School has started for some of my readers, but I still have another week left here before we begin. I had forgotten but was quickly reminded about the banter between mothers and back to school. I’m sorry, but I’m bored with it all. Every year I’m subjected to the same chatter about back to school supplies. First I’d like to say, this is not a surprise. Every year we are given “the list” and every year we have to buy supplies. I don’t understand the panic that sets in with some parents. It can be worse than Christmas shopping. I stopped by our local Office Depot and wasn’t overwhelmed by the amount of supplies, but by the attitude of some of people shopping. There are about 1 million notebooks. Do you really need to push me out of the way to get one? I’ve had my supply list since school ended in June so I’ve been purchasing items here and there as they went on sale. I know others just got theirs in the mail which I admit is a little ridiculous. I mean our school district even has had the supply list online since school ended as well.
My next big complaint is the bitching about how expensive all the supplies can be. I have never spent much money on school supplies. I keep the lists out and handy. As the sales happen, which can be as early as the first week of July I start buying them here and there. I place them in a bag in the closet and cross the items off the list. If you pay attention you can buy most items for pennies. Also, there is no hard fast rule that says the scissors your kid used last year can’t be used again the following year. This holds true for backpacks and lunchboxes. They have amazing sales after school begins and you can get these super cheap! If you are paying too much for supplies you aren’t paying attention to the sales.
Then the conversation usually turns to, ” I’m labeling all the supplies I send in. I hate that I have to buy supplies for the whole class to share!” Which then eventually spirals into, ” The teachers get money to spend in their classrooms why do I have to pay for antibacterial soap and tissues!” Personally, I don’t get why parents get so angry about sharing. Here is how I look at it. School supplies are cheaper before the school year begins and I’d rather buy 3 bottles of glue for a quarter each now then have to pay $1.20 for the same bottle later in the year. I have no problem with sending supplies in for the classroom. I don’t see why it’s issue. I have yet to have son come home and say, ” Mom I know you bought the Elmer’s glue, but they made me use Roseart and I was mortified!” On the other hand, I don’t know why people think that teachers are given a ton money to buy things for their classroom. Am I missing something? I have yet to be in a classroom ( I volunteer every year) and have had a teacher have an endless supply of whatever on hand. Maybe they are using all “that” money they have to buy expensive coffee for the teachers lounge -LOL! Please teachers chime in and tell me about all this money I keep hearing about. I think it’s all a myth.
My one complaint about back to school supplies: The specific or odd items that teachers ask for drive me nuts. I understand asking for no pencils made in China. I made that mistake last year and it was horrible to sharpen those cheap ass things. Never again! I’m talking about asking for 2 boxes of crayons with 8 or 16 count. These are about $2.99 – $3.99 a box. I can buy 4 boxes of Crayola 24 count crayons for $1.00. Why would I spend $4 on one box of crayons? So, I apologize right now to my son’s third grade teacher, but you are getting 2 boxes of 24. Feel free to donate the extra crayons to the Kindergarten classes. I don’t know what to tell you, but I just couldn’t do it. I’m too cheap. My vague item this year is Elmer’s purple package glue sticks. There is no purple package that I can find. I bought the ones that have purple glue that dries clear. I’m so confused. The purple package was my unicorn this year. What was yours?
Penny says
This year the list is easy (despite just getting it last week!) but last year we had to buy a certain kind of marker and I went to about 5 different stores before I found it. But now I have to go check the pencils I just bought- never thought about the China thing…
Mrs. F says
We get $150 a year for supplies from the school. In my class of 25 students, that equals out to $6 per student. That includes everything we need for the year. There are so many things that we need that we don’t put as school supplies– pencils, markers, index cards, post-it notes, construction paper, stickers, sidewalk chalk, popsicle sticks, white board erasers, tissue paper, spare folders, white drawing paper, brass fasteners, yarn, manila folders, Kindergarten certificates, etc. I just checked my tax return, and out-of-pocket last year I spend $368 on classroom supplies (books, games, crafts, food for extra snacks, etc.). Every year we are asked to pare down the school supply list that we ask of parents, taking more out of our pocket. I am not sure how to solve this debate– perhaps we could advertise on our school website when certain supplies are going on sale?
beyourbestmom says
I love the idea of advertising school supply sales. I’m writing that one down! Lots of blogs do it, but maybe to do it just for our school would be a great help to parents that feel overburdened! Love it!
Ruth says
We didn’t get our supply list until recently. As a result, some of the great sales were gone. I have teachers asking specifically for Crayola brand washable markers – unscented (I couldn’t find it cheaper than 4.99) and Ticonderoga pencils (I couldn’t find them, sorry!). My son’s kindergarten supplies cost $36 because it also included two special unlined composition notebooks (they cost $2.39 each!!!) and unscented diaper wipes ($2.50). So the total supplies came out to $34, which, I think is too much (this is just supplies not lunchbox, backpack, or water bottles).
Luckily… no unicorn this year!!!
beyourbestmom says
Do you really think that’s alot for an entire year? I know you just got your list and that adds to the cost of items.
Eileen says
Wow. This struck a nerve. I’m a third grade teacher and I do ask for some specific items on my supply list. I am guilty of asking for a 16 or 24 box of crayons, no larger please. Why? Because invariably one or two parents think it’s a wonderful idea to send their kid in with the full spectrum box of 96. With textbooks, binders and notebooks, there is no way in hell that lovely box of 96 will fit in the desk. I just say “pencils”, but believe me, you want Ticonderoga. Just as a note, I buy lots of Ticonderoga pencils on sale during the summer because 3rd graders run out of pencils fast. I think they eat them. I get about $150 for supplies for the classroom also. Thanks Mrs. F. for doing the math. And I have spent at least $150 of my own money over this summer and will easily spend over $500 more over the school year to have items I want for my class. When I ask for something specific, it’s not to drive the parents crazy or in debt. It because your 8 year old really needs wide-ruled composition books. College ruled are for, well, college (or maybe high school).
My school gives a generic list for 3rd grade in June, but since teachers are assigned until August, parents get an updated list then. So, unfortunately, there’s some last minute buying.
FYI – the purple glue stick refers to the color of the glue. It goes on purple so kids can see where they are gluing on white paper. Then it dries clear.
beyourbestmom says
That’s my point. If a teacher has lets say $150 to spend on a class of 25 for a year. Why should I as a parent complain about spending maybe $30 for just my child for a year? I don’t pay for a private education. I do however want a good one, but I must be part of it. We all must be part of it. This banter that takes place every year kills me. I don’t see it as a burden. I see it as my part of helping my child’s education. I have yet to volunteer in a classroom that has more than enough. There is never enough and the teachers shouldn’t have to foot the bill. I’m just so tired of hearing parents complain about it. ( Oh, in case anyone is wondering I’m a parent, not a teacher, but I volunteer in the school and see what the teachers do for our children and I appreciate it beyond belief.
LOL! It would have saved me the aggravation if the list stated purple glue sticks instead of purple package. I thought for sure it was some super glue stick! My unicorn:)
ida says
I had a unicorn that drove me nuts this year… it said “spiral bound notebook – at least 2 subject”… WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? should i buy a 2-subject? would you RATHER I buy a 3 subject… or maybe a 5 subject… is it really a code FOR THE 2 SUBJECT which is ONLY sold at STAPLES and cost 2.99??? and i need 2 of them? and how many packages IS an “unlimited supply of college lined paper” ??? is that 4? 8? 10? narrow it down a bit… and yes i was told ticonderoga pencils… but in the end the one that gets me EVERY YEAR… IS THE INFAMOUS “USED TENNIS BALLS” where – oh where – do they sell USED TENNIS BALLS? i don’t PLAY TENNIS so ultimately i must buy NEW tennis balls which will then be sacrificed to death for squealing chair peace… and that is not a school supply – I GET THE NEED but no i’m sorry – i’m not buying a package of tennis balls to be mutilated… so next year i’m starting a bootleg used tennis ball back of truck business in a dark alleyway in fishkill i figure if 500 parents are being asked – thats 2000!!! tennis balls in our school alone… if i can centralize i can hit at least 5 schools in need… i’m going to buy used tennis balls from every tennis/country club on the east coast and make a KILLING…
oh and last but not least – i have a split take on the “labeling” of my own supplies… see my kids have had to HELP me buy their supplies… i DO THINK my daughter deserves to use the black ticonderoga pencils she helped buy versus the cruddy made in china ones… and last year all the pencils were in a wipie box on her kinder table and i WAS P.O’d that she never had a GOOD pencil at her use… and i also think it teaches her/them ownership of keeping their supplies in order… i don’t know – SOMEHOW when i was a kid we didn’t have communal supplies – my supplies ALWAYS were in my own desk – and it was NEVER a problem so when and why DID the “communal supply” approach develop? why shouldn’t a parent expect their child to use the supplies THEY bought for them?
btw i hate spending the money but i get the necessity… i still think a slate and chalk would be AWESOME though … lol
beyourbestmom says
I love how you write Ida. I can actually hear you talking! OK- you win with the tennis balls. I’ve never heard of that one before.. Yes, when I went to school we didn’t have communal supplies either and I’m not sure why we do now. I also feel you are right about teaching ownership and taking care of your own supplies. Likewise, sharing teaches respect as well for the classroom and your fellow students. If you know that the supplies are going to be shared though why waste your time expecting that your child is going to get that special pencil? I do feel you because I was a bit upset when my child came home with a flimsy crappy folder and not the one that I bought for him:(
Mrs. F says
Hopefully your boy(s) got the good folders back during the year or at the end of the year. I buy folders for all kids (out-of-pocket) for the first days of school. Some kids have not sent in school supplies by the end of the first week, and we need folders during that time. It helps to have them ready ahead of time since the first day of school is spent organizing bus tags, getting kids familiar with the bathroom, and sorting through *at least* 2 pockets per backpack per child to play the “Where did the parents hide the lunch check?” game. Once the (admittedly crappy) folder breaks down, I substitute the better ones that the parents have supplied. I always try to make sure that (of all the supplies) the folders are labeled because that is the easiest to return to parents if not used by the end of the year. Plus, it just wouldn’t do to have a Mario fan come home with Sponge Bob!!!
As for communal vs. individual, think of ‘karate class.’ What happens when parents watch their kids at karate? They compare and compete for the best. Imagine that with 25 students! One student comes in with Made In China yellow pencils, and another comes in with Hello Kitty pencils with smiley faced erasers– they will compete, ‘borrow’ (steal), brag, etc. We allow personalization on backpacks, lunch bags, and folders– the rest is communal for that reason. I always *try* to have the same brand supplies out (i.e. the blue table all have Elmer’s glue sticks with the orange top) so that there isn’t a fight for the ‘pencil with the gold top,’ but with the variety we get (since we don’t want to ask for JUST TICONDEROGA pencils or JUST KLEENEX brand tissues, etc.), it’s not always possible. It is such a balance to teach Kindergarten, and I’m sure other grades.
If you sit in our school supply meeting, you won’t hear “How can we make life miserable for parents?” or “What do we absolutely NOT need that we can still get away with asking?” We are always discussing what brand/content/etc. will be the easiest to get at the best price. I can’t help but feel attacked for being ‘greedy’ when I read complaints about school supplies 🙁 If I personally am going to spend $15 of my own money per student and $6 of the school’s money per student, I hope parents can match that. If I didn’t do that– we wouldn’t have crafts, extra snacks, books in the classroom library, sidewalk chalk and games for outside, etc.
Patty says
When the kids get to hs, teachers have minimal if no budget. So that means if I want to do a creative project, I have to buy the supplies myself. In these lean budget years, classroom supplies get cut first. Now with the introduction of the common core and across the board testing, there will not be much time for creativity. So be thankful the teachers are still asking for crayons and markers. That shows they are still planning on these activities rather than sitting young kids in front of computers drilling them for the Pearson tests supposed to make teachers more accountable. Thanks for the forum to vent Milena : )
beyourbestmom says
Thanks for the feedback. I love reading all these comments and seeing peoples views.
Eileen says
Ida, your teacher probably wanted a 2 subject for a specific purpose – writing ideas in the front/actually writing in the back; writing about reading in the front, creative writing in the back. You get the idea. Listen, I don’t know any teacher that will punish, or banish, or humiliate a kid for showing up with a one subject or three subject notebook when we’ve asked for two.
Eileen says
And, most tennis clubs will donate used tennis balls to teachers.