They have many things to do to get ready for their day, so leaving a message, especially for something that isn't an emergency, is the correct way to handle this. I do think the teacher was wrong in writing the names, but I would never think that just before school starts would be the right time to address the issue.

And around here, although I can honestly say that I have always, always felt completely welcomed in our school, children are not walked to class, even on the first day. In fact, the younger grades line up by class outside on their first few days with their teachers and go in together so they know how to get to class.

Yes I'm sure they are very busy. Unfortunately because we didn't get a chance to talk to her in the morning and the message didn't get to her until later it resulted in her writing on the backpack for a second time.

Our school works differently as do so many other schools. On the first day we were to walk our Kindergartners to class and speak to the teacher. My teacher friend said at her school parents are allowed in the school everyday the first week. All schools are different.

Enough with the flames about how I am unfamiliar with school policy. I never said anything bad about the policy or even say anything remotely negative. I didn't need an explaination of why it's in place. I just said we couldn't get back to talk to her.

 

[DizBelle]

Pregnancy is not an excuse for anything.

 

[Ceila]

Enough with the flames about how I am unfamiliar with school policy. I never said anything bad about the policy or even say anything remotely negative. I didn't need an explaination of why it's in place. I just said we couldn't get back to talk to her.

It was the "for some reason" part of your quote that drew people's attention. It indicated that you were not aware of why a school would have something like that in place.

 

[epcot.girl]

Well I think we've done all we can do. My DH and I worked on them for a long time and managed to fade most of it out. There's a little evidence of color fadage but I'm going to have to accept it because we aren't willing to crucify the teacher over it (even though really, she kind of deserves it). I've talked to a friend who's a 1st grade teacher and she was really dumbfounded that the teacher wrote directly on the bag and said that is something she would NEVER consider.

I went and got little key chain luggage tag looking deals and put their name on it and slipped it through the zipper pull. I've really learned my lesson. From now on I will label stuff. I'm hoping this teacher learns her lesson about respecting personal property. I buy things for my children BUT they are still MY items. Until my children get jobs and buy their own things, their things are still my things. I don't want my nice things written on.

For those who will give me grief about not saying and doing more believe me I want so bad to have these bags replaced. I wouldn't even let my kids touch these bags until the first day of school because I wanted to keep them looking nice. I am sick that on the first day of school she took a sharpie to these beautiful and pristine backpacks.

#1 I didn't want my girls to experience any backlash from this.

#2 The teacher is pregnant and I don't want to cause her stress.

Thanks for helping me vent through this. Sometimes it's just talking to people about it and hearing opinions helps.

How is she going to learn any lesson? You haven't done anything meaningful enough that would deter her from writing on some other kid's backpack.

She's dealing with the stress of a classroom of young children everyday. Her pregnancy doesn't give her an excuse to vandalise someone else's personal property.

 

[DizBelle]

FTR - the teacher should replace the backpacks, not the school.

 

[happygirl]

How is she going to learn any lesson? You haven't done anything meaningful enough that would deter her from writing on some other kid's backpack.

She's dealing with the stress of a classroom of young children everyday. Her pregnancy doesn't give her an excuse to vandalise someone else's personal property.

What lesson is there to learn?? The parent didn't do what they should have done, why should a teacher have to spend all day trying to figure out backpacks. LABEL your stuff that goes with your child. COMMON sense