Public school supplies, ticked over excess

[winterbaby]

But it's unreasonable to have such a specific and extensive list in the first place. You only "need" it because they invented that need.

 

Legally I'm pretty sure the school is supposed to supply everything. Ours does. And I'm guessing people who are able to drop $100 all at once on school supplies for an elementary aged child (I would not be) are in better-funded districts than ours.

[prairiewindmomma]

Our PTA also sells those kits. We didn't buy one. I just got back from Target. Our supply list ran just under $70. I bought dd a Jansport backpack for just under $30. I bought some supplies to pack lunches in more easily and upgraded my cooler paks with an Amazon order: $25. All total: $125.

 

Considering that just one high school science class for ds runs over $400 (whether I do BJUP Biology at home or Derek Owens Physics or whatever), and I pay taxes either way....public school is a fantastic deal financially.

[Guest]

But it's unreasonable to have such a specific and extensive list in the first place. You only "need" it because they invented that need.

 

Legally I'm pretty sure the school is supposed to supply everything. Ours does. And I'm guessing people who are able to drop $100 all at once on school supplies for an elementary aged child (I would not be) are in better-funded districts than ours.

Idk. Indiana is allowed to bill parents a textbook fee. I doubt they can make you buy everything on the list but I'm certain that if it is supplied, it is a teacher supplying it, not the state, school district, etc.

[Tap]

When I taught first grade ions ago, we teachers would get together at the end of the year and do an informal inventory of all the supplies that were left over, then adjust the next year's supply list to reflect what we did/didn't need. I remember cubbords full of construction paper, so we did not ask for additional construction paper for a couple of years.

 

we went through a huge amount of pencils and crayons each year but we only had enough left over to start out the first of the next school year while waiting for new supplies to be turned in.

 

One thing that I did like about the PTO sponsored supply packs is that some of the supplies were purchased in bulk rather than in individual student portions- think gallon bottles of glue rather that a gazillion small bottles of glue and reams of the nice handwriting paper instead of the cheap tablets. We got better quality supplies that way at a lower overall cost.

 

However, I am very happy that I do not have to worry about school supplies at my current online school.

Here the school district puts out the list, so every 3rd grade class gets exactly the same list.   The teachers may not even want the items on the list, so then you get a second list from the teacher that actually applies to the specific class.  So they may not want the 3 2-pocket folders.....but they do want a white 1.5" 3-ring binder. 

 

 

DD is in a special needs school.  The past 2 years, when she started school in the fall, we got a note saying to keep her supplies we purchased at home and the school would provide everything for the classroom.  :closedeyes: It would have been nice to know that ahead of time! This year, I don't plan to buy them......so I'm guessing that they will ask for them LOL   We don't need more scissors, pocket folders or crayola makers.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Tap

[eternalsummer]

I don't think anyone with a child in the house younger than 4 and a rental agreement that requires paying for repainting needs crayola markers in the house, imo.  Or any markers.  Or paint. Or scissors.

 

we are having a hard time with art supplies recently, obviously.

[slackermom]

I don't think anyone with a child in the house younger than 4 and a rental agreement that requires paying for repainting needs crayola markers in the house, imo.  Or any markers.  Or paint. Or scissors.

 

we are having a hard time with art supplies recently, obviously.

 

I have been getting our place ready to put on the market, and I keep finding little bits of art kit stuff super-glued to the walls. I pried off one piece, and I got a good chunk of drywall with it. Joy. Do you think anyone will notice if I paint right over some small wooden letters?

[eternalsummer]

Haha, so glad it is not just me.

[Alessandra]

Be glad that you are not in France! National school supply lists, very precise. But at least the supplies are all for the student.

 

http://ielanguages.com/blog/la-rentree-en-france-back-to-school-and-strikes/

 

http://www.education.gouv.fr/pid285/bulletin_officiel.html?cid_bo=115955

 

Scroll down for a picture of the supplies. This is the government list. It does not include quantities needed, just the specifications, like size of notebook, number of pages, weight of paper, type of ruling, for each item. The introduction, however, does say that they are trying to reduce costs for parents. This being France, there is a national commission on school supplies.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Alessandra

[Pippen]

I would seriously bring this to the attention of the school principal. Middle school supplies and team costs were getting out of control in our district. The teams were all creating their own supply list, plus many were asking for team fees in the range of $25-100 for additional supplies, activities and field trips.  (This is beyond the usual school fees that is paid up front at registration.) Enough parents complained that they instituted a standard supply list that had to be used across the district, and any deviation from that had to be approved by the principal.  They also save leftover supplies from year to year, so if they have a big stock of certain supplies leftover, they eliminate it for the following year until the supply is depleted. They were no longer able to charge team fees, but the team could ask for donations and fund raise. It's worked much better. 

 

 

[QueenCat]

I haven't read the whole thread yet, so maybe this has already been answered, but is it even legal for a public school to donate excess supplies to a religious mission trip???

 

If there are excess supplies and they aren't being sent back home with the children at the end of the year, shouldn't they be saved for the following year's students to use?

 

This whole situation makes no sense to me.

 

It doesn't make sense but she also said it was just her kids teachers, not the whole school, so it's not a school wide issue.

[QueenCat]

The PTA does not care and may even be a little bit behind this as they do sell the school supply packs as a fundraiser. 

 

You said earlier it was just your kids teachers, not schoolwide, so why would the PTA be involved with a teacher issue like that? I'd think it would be the principal you need to talk to if certain teachers are using the materials to supply religious endeavors.

[QueenCat]

Wait... you have to buy this $100 worth of excessive school supplies through the PTA? That seems sketchy.

 

Many public schools do this as a fundraiser but they can't make you do it. Some parents find it a convenience. I did when my kids were in public school but you could also see the supply list & buy on your own.

[DawnM]

You know what irks me about our middle and high school?    They don't have a supply list.  You get it after the kids start school and each teacher gives one out.  

 

I don't have the energy to shop AFTER the school year starts!  I am just getting back to work myself at that point and am beat.

 

I will have a general supply of lined paper, pencils, pens, etc.....but usually they need something specific after school starts.

 

Oh, you know what?  I just realized I will have a teen driver this time around.....he can go and get his own stuff and take middle school brother with him!  

[Bootsie]

 

I'd be furious... I buy good quality supplies, especially for scissors. Why in the world can't the kids just have their own personal supply box, and buy/use/replace whatever they need? st expected to do it every year, especially for supplies that don't get used, and absolutely not for a mission trip- and I DO support missionaries, but of my choice.

When my kids were in PS, much of the day was not spent in their classroom.  Art is in a different room; music is in a different room; they would switch off for science for six weeks into another classroom; then six weeks later they were in another classroom for social studies.  There wasn't the idea of "this is my desk with my school box with supplies" like there was when I was in school

[KungFuPanda]

This sound like a great Letter to the Editor topic for your local paper.

[lynn]

You know what irks me about our middle and high school? They don't have a supply list. You get it after the kids start school and each teacher gives one out.

 

I don't have the energy to shop AFTER the school year starts! I am just getting back to work myself at that point and am beat.

 

I will have a general supply of lined paper, pencils, pens, etc.....but usually they need something specific after school starts.

 

Oh, you know what? I just realized I will have a teen driver this time around.....he can go and get his own stuff and take middle school brother with him!

Its like black Friday shopping at staples the evening school starts. I started buying several 1-2" binders, several folders, lots of composition books etc then return what isn't needed after a few weeks to not have to go out. Also I make sure to pick up extra copy paper, color paper and poster board so I don't get the last minute request from my kids about projects due.

[DawnM]

Its like black Friday shopping at staples the evening school starts. I started buying several 1-2" binders, several folders, lots of composition books etc then return what isn't needed after a few weeks to not have to go out. Also I make sure to pick up extra copy paper, color paper and poster board so I don't get the last minute request from my kids about projects due.

 

My 7th grader asked me for so many poster boards this year that I bought 8 of them and told him to keep them in his room.

 

I

[SamanthaCarter]

Seems like the night school starts is far too late for school supply shopping around here. Target will have already moved it all back to its normal area and all the sales will be over. Ditto Staples.

 

As far as excessive pencil use goes, I'll admit I throw pencils away once the eraser is rubbed away, the good Ticonderogas. I find the toppers more trouble than they're worth, plus everyone avoids a pencil with a topper on it. We have a few big pink prisms around, but they're almost always lost. I suppose I'm part of the problem in our throw away society. [emoji39]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited July 9, 2017 by SamanthaCarter

[regentrude]

When my kids were in PS, much of the day was not spent in their classroom.  Art is in a different room; music is in a different room; they would switch off for science for six weeks into another classroom; then six weeks later they were in another classroom for social studies.  There wasn't the idea of "this is my desk with my school box with supplies" like there was when I was in school

 

Back home, students carry their own supplies with them. They switch rooms, except for elementary. Each kid brings his pouch with pens, pencils, erasers etc to school in the morning n his backpack and then takes it back home to do homework. 

We don't have lockers either. 

[regentrude]

As far as excessive pencil use goes, I'll admit I throw pencils away once the eraser is rubbed away, the good Ticonderogas. I find the toppers more trouble than they're worth, plus everyone avoids a pencil with a topper on it. We have a few big pink prisms around, but they're almost always lost. I suppose I'm part of the problem in our throw away society.

 

Gasp. You throw them away? When they are still longer than in inch? But..but... why?

[Caroline]

Back home, students carry their own supplies with them. They switch rooms, except for elementary. Each kid brings his pouch with pens, pencils, erasers etc to school in the morning n his backpack and then takes it back home to do homework.

We don't have lockers either.

We do that here, too. My kids even do it in elementary school.

[vonfirmath]

Happened again. End of school year. I see the teacher at the public school has at least half the supplies people brought left over. When every child in the class has to bring 48 pencils, 7 boxes of crayons, 10 large glue sticks, etc, there will be left overs. So I asked the teacher, again, as I often ask, every year, what will happen with the left over supplies. After all, she is not sending them home with the kids. She says they will go on mission trips to other countries. 

 

I really resent this. The school supply pack option this year was $103. Every year, I have had to send 1-2 sets of water paints per child, yet, I have never seen anything come home that was made from water paints. 48 pencils? Many teachers only allow a child to have one pencil. Now, 10 eraser caps as well as two of the pink bevel erasers? 7 boxes of crayons per child.

 

Wow. I'm VERY thankful for our school.  Our school supply pack option was $35 for 1st grade.  I took it. (esp after I spent more last year, when I was sure I could do better). One less kid to buy supplies for.   They do send leftover supplies home -- so yes, there are leftover. But it is not over the top extras.  (though our one set of watercolors also came home, not opened. Only K needs it, thankfully.)

 

I would ignore the "feeling" that I wasn't providing for my kids in your circumstances and send, say -- half the list. Keeping some at home to send later if a new request came asking for more.  Esp now that you have a feel for what is really needed.

[vonfirmath]

They're going to go on mission trips?!?

 

Okay, that would bug me a lot. This is a public school and they're donating their excess supplies to a religious purpose?

 

Putting aside the monetary issues of public schools requiring this stuff (which they never did when I was a kid and aren't insignificant issues besides), if there's excess, why not just carry it over until the next year? I don't get it. It's not like crayons and boxes of tissues go stale. And then you can hone your asking the following year - require a little less or focus on a material you did need and didn't have or didn't have enough of.

 

Oh, we had school supply lists when I was a kid. I remember with great fondness going to the store and grabbing school supplies at the beginning of the year.  However -- somehow my kids are not as charmed by the idea as I am.

[vonfirmath]

This is one of the things that drove me crazy. Even when we were very low income, I always supplied every required and requested item on the school supply list in the best quality available. With my oldest kids, they got to use the supplies I bought and brought some stuff home at the end of the year. Things like scissors and rulers can be reused for years. Over the years, I noticed that they started asking for more, put everything into a community pot, my kids started getting the low quality stuff instead of what I bought them, and nothing ever came home at the end of the year. I've even been told they ask for extras to make up for the kids who don't bring anything and those kids aren't always those who can't afford to buy supplies.

 

As the list gets longer and crazier, yes, more and more parents opt to not buy the list or become unable to buy the expanded list.  (or unwilling because it is blatantly obvious it is overkill)

 

I'm okay with asking for extra to make sure every kid has supplies -- so our supplies are $35 instead of the $25 someone above mentioned.. It does affect my kid if someone else in his class does not have pencil, paper, etc after all. But there is a limit even to my pocketbook's ability to expand to help others.

[vonfirmath]

That's crazy!

 

I write in pencil everyday and use the same pencil for ages!

 

I do understand needing extra pencils because of the way pencils are handled.  When a pencil breaks, it is put in the "Sharpen pencil can" and a new pencil is grabbed to keep working.  The pencils go to the front office in a teacher-labelled Ziploc baggy. Parents come in and sharpen pencils in batches.  Then put them in the teacher's box to be picked up and go back to the classroom.  SO yes, #2 pencils are shared and some extra are needed because some are out of rotation  at all times.  But beyond 1st grade, my kid has always had his own supplies and been able to keep crayons, markers, colored pencils, ruler, scissors, etc. for his own (And we still end up going through quite a few because he is somewhat absent-minded and doesn't put stuff back like he should. So they go missing between here and there and he doesn't remember where he last had them. Argh)

 

As for why specific colors of certain things: It is the teacher's effort to help the class learn to organize.  They ask the kids to bring out their BLUE notebooks for English Composition Work and the YELLOW notebook is for science. Etc.  And they ask for color then the whole class is reaching for the same thing.  The green folder with brads may be the take-home folder and the red one might be used for in class work.  Etc.

 

They don't have EVERY kid bring in Ziploc bags (one grade girls bring gallon size, boys bring quart size.  Etc) -- but I have seen quite a few come home for various reasons and I'm sure teachers also use them in the their classrooms.  Reading books come home in a Ziploc bags -- the ones they need to read for their reading circle.  You are expected to send the book, in its bag, back to school again but I'm sure some don't come back sometimes.  Teacher-made flash cards for various uses (practicing multiplication, reading words, etc) also come home in Ziploc bags. Lost teeth come home in Ziploc bags. Messy art projects come home in Ziploc bags.

Edited July 10, 2017 by vonfirmath

[happi duck]

I learned from the hive that the best cap erasers are Papermate Arrowhead. I put one on every pencil!

 

I bought a box that will last forever but recently noticed that our local Blick art supply store sells singles if anyone wanted to buy just one to try.

 

.

Edited July 10, 2017 by happi duck

[regentrude]

I do understand needing extra pencils because of the way pencils are handled.  When a pencil breaks, it is put in the "Sharpen pencil can" and a new pencil is grabbed to keep working.  The pencils go to the front office in a teacher-labelled Ziploc baggy. Parents come in and sharpen pencils in batches.  Then put them in the teacher's box to be picked up and go back to the classroom.  

 

Parents coming into the school to sharpen batches of pencils sounds absurd. Why cannot children sharpen their own pencils with their own hand held pencil sharpeners at their seats and then resume their work? 

[vonfirmath]

Parents coming into the school to sharpen batches of pencils sounds absurd. Why cannot children sharpen their own pencils with their own hand held pencil sharpeners at their seats and then resume their work? 

 

I'm not sure everyone even has a working handheld pencil sharpener -- that is not on our supply list.  But that does fill it up and lead to a lot of lead shavings. (Which if it does not have a "container" means it needs to be done over a trash can, not at the desk).  And they can be really frustrating to get to work. Esp when the lead breaks off within the sharpener (happens to me at home often enough I don't blame teachers not wanting to deal with it in the classroom with kids)

 

What typically happened was kids getting out of their seats to sharpen at the class-wide pencil sharpener.  Which leads to noise and a line at the sharpener. And it is much more straight forward to just give the kid another pencil and keep working and let volunteers do the sharpen pencils later.

 

[Bootsie]

I do understand needing extra pencils because of the way pencils are handled.  When a pencil breaks, it is put in the "Sharpen pencil can" and a new pencil is grabbed to keep working.  The pencils go to the front office in a teacher-labelled Ziploc baggy. Parents come in and sharpen pencils in batches.  Then put them in the teacher's box to be picked up and go back to the classroom.  SO yes, #2 pencils are shared and some extra are needed because some are out of rotation  at all times.  But beyond 1st grade, my kid has always had his own supplies and been able to keep crayons, markers, colored pencils, ruler, scissors, etc. for his own (And we still end up going through quite a few because he is somewhat absent-minded and doesn't put stuff back like he should. So they go missing between here and there and he doesn't remember where he last had them. Argh)

 

As for why specific colors of certain things: It is the teacher's effort to help the class learn to organize.  They ask the kids to bring out their BLUE notebooks for English Composition Work and the YELLOW notebook is for science. Etc.  And they ask for color then the whole class is reaching for the same thing.  The green folder with brads may be the take-home folder and the red one might be used for in class work.  Etc.

 

They don't have EVERY kid bring in Ziploc bags (one grade girls bring gallon size, boys bring quart size.  Etc) -- but I have seen quite a few come home for various reasons and I'm sure teachers also use them in the their classrooms.  Reading books come home in a Ziploc bags -- the ones they need to read for their reading circle.  You are expected to send the book, in its bag, back to school again but I'm sure some don't come back sometimes.  Teacher-made flash cards for various uses (practicing multiplication, reading words, etc) also come home in Ziploc bags. Lost teeth come home in Ziploc bags. Messy art projects come home in Ziploc bags.

This seems to be a very inefficient way to sharpen pencils.  A student has to walk to the "sharpen pencil can" and exchange the pencil.  The pencils have to be placed in a labelled baggy.  The baggy has to be walked to the office.  A parent has to come to the school and sharpen pencils.  The pencils have to be placed in the baggy and walked back to the classroom.  In addition to being inefficient, what does this teach?  I would much prefer students learn to take care of their supplies than be taught that new supplies magically appear.  Is the volunteer efforts of parents really based used on sharpening pencils?

[vonfirmath]

This seems to be a very inefficient way to sharpen pencils.  A student has to walk to the "sharpen pencil can" and exchange the pencil.  The pencils have to be placed in a labelled baggy.  The baggy has to be walked to the office.  A parent has to come to the school and sharpen pencils.  The pencils have to be placed in the baggy and walked back to the classroom.  In addition to being inefficient, what does this teach?  I would much prefer students learn to take care of their supplies than be taught that new supplies magically appear.  Is the volunteer efforts of parents really based used on sharpening pencils?

 

You can make ANY task sound inefficient if you use enough words ;)

 

It seems to work out well enough that all of the teachers my kids have had have chosen to use this method of getting pencils sharpened rather than letting the kids do it themselves (And it is not a school rule that they MUST do it). I expect when you are dealing with a lot of kids, the inefficiencies of having the kids do it themselves become a bigger problem than dumping unsharpened pencils into a baggy and dropping it off at the office (Teachers go there anyway everyday. To sign in. To check their boxes. To make copies/or leave stuff behind for volunteers to copy, Etc. So dropping off the pencils just becomes something you take with you when you go anyway.)

 

Parents do not come to the school JUST to sharpen one set of pencils.  There are there to do volunteer work for the school, or drop their kid off, etc and this is one of the tasks that can be done.  I go to the school to drop my kid off, wander into the office and spend a few extra minutes sharpening a bag of pencils. Then drop it into the teacher's box and head off to work. Etc.The teacher picks it up when they are in the office grabbing everything in their box.

[slackermom]

This seems to be a very inefficient way to sharpen pencils.  A student has to walk to the "sharpen pencil can" and exchange the pencil.  The pencils have to be placed in a labelled baggy.  The baggy has to be walked to the office.  A parent has to come to the school and sharpen pencils.  The pencils have to be placed in the baggy and walked back to the classroom.  In addition to being inefficient, what does this teach?  I would much prefer students learn to take care of their supplies than be taught that new supplies magically appear.  Is the volunteer efforts of parents really based used on sharpening pencils?

 

Yeah, I wonder at the idea of this pencil magic. If it is disruptive to have all the kids sharpening at will during class, it could be incorporated into the daily routine of rotating tasks. Have 2 cans of pencils near the sharpener, for sharp and dull, and once a day a kid spends a few minutes sharpening. Done. With the bonus of the kids taking responsibility for their own process. 

[Bootsie]

You can make ANY task sound inefficient if you use enough words ;)

 

It seems to work out well enough that all of the teachers my kids have had have chosen to use this method of getting pencils sharpened rather than letting the kids do it themselves (And it is not a school rule that they MUST do it). I expect when you are dealing with a lot of kids, the inefficiencies of having the kids do it themselves become a bigger problem than dumping unsharpened pencils into a baggy and dropping it off at the office 

Yes, I am sure that it works out well for the teachers.  They are putting one more task of classroom management on volunteer parents.  It is much more efficient for them to let someone else take care of it, that doesn't mean the overall process is inefficient.  I think it also removes an important part of the learning process from the children.  

[Lang Syne Boardie]

How do people think we managed our own pencils for a hundred years? Why is this the first generation that can't?

 

I understand why it's more convenient but I don't understand the choice, anyway. My parents' generation put a man on the moon despite having taken a few moments out of their learning time to tend their own pencils. My generation also managed to share one hand crank classroom sharpener in elementary classrooms with no drama.

 

This ranks up there with other expediencies of the day such as squirting the kids' hands with sanitizer, or handing out wet wipes, instead of trusting them to properly wash with soap. Or setting all the student sinks to ice cold, to save money, I guess, which leaves hand washers with chapped hands in winter and causes other students to skip hand washing. Or making a pop tart or cold cereal breakfast mandatory, when it's expensive and not nutritious.

 

~Tibbie, homeschooling for sanity since 1998

[vonfirmath]

I have seen some homeschool families say they use a similar policy -- replacing the pencils instead of sharpening right away.  So I guess I figure its a different strokes for different folks thing.  (And not yet another sign of the downfall of society)

 

There are plenty of things I don't like about schools. This is not one of them.

 

 

Edited July 10, 2017 by vonfirmath

[Annie G]

I know our schools do the communal pencil thing and I just don't really buy that students sharpening is THAT disruptive.  We just had two pencils on our desk and if one broke we picked up the other. We sharpened them as needed, usually not even every day. It just wasn't that disruptive.   Kids have dirty hands and they chew their pencils or stick them in their hair...I kind of want my kids to use their own pencils. Heck, I use my own pen when out and about- I don't use the communal pens at banks and stores. 

 

I think there's a lot to be said for kids being responsible for their own stuff.  (Now I'm really showing my age. )

[Guest]

How do people think we managed our own pencils for a hundred years? Why is this the first generation that can't?

 

I understand why it's more convenient but I don't understand the choice, anyway. My parents' generation put a man on the moon despite having taken a few moments out of their learning time to tend their own pencils. My generation also managed to share one hand crank classroom sharpener in elementary classrooms with no drama.

 

This ranks up there with other expediencies of the day such as squirting the kids' hands with sanitizer, or handing out wet wipes, instead of trusting them to properly wash with soap. Or setting all the student sinks to ice cold, to save money, I guess, which leaves hand washers with chapped hands in winter and causes other students to skip hand washing. Or making a pop tart or cold cereal breakfast mandatory, when it's expensive and not nutritious.

 

~Tibbie, homeschooling for sanity since 1998

But, education has changed. Teachers are seriously pressed to get all the daily requirements in. I'll happily sharpen pencils if it gives my kids 5 extra minutes of lunch or recess.

 

Moxie (proud homeschool drop-out since 2014)

[Bootsie]

 

 

I think there's a lot to be said for kids being responsible for their own stuff.  (Now I'm really showing my age. )

... and I have wondered why I have had students come into the college classroom expecting sharpened pencils to appear magically from somewhere so that they can take a test... Now I know where that idea has come from.

[QueenCat]

Yeah, I wonder at the idea of this pencil magic. If it is disruptive to have all the kids sharpening at will during class, it could be incorporated into the daily routine of rotating tasks. Have 2 cans of pencils near the sharpener, for sharp and dull, and once a day a kid spends a few minutes sharpening. Done. With the bonus of the kids taking responsibility for their own process. 

 

That's pretty much how it works in most of the elementary school classes that I've subbed in over the past few years.

[Dmmetler]

As a music teacher, the way I handled pencils was to have a can available for anyone who needed one (some teachers had their kids bring them, some didn't). Pencils that needed sharpened, anything that needed colored or cut out, or any other little fidgety task went into the "helper" basket along with crayons, scissors, and the little twist pencil sharpeners that kept the shavings inside. Kids who wanted to help (read as needed something to do with their hands to sit still and participate) could go and get something to do, no questions asked.

 

Not only was I never short on sharpened pencils, but my classes made a lot of folder games for the developmental preschool class :). And I made sure to recognize my "best helpers" at the end of the year awards, because almost inevitably they were the kids who struggled in most settings.

 

I will say that it helped that a good part of my class time was spent singing, and a music stand can easily hold the music for a kid who's hands are busy :).

[Arcadia]

... and I have wondered why I have had students come into the college classroom expecting sharpened pencils to appear magically from somewhere so that they can take a test... Now I know where that idea has come from.

The proctors for SAT, AP and ACT exams are supposed to bring spare pencils for the candidates. Same for the AMC (math) exams my kids took. My kids brought their own.

[winterbaby]

As for why specific colors of certain things: It is the teacher's effort to help the class learn to organize.  They ask the kids to bring out their BLUE notebooks for English Composition Work and the YELLOW notebook is for science. Etc.  And they ask for color then the whole class is reaching for the same thing.  The green folder with brads may be the take-home folder and the red one might be used for in class work.  Etc.

 

The easiest way to handle this is for the school to buy bulk packs of a single color. They cost about 25% of what you pay for an individual one at the store. Having all the parents scramble to find the right color/type out of limited local retail stock is ridiculous.

[frogger]

Parents coming into the school to sharpen batches of pencils sounds absurd. Why cannot children sharpen their own pencils with their own hand held pencil sharpeners at their seats and then resume their work?

Oh the torture! How I loved to be able to stand up and walk to the sharpener and stand and sharpen while looking out the window. I was the type of student that probably got the inefficient sharpening policy started.

Edited July 11, 2017 by frogger

[heartlikealion]

For markers I make dd (toddler) use Color Wonder. But the problem is making sure the caps get paired back with the markers and keeping them organized! I buy the Color Wonder coloring books when they are on clearance. I got some recently for 50 cents each.

 

One year MIL got us a sharpener for the wall. We didn't care for it much and didn't want to install it on the wall or other surface like desk top. During the school year ds said the class sharpener broke or they didn't have one at all and kids were supposed to use a small one at their desk. We just donated the wall mounted one and they installed that. Hopefully it worked well enough once mounted. Ds seems to have some fine motor struggles so I don't know if he'd do well with the mini sharpeners. I bought an electric one for the house after that.

[debi21]

On the pencil issue, the school list I just received (3rd grade) requires 20 mechanical pencils (.7 mm lead specified) and specifies crayola twistable colored pencils. There will be no sharpening of anything by anyone.

 

I hate mechanical pencils and just seem to break them repeatedly. Maybe I push too hard or maybe I had the too-small diameter lead?

[slackermom]

On the pencil issue, the school list I just received (3rd grade) requires 20 mechanical pencils (.7 mm lead specified) and specifies crayola twistable colored pencils. There will be no sharpening of anything by anyone.

 

I hate mechanical pencils and just seem to break them repeatedly. Maybe I push too hard or maybe I had the too-small diameter lead?

 

"There will be no sharpening of anything by anyone."  :lol: 

 

My 12 yo (who is a lefty, btw) has only used mechanical pencils for the last 4 years, and is very picky about which ones to buy, and how far out to release the lead. Apparently not all lead is created equal.

 

So, we get the good ones, and a big pack of cheap ones to "lend," knowing that they will never ever be returned. I am considering pencil labels for this year too, to put on all the good stuff.

[Carrie12345]

Since we're talking about school waste...

 

My co-op co-director found a place that "recycles" school supplies.  Teachers/schools/organizations drop off their extras and teachers/other non-profits can come in and take what they want.  Technically, it's a win/win.  Except I was absolutely shocked by some of the things that were "extras".

 

We scored a *ton* of battery circuits, complete with unopened batteries and light bulbs, and it was still probably less than 10% of the amount they had.  We were told it's too expensive to ship back and for companies to repack for future orders, so random science supplies just get dumped.

Petri dishes, pipettes, base 10 blocks, geoboards, thermometers...

We even got cases of hand sanitizer!

 

That was in addition to stuff that was obviously from individual teachers like binders, markers, paints, pipe cleaners, construction paper, etc.

 

If you can find a center, recommend it to your school! (Or use it, if it's open to you!!!)

http://www.reuseresources.org/find-a-center.html

The one we found isn't even listed on here, so I'm sure there are others.

[Zinnia]

My oldest goes to public school. Buying our supplies from school was around $135? I can do it a but cheaper, so I do, but probably likely $100. They use a big 3 inch 3 ring binder to organize the day, which is a big $25 chunk.

 

Luckily, most of the consumable stuff came home at the end of the year, and I can reuse.

[frogger]

This is reminding me of those, "Help me spend this money" threads.

[winterbaby]

My oldest goes to public school. Buying our supplies from school was around $135? I can do it a but cheaper, so I do, but probably likely $100. They use a big 3 inch 3 ring binder to organize the day, which is a big $25 chunk.

 

Luckily, most of the consumable stuff came home at the end of the year, and I can reuse.

 

Twenty five dollars for a binder?! I get mine on Amazon for like seven or eight bucks I think.

[kitten18]

On the pencil issue, the school list I just received (3rd grade) requires 20 mechanical pencils (.7 mm lead specified) and specifies crayola twistable colored pencils. There will be no sharpening of anything by anyone.

 

I hate mechanical pencils and just seem to break them repeatedly. Maybe I push too hard or maybe I had the too-small diameter lead?

My kids used to use these (they use nicer ones now that they're older). They're inexpensive, the body is durable, and I don't think they hardly ever broke a lead.

 

BIC Matic Grip Mechanical Pencil, HB NO 2, 0.7 mm, 32 Pencil https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011K05N3M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i8tzzbCNW1FZY