Hey Lexicon, I didn't know you were teaching now!
I am a long-term substitute for a first grade class. Since the teacher has been out on maternity leave, I basically get to plan the whole year, the classroom, etc. (See my thread about the black and gold bulletin boards,
)
Me and the other first grade teacher are part of the Early Childhood Team. Usually split up into grade levels, it's just easier to lump us all together administratively since we're so small. (1 Pre-K, 2 K, 2 first grade)
I pretty much depended on the other teacher to generate the supply list, and I think it's reasonable. Folders, crayons, pencils, a three prong notebook with looseleaf paper as well as composition books. (We decided to phase out the composition books slowly, but we are still requiring two or so.)
The only "community" item we strongly suggested was a box of Kleenex. (Please believe Kleenex is a hot commodity in DC, where everybody has some sort of respiratory problems, including allergies, asthma, chronic bronchitis, etc.)
I consider my school to be "needy"....not as much as other schools, but the majority do qualify for free or reduced lunch, and there is some drug activity in the community.
HOWEVER....we definitely don't require two of everything for everyone....our faculty is very in tuned with the community and the PTA is constantly doing fundraisers for the school. If a student has needs, another parent or teacher might pick up the slack by choice.
Hell, in fact, this one time last year one of the sixth graders got teased so bad about his hair, I was going to offer to take him to the salon to get it cornrowed. I don't know what happened, I think I got talked out of it.
Anyway....it's all for the kids, god bless em.