Please consider that if parents don't buy school supplies it falls on the teacher to buy supplies. There have been years where I have spent hundreds of dollars getting basic supplies for kids in my classroom.
I hate that so much. I really wish I could control where my taxes went, because education, welfare, and healthcare should be priority IMO. Instead we spend billions on the war on drugs, fixing planes that need to be retired, and a for profit prison system. It makes me want to hulk smash things. Ok, rant over.
Yeah, I have been starting to look at DDs supply list. We are supposed to have everything by August 6. It is a pretty big list with things like 18 glue sticks, multiple packs of crayons, playdoh, headphones, and whatever a rest mat is.
Please consider that if parents don't buy school supplies it falls on the teacher to buy supplies. There have been years where I have spent hundreds of dollars getting basic supplies for kids in my classroom.
I have a teacher friend that has an Amazon Wish List, and everything on the wishlist is school supplies. The second or third year she did it, her parents and family/friends got together and purchased everything on her Wish List.
Gosh, isn't it early for OMG school supplies are expensive and name brand pencils posts?
We get our supply lists included with the report cards, so I've had ours for a few weeks even though we don't go back until September 2.
Our lists are technically not optional. I know a lot of parents who skimp on some things, and usually get away with it, but the implication is that the kids should have these things. I buy everything, but not always in the stated quantities b/c I can replenish later when the girls run out rather than stuff their desks with every last thing on day 1 when they won't use that third pack of filler paper or run out of tissues until after Winter Break or something.
It can get costly. My rising 6th grader has a list that totals about $76 if I buy it through the company the PTA has contracted with. I like who they are using and will buy from them instead of doing it myself b/c, unlike in past years where it was an all or nothing kit, I can customize what I buy from this company. So since we have a zillion erasers, and each kid has headphones and scissors, etc. I can omit those things and just buy what I need. Plus I can skip the Ziplocks and the like since I can get them cheaper buying in bulk for the household.
As for using name brands, after doing this for a few years I definitely get why they ask. First, it keeps all of the kids on the same level so nobody says "she's got X but I only have Y" and so on. Plus, for some supplies, name brand definitely holds up better/lasts longer. I'll buy Target glue sticks over Elmers, but won't touch a Rose Art crayon or marker set, for example.
That reminds me that I need to edit the kids and place my order by next week. Fun!
Post by allaboutme on Jul 13, 2014 10:50:20 GMT -5
I went to Office Depot and they give a percentage back to the school, you have to tell them at the register this is for X school. Also I saw that mat a poster mentioned at Target. Another place I have found to give back to the school is 'French Toast, (.com) this is where I order DD uniforms they seem to have good sales and a percentage goes back to the school.
Just got my list today for my big kindergartener! How much do your supplies normally cost? I get why they do it, but everything has to be a specific name brand (crayola, fiskar, ziploc, Dixon..). 4 separate boxes of ziploc, 36 glue sticks, box of baby wipes, specific alcohol free sanitizer...I have to believe it will cost $50ish if I can catch sales on most things. This is fine, but our school is 52percent on free and reduced lunch. What happens for those kids? Do they make allowances and tell those families they an opt out? That sounds like a lot for a low income family. If I can find any deals I am going to get some extra since I have time to bargain shop.
Each kid needs 36 glue sticks??! Crazy. DS is just in prek but I don't think his supplies will be more than $30
I will teach middle school, and the amount of my own money I spend just on basic pencils is unreal, lol. I can't imagine being an elementary school teacher and facing the amount of supplies I'd have to buy out of pocket.
36 glue sticks?! That I would be irritated with, because they're obviously asking you to bring in way, way more than your child will actually use.
I think that's the point! Maybe 36 is a bit excessive though.
I get that not all the parents will buy supplies, and that the teachers often make up the difference. That's why I gave DS1's teacher a $25 GC to Office Depot at the beginning of the year last year, because I know it sucks. But I would prefer transparency - don't tell me my kid will use 36 glue sticks, give me an option to donate an extra amount to a fund the teacher can spend it on what they want, or at back-to-school night, give me a wish list and I can keep my eye out on sales all year long.
I think that's the point! Maybe 36 is a bit excessive though.
I get that not all the parents will buy supplies, and that the teachers often make up the difference. That's why I gave DS1's teacher a $25 GC to Office Depot at the beginning of the year last year, because I know it sucks. But I would prefer transparency - don't tell me my kid will use 36 glue sticks, give me an option to donate an extra amount to a fund the teacher can spend it on what they want, or at back-to-school night, give me a wish list and I can keep my eye out on sales all year long.
And that's great that you're willing to do that. But most parents are not, hence asking for extras.
our school is 52percent on free and reduced lunch. What happens for those kids?
Low income parents sometimes get lucky and get matched for donations through a program or community effort. It's nice if you can match. The efforts are greatly inadequate, scattered and sadly inconsistent.
In my experience, the classroom teachers usually buy supplies for the children without supplies out of their own pocket.
Post by deanlicker78 on Jul 13, 2014 13:59:55 GMT -5
Back to school time is more expensive for us than Christmas.
That being said, the joy I have knowing they will be back in school soon and I won't get 37 calls at work because someone looked at someone funny, or someone is annoying someone else is worth the money. It's worth so much money.
Just got my list today for my big kindergartener! How much do your supplies normally cost? I get why they do it, but everything has to be a specific name brand (crayola, fiskar, ziploc, Dixon..). 4 separate boxes of ziploc, 36 glue sticks, box of baby wipes, specific alcohol free sanitizer...I have to believe it will cost $50ish if I can catch sales on most things. This is fine, but our school is 52percent on free and reduced lunch. What happens for those kids? Do they make allowances and tell those families they an opt out? That sounds like a lot for a low income family. If I can find any deals I am going to get some extra since I have time to bargain shop.
They most definitely have assistance for the school supplies. You just aren't made aware of it.
36 glue sticks?! That I would be irritated with, because they're obviously asking you to bring in way, way more than your child will actually use.
Kinder teacher here! 36 glue sticks ends up being about 1 per week, which is about what the students will use. At the beginning of the year, before they know/remember to not use half a glue stick per page and to put the lid on, we probably go through more than one per week per kid. They will be used!
Okay, well I lied. It's only $50 to buy them online. And the list isn't *that* bad after taking a second look at it today, I was just a little taken aback by all of it. We never had any of this stuff when I was in school. I'd go get my Trapper Keeper, paper, pencils and call it a day. It's no big deal, shit's just different these days.
A little PSA for school supplies: Office Max this week has some supplies as low as 25 cents. We got a 4 pack of glue sticks for that price. Crayons, sharpies and scissors were also a quarter.
The annoying thing for us is that last year, the district put out a school supply list and then on the first day, the teachers all gave out an individual list that was completely different (after all the sales had passed).
kristie The nap mats are at Target. I saw them yesterday.
DS is in ECSE and his list totals about $50. It includes clorox wipes, paper towels, ziploc bags, tissues, hand sanitizer, and all the usual school supplies (crayons, markers, glue sticks, etc). Buying a backpack and lunchbox puts me a little over $90. I buy extras for the teacher when the sales are good (Staples is great right now) and also add things like paper plates and fun napkins for class parties. I don't want the teachers to have to pay OOP for it. Our PTO is also really involved and gives the teachers $$ at the beginning of each year for supplies.
The list for the upper grades is nuts. The calculator they ask for is over $100. If you have more than one child, ouch.
we have the option of buying all of the supplies on the list ourselves, or writing the PPA a check for $100, and they collect everything for us. last year I thought that sounded steep so I opted to buy them myself, and actually spent more. so I just wrote the check this year. we also have a $75 curriculum fee for workbooks.
Post by revolution on Jul 13, 2014 18:56:29 GMT -5
We were really lucky with K. We were asked to bring in 1 box if Kleenex, 1 can if Lysol wipes and a bottle if hand sanitizer. That was it and you didn't have to bring any or all of it. The teacher supplied everything else including pencils and a pencil box for each kid.
Post by curlygirlygirl on Jul 13, 2014 19:39:22 GMT -5
I'm a teacher, and would hate to put away 36 glue sticks x 30 students plus all their other supplies! Organizing everything is the worst part of the first day after school.
I am fortunate in that our PTA funds when children don't bring in their supplies - there are many parents that would probably be happy to donate extra, and I would never feel comfortable asking families to donate more than their child would use on the supply list.
I will teach middle school, and the amount of my own money I spend just on basic pencils is unreal, lol. I can't imagine being an elementary school teacher and facing the amount of supplies I'd have to buy out of pocket.
I work at a private school and we have a PTA that gives us $200 or so at the beginning of the year for this stuff. I still bought stuff all.year.long for middle school classes.
Post by mrsjuleshs on Jul 13, 2014 22:12:05 GMT -5
Last year it was around $100 not including the mandatory $150 graphing calculator (thank god it will last her through college). This year we are only buying the basics till a week or so after school starts and we get a true picture of what she really needs vs. what she can use for multiple classes. In elementary and jr high, it was roughly $75/year and even then I'd have to get her more binders and stuff throughout the year.