Kids' School Supplies

[PM_Mama00]

Originally posted by aephi alum
I found a listing online for what elementary-school children in my district's public schools are required to have. It varies slightly by grade, but the basics are safety scissors, an eraser, a clipboard, markers, a pen, crayons, pencils, composition books, glue, a 3-ring binder, tissues, math flash cards, and a box to keep everything in. From the itemized list, it doesn't appear that any items would go into a community chest (they only call for 1 pair of scissors, 1 eraser, etc).

The PTO sells all the required supplies as a kit for around $25 (it varies slightly from grade to grade). Apparently they order in bulk then pass the savings along to parents. Parents get a break and kids have exactly what they need.

The mandatory donation idea rubs me the wrong way, though. The wish list is a good idea - yes, you'll get cheapskates who won't donate if it isn't required, but you'll also get some generous parents, and the teacher will probably get a wider variety of stuff needed for the classroom (white-board markers, card stock, things to decorate bulletin boards with, etc. rather than 30 boxes of pencils).

I still don't get the soap thing. When I was in elem. school, all bathrooms had liquid soap dispensers that were kept stocked (most of the time, anyway!) Have our school budgets gotten so slim that we're cutting soap??

Your first paragraph I agree with.

And it's nto a hit at teachers. I guess what I don't understand is that all this stuff was provided by teh school when I was in elementary. Maybe I just went to a really good school, but we were never asked to buy scissors and all that. And dictionaries were already in the classroom.

And in kindergarten when our teacher accidentally left our crayons on the heater and they all melted, the school provided more.

[winnieb]

Dee, I understand where you are coming from. My son's list includes the basic items-- but we also must provide Ziploc bags (quart size), Fiskar scissors, Elmers glue, dry erase markers, and other items including Purell.

The brands I listed are specific and REQUIRED. As far as the Fiskar scissors--we are even given the model number they MUST have. And the dry erase markers--well there isn't a white board in the room!!--not one I saw. And while I would by Fiskars for me, not for my son who lost 2 pairs last year in kindergarten--each time I was senta note to buy a new pair for the next day.

I understand that teachers aren't paid well, which is wrong! But I also know teachers get to use what they spend in their classrooms as a tax deduction. The money I spend and donate is not a deduction for me. I also know I spend LOTS on tax money for my child's education.

I have no issues giving donations and helping in the classroom--I am happy to do so. But the demand on parents is getting unreal. My son came home on the second day of school with the Entertainment Book fundraiser. We sold 6 @$20/each. There will be 2 or 3 more fundraisers this year. I also received the envelope to send $10 back to the class for the holiday parties, which I will also get a list of required items to send at the time of the party. I will buy off of the teacher wish list at the book fair. School pics are on Tuesday, we got the flyer on Friday due back on Monday with my $25 for the small package. And we will have pics in February too. And finally in the backpack this week we received the "snack list" . Approx once a month each child is assigned a snack day and I will send snacks for the entire class.

And my final vent-- Teacher Appriecation Week. I would prefer to buy the teacher a gift of my choosing. The PTA,last year, assigned a different theme each day.... flower day, sweet day, relaxation day, candle day, etc. We were also told to send the same present for the PE, art, music, computer teachers, librarians and lunch ladies--- what in the heck--- beyond the money--- why would the PE teacher want a candle from each kid in the school-- 400 candles would be insane!!!!

I don't mind hellping or giving--it is not the teachers job to buy everything--but my tax money should cover that basic stuff like soap!

-wendi

[carnation]

Co-sign on what alphagam-alum said! I've had kids in the public schools for 17 years now and I've watched the supply list balloon over the years--and then double with the involuntary donation bit. And the fundraisers--well, we don't do them anymore. Too often we've seen kids go out and bust their butts selling cheap trinkets and then the PTA uses it for something stupid like a new couch for the teachers' lounge when the old one was just fine.

Last week a middle school teacher wrote for donations so she could do all these fancy labs in her class. My husband, a science teacher in a parochial middle school,was so mad that he almost choked. He can only dream of the things she wanted.

The double school supplies list still makes me mad. When my children come home with their leftover school supplies at the end of the year, they always have a somewhat used box of crayons that was their first one and they say the teacher never gave them back the second one. Ditto on the second pack of construction paper, box of pencils, etc. This year we only sent one set of supplies and so did a bunch of other parents; in this school, there are very few children in need and the whole idea is ridiculous. We'll see what happens.

I agree with Carnation......... This was my sons first yr in Kindegarten and the buy two issue makes me mad. If they are asking for 2 of everything for the reason of supplying the kid that doesn't have anything well than come out and say it dont be sneaky and underhanded about it and cover it up and say otherwise.

I understand the school and the minimal budgets they work with and what teachers have to pay out ........but i want to know where our taxes go to and heck even better this is california the LOTTO was to help fund schools


My own opinion now is i should not have to supply for others....but come on we all work and we all have our own monthly budgets to work with and to spend that extra money and to give it away more less is not right. I have taken a big ole black magic marker and marked my son's name on everything so it won't get donated.....i pay taxes and i pay for his school supplies So why do we have to shell out.


Tell me what does the PTA do for the schools? aren't they there to help with raising funds for the classroom?

[sugar and spice]

I'm not a teacher, but I'm on my way, and I have to agree with WhiteDaisy. Spending an extra five -- or even twenty -- bucks on school supplies is not going to make that big of a difference to MOST people on this board, but if the teachers have to cover it out of pocket for all the kids in their classes, it's going to make a big difference for them. Furthermore, the alternative is that your child's education is going to suffer. If the kids are going to do a project that involves colored pencils, and not all the kids have colored pencils (and your kid's not sharing!), the project won't happen or will take much longer than it needs to.

It surprises me that, after all the noise made about how our school systems don't even get enough tax money to cover basic supplies, people are still shocked that they can't just give out a pair of scissors and a glue stick to every child walking through the doors.

That said, I think parents should be made aware if their supplies are going to students other than their children. Maybe a compromise would be that, instead of forcing each child to buy two of everything, you could say that one was mandatory (to go towards the "community chest") and one was optional (if you wanted the children to have their own personal supplies.

BUT I disagree with you that say "Why do they have to trick us into donating? I think most people would donate if they made it clear that the supplies were going to kids who needed them." Since that's the way things have been run in the past, obviously it HASN'T worked and they haven't been getting enough donations or things would still be run that way.

It seems to me that the majority of teachers (maybe not so much the ones demanded brand #ABC123 of Fiskars scissors ) are just doing what they need to do to keep doing their job at the level they're supposed to be teaching at.

[Rudey]

Most teachers are fascists who want to force kids and their parents to hurt and buy things they don't need. Get your kid some paper, a ruler, pen/pencil, some glue, scissors and that's it. When they join a sport or club, then it might be different. Tell the teachers to stop being fascists!

-Rudey

[lonestaradpi]

I'm having lots of mixed, heated feelings on this. So I hope that I make sense. Here's my background and where I'm coming from. I am a teacher. This is my 7th year teaching. I teach in a low socioeconomic school. Every year I've been here,we have either been a targeted or full on Title 1 school.

I'm amazed at some of your comments and likewise by some of the crap on the school lists. First of all, to save $$, don't buy the pictures from the school. They are a ripoff. Go to Target or somewhere else that does cheap, decent pictures. If you don't like the policies of PTA, get on the board and make a difference. Or, even more fun and tons of crap, run for your school district's board! However, I don't think I'd wish that nightmare on my worst enemy!!

I think that some of the junk on the school lists are so stupid. Bad teachers! We give a list of supplies out in May before we go on summer vacation. I can't believe some schools are so inconsiderate that they give you one day to get all the stuff!! We may have Fiskars as a recomendation on the list, but we are just happy to have scissors brought in! I'm happy to get a child with a complete list, and we do not provide extras for the other kids. In my class, the children learn fast that my class will be like there real world. If you bring in new crayons, you will use new crayons. If you don't bring in crayons, you can borrow some out of the big left over bucket in the room. If you don't bring in scissors, you may borrow a pair of mine, only for the project, and it has my name on them. I have even provided school clothes for children in my class b/c they only have one shirt at home and they are embarassed by wearing the same shirt eveyday.

Let me just talk for a minute about some of the stuff on the lists.
Plastic baggies: I do use these all the time. The are used to keep our flash cards, our math fact cards, to keep our school supplies (because we don't have those on our list), to send home lost teeth, and to keep lunch $ in.
Soap/Purell: My school provides soap in the restrooms, but it is crap. I can only think that teachers use it to help keep the kiddos hands truly clean so they won't get even more illnesses and bring them home to their parents.
Treats for treasure chest: That is the teacher's responsibility. I wouldn't even begin to ask my parents to supply treats for the children! Amazing!
Candy for rewards: What??? That's crazy! We aren't supposed to give any food to the children.
Oh, as far as the tax deduction. No, not really. I spend over $500 a year in stuff for my class or the children. I am only allowed to use $250 of that for taxes. And it is taken off of the top, not a credit. Merely a drop in the bucket.

And I'll end this tirade with Teacher Appreciation Week. In seven years of teaching, I have had one parent actually recognize this. Our PTO (not PTA b/c that has national dues associated with it and they can't afford it) provides a small gift for us and a meal during that week. We are so grateful for that.

In closing, some teachers need to see what it is like in other parts for the country and be happy with the minimum. BAd teachers! Please know that not all teachers are like that. Please don't pigeon hole all of us. And you have a choice. I'm not a parent b/c I don't want to have to put up with all the shit of raising my own, that is my choice. I have made a choice not to have children. I wish you all the best of luck who have chosen to raise children, as you already have learned, it is not easy!

[aephi alum]

Question for the parents: What happens if you don't supply your kids with exactly what the teacher has requested? Are the kids penalized for having only two pencils if the teacher asked for four? It's not like they're going to be writing with all four pencils at the same time!

Carnation, were your kids penalized for "being unprepared" because they didn't have a second set of supplies for the community chest, even though they had what they needed for themselves? Wendi, was your son penalized if he didn't show up with exactly the right model of Fiskars scissors the very day after losing them?

Another question: On my school district's website, parents are warned that there are items not included in the kits that they will need to buy over the course of the school year - mainly replacement pencils, crayons, glue, etc. as they are used up. The website says to expect to provide your children with 2-4 pencils PER WEEK. Is this realistic?? Children in this age group are not required to have pens, which implies that all assignments are done in pencil - but even so!

[winnieb]

Originally posted by aephi alum
Wendi, was your son penalized if he didn't show up with exactly the right model of Fiskars scissors the very day after losing them?

My son was not "penalized" in the true sense of the word-- but if he doesn't have the scissors the next day- he will come home and say "mom, we need my scissors tonight-- i had to borrow and they don't work right" We went and bought them that night.

As far as using 4 or 5 pencils a day-- I doubt that. Just like I questioned the 4 boxes of crayons that my son needs. I asked my son about that--all the crayons were dumped into a bucket--the bucket was placed in the middle of the seating pod. I know I would hate that--as I don't like a dull tipped crayon or marker, and I never have.

I truly don't mind helping if someone needs it--- but being demanding with brands, timeframes, and everything else is getting out of control.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Your son needed four boxes of crayons? That's crazy. I can understand two boxes per child with one box for your child's personal use and the second for the community chest. I couldn't imagine going through four boxes of crayons in one school year. That seems quite excessive.

I really think that you should write a letter to the teacher and principal complaining because this list of mandatory supplies just seems ridiculous. Parents have a budget, and schools need to respect that.

[AOIIalum]

As a parent of 3 school aged boys, I'll start by saying the Fiskars brand holds up extremely well. We're using a pair now that's on year 3, and still going strong.

I'm appalled to read that some schools ask for doubles of everything and donate the extras. That is simply rude. There is also absolutely no reason to not release school supply lists in the fall, or for students moving into intermediate/middle/high school to have the lists available when homeroom or team assignments are posted. There is NOTHING worse than living in a smaller town and having 800+ kids get their supply list and only having 3 local options to get it all in one night.

My biggest recommendation is to stock up on the "basics" of school supplies when you see them on sale. Target, Walmart, Kmart, etc. start running school supplies in their sale ads in July around here. Pencils, pens (including red), highlighters, dry erase markers, (our elementary has dry erase wall boards instead of chalkboards), folders, etc. If you're lucky enough to get the unused school supplies sent home at the end of the year, go through ALL of that stuff ASAP. One year I got enough in "new" supplies home that I probably could have bought a lot less for the following fall. Keep all of those supplies in a designated spot, make sure they're well labelled, and make a note on your July/August calendar so you remember where you stashed it.

I somehow ended up with an abundance of 1-subject notebooks (bought a pile for a dime each!), pens & Pencils, composition books (got those at .45 each, what a bargain!) after we got the middle school supply lists. They'll get used eventually

PS--My big gripe is calculators! We were told last year that our middle school furnished graphing calculators for our 7th grade darlings who were taking pre-Algebra, and we wouldn't have to purchase a calculator while they were in middle school. Fast forward to this year. The high school changed math textbooks, so the darlings taking HS algebra in 8th grade had to purchase a new calculator for the following day! Of course, no parents or local retailers were ready for the run on this particular make and model of calculator. I had to actually order it through work to be guaranteed my darling had his calculator by the end of the week--AND had to send a note so he wouldn't get docked grade points for needing 3 days to get the stupid calculator. Thankfully it was only a scientific calculator and not the graphing, because once he's at the HS next year he'll need the graphing type. GRRRR!

[winnieb]

AOII Alum docking points for not having the calculator the next day is crazy--- I am sure alot of parents couldn't go out and drop the money on the calculator---although it is a good thing it wasn't the graphing calculator.
I do realize that the fiskars are a good investment-- but my son misplaces his several times a year. And I would love to be able to use the "unused" supplies--but nothing is returned to us. My son claims the teacher keeps all the supplies for the following year.

[WhiteDaisy128]

Just a heads up...I know all of your kids are absolutely perfect and would never forget to tell you something...but sometimes kids know WEEKS in advance that they will need something, but they don't tell/ask their parents (kid's responsibility) until the "night before."

This whole thread makes me mad, so I'm going to stop typing now.

[valkyrie]

No really, I don't get it. Don't you expect to have to buy school supplies when you have kids? Isn't that just a given? If you feel a teacher is making unreasonable demands in terms of how much of everything your kid has to bring or what particular brand something should be, can't you just go to the teacher and explain your feelings and then buy whatever the hell you want?

It doesn't seem that complicated. It's a parent's job to send his or her children to school prepared to learn, ready with the supplies needed to do what's required in class. It's not the teacher's fault that the school doesn't provide what the children need, nor is it the teacher's job to provide anything because parents don't feel that they should have to buy stuff. It's the parents' responsibility to provide for the children, period.

ETA: I do agree that requiring certain color folders is pretty ridiculous. Kids should be able to learn which folder is for which subject no matter what color it is.

[Munchkin03]

Originally posted by WhiteDaisy128
I'm so thankful that I have parents that are so willing to help out in the classroom and in the school.

No one's saying that parents aren't helping out, yo. I'm not sure if these requirements are district-wide, school-wide, or teacher-specific. If it's district or school-wide, then there's probably budget issues. If it's teacher-specific (like having 4 different colors of highlighters, that's just excessive. Here in grad school, my yellow highlighter is juuuust fine.

Also, in any job, you'll often have to put your own money towards work-related expenses. I'm not whining about having to buy a $900 copy of Quark XPress...it's called professional development, baby.