School Supplies rant

goodmorning

Mon, Sep 08 2014, 2:21 pm

LittleDucky wrote:

Since you're amother anyway, can you say what school requires the parents to buy teachers supplies? I wonder how high their tuition is...
What if one kid doesn't bring it? I know of one class where every kid had a mini whiteboard and needed their own marker. It was supposed to be for answering the teacher so she could see everyone's answer and not just call on one kid each time. But that clearly isn't the case here. It would be cheaper for everyone to ask for $5 a kid and then the school buy cases of paper. Except we pay tuition so that should cover paper!!!

On the other hand, here's a different perspective.

saw50st8

Mon, Sep 08 2014, 2:23 pm

We are asked for ziploc bags. They send various projects home in them throughout the year. I think it works well.

We were able to buy supplies through the school. It wasn't cheap but it was awesome.

imasoftov

Mon, Sep 08 2014, 4:51 pm

DrMom wrote:

I didn't think there was a difference between girls' and boys' school supplies.

It won't be long before girls will have to use special pens because regular pens are for boys.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/......html

amother

Mon, Sep 08 2014, 5:13 pm

I was a first grade teacher myself. The supply list I sent home asked for 6 pencils, not 60. I made a point of checking the girls supplies as we were doing stuff where we used something. I made a big deal of someone had all their supplies.

As for the kids that keep on losing stuff- having all these extras doesn't help the situation. It doesn't teach them responsibility either. "Homework" every night was making sure to have all school supplies.

If a child was out of something, I made her sit quietly. I did not want to "reward" irresponsibility. I had a stash of pencils and other supplies, bought with my own money mind you, and discreetly gave her a pencil if needed. The message though was clear, you need to watch your supplies.

Sometimes at the end of the day, I would make the girls collect all the pencils they found on the floor and put them by the windowsill. The ones that were labelled I would return to the child it belonged to. The others went into my "stash".

A good idea in general is to label all supplies, but I think that is common sense. Even a young child who can't read can be taught to recognize their own phone number or a special symbol on all their own supplies.

Mama Bear

Mon, Sep 08 2014, 5:43 pm

I have a 6 yr old autistic son who is going to a bilingual class in public school this year. I never had to send supplies before. Suddenly this year I had to send Clorox wipes, ziploc bags, wipes, tissues, composition books, a folder, etc. It was pretty funny - I was in the toy store with all the other moms, buying supplies for my 'first grader'....

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Sep 08 2014, 10:00 pm

saw50st8 wrote:

We are asked for ziploc bags. They send various projects home in them throughout the year. I think it works well.

Explain to me why the boys have quart size specified, and the girls gallon sized (or is it vice versa, I don't remember!) -- that made no sense to me!

And they never said what size box to get. Some boxes had 15 bags, some had 25, some had 60, some had 100...am I even going to get the leftovers of that back?!

oliveoil

Mon, Sep 08 2014, 10:49 pm

Miri1 wrote:

The kids get used to the idea that the pencils are so easily replaceable that they can lose them, chew them, break them. I'm really disturbed by the whole thing.

I COMPLETELY agree with you.

Did not have this growing up, and the first time I was introduced to it I noticed the same thing. The kids have no concept of taking care of their stuff - they view it as disposable.

Notsobusy

Mon, Nov 17 2014, 7:29 pm

glutenless wrote:

It makes me crazy. My kids need very specific things which are 1. hard to find and 2. not cheap. Why can't I decide if I want to buy three single notebooks or a 3 subject notebook? The regular notebooks are all on sale, the 3 subject are not. Same with looseleafs, don't tell me hard cover, soft cover, 2 inch, 3 inch. I always save looseleafs that are in good condition, but we usually can't use it again but it doesn't fit the teachers specifications. I do send my kids with a 1 1/2 inch instead of 2 inch - much cheaper. My son needed a non spiral, perforated notebook. I didn't even know they made such a thing! Who cares if it's spiral??

I had posted this in Sep, guess what? My son just came home with his special non spiral, perforated notebook, and said that they don't need it, it was a mistake. How do you by mistake put something so specific, that most people have never heard of, on your school supply list?

amother

Mon, Nov 17 2014, 7:54 pm

My kindergarten child comes home today that her supplies box is missing from her cubby. So now I get to buy all new supplies bec someone in school wasn't responsible w her supplies? Shouldn't the teacher be keeping it safe for these little kids?!

amother

Mon, Nov 17 2014, 7:54 pm

ra_mom

Mon, Nov 17 2014, 8:21 pm

granolamom wrote:

I didnt read this whole thread but you dont have to buy everything on the list. I no longer do. I send my kid with what *I* think he will need and if the teacher really thinks he needs a red folder for example, she can send me a note and I will procure it.
to date, I have only gotten a few specific requests (a red folder, index cards on a ring for sight words, and a special bag for 'tickets'). no one has come after me looking for the 6 two pocket folders in various colors, two subject spiral notebooks, or dry erase markers. my friends tell me that much of what they bought (as per 'the list') goes unused.

as for pencils, I always make sure my kids have sharpened pencils in their bag and I'm always replenishing. turns out, my well stocked kids are supplying the kids whose parents forget to send in pencils. this seems to happen with water bottles and snacks too. I'm not sure what the answer is here.

Oh my, can I relate... Rolling Eyes

abs

Mon, Nov 17 2014, 8:25 pm

glutenless wrote:

Be happy he brought it home so soon. I'm sure it is still in better condition than the unused notebooks brought home in June! Rolling Eyes

Notsobusy

Mon, Nov 17 2014, 8:30 pm

abs wrote:

Be happy he brought it home so soon. I'm sure it is still in better condition than the unused notebooks brought home in June! Rolling Eyes

You're right, you're right. I just made myself so crazy finding this notebook I had never heard of, and it was all for nothing.

PinkFridge

Mon, Nov 17 2014, 9:10 pm

glutenless wrote:

You're right, you're right. I just made myself so crazy finding this notebook I had never heard of, and it was all for nothing.

You showed him you value his education.
Don't undo things by dissing the teacher or grumbling in front of him. Let it out here instead Tongue Out

studying_torah

Mon, Nov 17 2014, 9:31 pm

So true about supplying the other kids- with a whole pkg of sheet protectors one year ( given to one classmate; I told my child to ask for it back) and a whole pkg of loose leaf paper given out to s few classmates.
I told my kids, sharing is nice- a sheet of paper or pencil on occasion BUT we are not here to supply them w the supplies they don't have. There needs to be a limit.

amother

Tue, Nov 18 2014, 12:01 am

studying_torah wrote:

Yup we were supposed to send a few dozen pencils- not happening sorry.
When my oldest was in first grade, I sent an entire box of pencils, only to find out the teacher pooled all the kids pencils together and whoever needed one took one, but never put them back. In the end my dd was left w no pencils and I had to buy her more. Why is it right that I'm buying pencils for the whole class?! Question

I was probably the only parent who sent boxes of tissues. This I did gladly and considered it tzedaka. I stock up on sale and believe me I'd rather supply the whole class with tissues than consider the alternative. Pencils...not so much.

amother

Tue, Nov 18 2014, 9:06 am

amother wrote:

Im this op. another thing, I was told that my son has to have x type of shoes. not sport etc. We go to a shoe shop and buy him a pair of 65 eu shoes. First day of school my dh checks up on them at lunch time and sees that his new shoes are dusty from playing outside. So the teacher says ok so he can wear his other shoes. Thanks. Now are you gonna give me my money back??? doubt it.

Im the op of this answer. The mothers got together and had a meeting where I brought this up. A few of them said that I didnt have to buy any pens and colors etc and that the school provides. AGH!!!!!!!!!!

We came to the conclusion that there is a big communication problem in the school.

I dont understand cause on the list we were given said that yes we do need to buy it.

Barbara

Tue, Nov 18 2014, 9:40 am

amother wrote:

My conclusion is a bit different.

In this thread, we have a large number of parents who buy everything on the list, and complain that (I) not everything is used; and (ii) their children wind up supplying the kids whose parents don't provide sufficient supplies.

We have an equally large number of parents who supply what they think are necessary, and miraculously, their kids don't need whatever it is that they don't buy.

Or, more likely, the imamothers in group 1 are in fact supplying the materials to the imamothers in group 2.