Anyone else get annoyed.. (School Supplies)

[MouseLover]

The really pretty glittery pencils tear up my pencil sharpener, so I no longer allow them. If a child brings it, I tell them to take that one home and use it to do homework with. Some of the character pencils also tear up my sharpener, and some don't. It depends on how thick the paint/plastic coating is on the pencils. I tried letting kids keep a small pencil sharpener in their supply box to sharpen these, but it ended up just leaving a mess of shavings on the desks & floor.


Also, don't most of your schools get donated supplies for children in need? Local churches always collect supplies & donate to our school. Also, we have "Stuff the Bus" around here at local Walmart & other stores. Shoppers in Walmart (who are willing) buy extra supplies to donate. Then those supplies are donated to area schools.

Yesterday, I was in Dollar General and they are collecting donated boxes of cereal, cereal bars, poptarts, etc for needy kids breakfast. DG will forward donated items to the local food bank to be distributed. Everywhere I look lately people are collecting things.

 

[Aliceacc]

OK, so as I understand it, here's the deal:

Lots of people here want to buy the expensive ($0.22 at Target on sale) Crayola crayons for their own kids, but would buy the cheapo ($0.17 at Target on sale) Rose Art crayons if they're going to be pooled.

But, if their child somehow loses or breaks a crayon, the teacher is supposed to have a supply (not a stockpile, because that would be stealing) of the good supplies for their child (but presumably the cheap supplies for the other childen) as a replacement?

Is that pretty much it?

Two thoughts:
a) I'm very glad I teach high school, not elementary (and for the record, I have a bucket on my desk with spare pens and pencils. Anyone who needs one, whether or not I teach that child, is free to help him or herself. After we run out of the ones I supply, I pick up spares that are left behind at the end of the day.)
b) No wonder American education is in the state it's in.

 

[noodleknitter]

Two thoughts:
a) I'm very glad I teach high school, not elementary (and for the record, I have a bucket on my desk with spare pens and pencils. Anyone who needs one, whether or not I teach that child, is free to help him or herself. After we run out of the ones I supply, I pick up spares that are left behind at the end of the day.)
b) No wonder American education is in the state it's in.

Well, at least you have that tax deduction! j/k!

I always thought it was just our pencil sharpener(s) that have issues like that!

BBBlues, she was incredulous when she found out. She is the nicest person and her husband is the high school principal, but she is now giving parent's the information for the Virtual Academy when they complain about the schools. Not out of snottiness, but to be helpful.

 

[TwinsinCA]

Where did the extras come from?

I didn't ask. Donations and her own pocket I presume. She had a "wish list" at the beginning of the year that was voluntary. Some supplies (scissors for sure ) probably carried over from other years. I know that one day I was in class and she was lamenting that her order for glue sticks got messed up. I went a little nuts at Target when they had the Elmer's 2 packs for 20 cents before school had started and still had more than I care to admit at home. So I brought 20-30 in. My daughters each had their own at their desk, but I was happy to bring in extras. I think a lot of parents are willing to help if given the choice.

 

[Nancyg56]

OK, so as I understand it, here's the deal:

Lots of people here want to buy the expensive ($0.22 at Target on sale) Crayola crayons for their own kids, but would buy the cheapo ($0.17 at Target on sale) Rose Art crayons if they're going to be pooled.

But, if their child somehow loses or breaks a crayon, the teacher is supposed to have a supply (not a stockpile, because that would be stealing) of the good supplies for their child (but presumably the cheap supplies for the other childen) as a replacement?

Is that pretty much it?

Two thoughts:
a) I'm very glad I teach high school, not elementary (and for the record, I have a bucket on my desk with spare pens and pencils. Anyone who needs one, whether or not I teach that child, is free to help him or herself. After we run out of the ones I supply, I pick up spares that are left behind at the end of the day.)
b) No wonder American education is in the state it's in.

Your post explains why I am so puzzled by the drama over crayons and #2 pencils.

 

[TwinsinCA]

OK, so as I understand it, here's the deal:

Lots of people here want to buy the expensive ($0.22 at Target on sale) Crayola crayons for their own kids, but would buy the cheapo ($0.17 at Target on sale) Rose Art crayons if they're going to be pooled.

But, if their child somehow loses or breaks a crayon, the teacher is supposed to have a supply (not a stockpile, because that would be stealing) of the good supplies for their child (but presumably the cheap supplies for the other childen) as a replacement?

Is that pretty much it?.

Speaking only for myself. I won't buy Roseart anything -- pooled or not. But if they are pooled I am buying the 25 cent box of Crayola and NOT the $3-4 pack of twistables (which I started buying mid way through first grade).

I ask my daughters regularly how they are doing for supplies. I bring in sharpened pencils nearly every week and they bring the dull ones home so they don't often have to take class time to sharpen them. If they break a crayon (they have never lost one at school, but they did break before we switched to twistables) they tell me and I send a replacement of that color. I certainly do NOT expect the teacher to replace it. If they have to borrow a crayon before they let me know to send a replacement then they get what they get.

Ever since 1st grade my daughters have had a desk and their own supplies. The 'pooling' issue has not come up for me, but I understand the frustration. Parents are being asked to bring more supplies than their child is reasonably going to use for the year in order to pick up the slack for those who bring nothing at all. And if other parents bring another brand, then their child might get stuck using that when they spend the extra money on better supplies. I wouldn't lose sleep over it, but it would irk me.

This is a discussion board and and people are simply discussing an issue. It doesn't mean that it is the focus of all their energy and it is consuming their lives. I think some people are unfairly making that leap based on some comments. What is so wrong with discussing this? It is interesting to me to hear how other schools do things.

 

[firstfamilytrip]

Pooling doesn't teach the kids to share. Allowing them the opportunity to share on their own would be better.

Having an abundance of supplies available to replace what's lost isn't teaching personal responsiblity either. When I was in school we had 1 thing of glue, 1 box of crayons, 1 pair of scissors and a box of pencils in a pencil box. That was our responsibility to keep track of it. We all knew it was our responsibility and we took care of it. My kids think that their teachers cabinets are a never ending supply of school stuff. They never even put two and two together that it was the stuff we sent in at the start of the year.

I was glad to see the name brands for nonschool(paper towels, baggies, purell etc. ) items drop off our school list this year. I haven't worked since I had my first child. That was our decision and it comes with trade offs. One of those is I buy generic tissues, baggies etc for our home. I was very upset when my supplies were sent back home one year asking for the name brand stuff. I was told they asked for name brands because they are stronger. Times 2 kids in my family that made me spend an additional $30 on stuff versus the generic. Multiply that times the whole school and that's a lot of money that we could have sent into the school to buy new books or something else they needed. I sure was glad when my son brought his six sight words home that were printed and cut out of regular paper, in his Ziploc baggie each week. I could see why they needed the stronger bags.

I was able to send in some extra supplies that I got good deals on at our Open House the other night. I helped in the way that we could within our means. The teachers were very appreciative and I felt better about it because I did it on my own and was not forced to do it.

 

[firstfamilytrip]

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[Tiffany_MommyOf3]

Actually, the Crayola's dont cost $0.22 they are over $2 per box!!! The nonwashables are $0.22 but Id rather spend the extra money and spare my sons wardrobe. After I pay $40 for a pair of jean, I want those jeans to last until he outgrows them and maybe be handed down to the next boy if it suits his style.

 

[noodleknitter]

I've never had crayon stained clothes. Is this a new thing imagined by crayola to sell crayons or do people really have a problem with it?

 

[jinia]

I've never had crayon stained clothes. Is this a new thing imagined by crayola to sell crayons or do people really have a problem with it?

Just thinking the same thing!!!!!!!

 

[noodleknitter]

Just thinking the same thing!!!!!!!

I'v got 5 kids ranging from 9 to 24. Never once did I have a problem with crayon stains on anything but the car upholstery. And that was a whole box that melted!

 

[Tiffany_MommyOf3]

I don't know. Maybe my kids are wild but my son has come home from MIL's after using her non washable crayola crayons and I have had a nice dark blue stain on a pink shirt. Seriously, it did come out after I stood there and scrubbed for like 30 minutes, but with 4 kids ages 5 and under, I dont have time to scrub stains every night, kwim?

 

[noodleknitter]

Fair enough!

 

[rt2dz]

OK, so as I understand it, here's the deal:

Lots of people here want to buy the expensive ($0.22 at Target on sale) Crayola crayons for their own kids, but would buy the cheapo ($0.17 at Target on sale) Rose Art crayons if they're going to be pooled.

But, if their child somehow loses or breaks a crayon, the teacher is supposed to have a supply (not a stockpile, because that would be stealing) of the good supplies for their child (but presumably the cheap supplies for the other childen) as a replacement?

Is that pretty much it?

No.

Most the parents are annoyed that they are expected to send in 2x-5x the amount of supplies that are needed for their child to cover extras that never come back home. Especially when it costs over $100 per child.

Some parents are upset that things that come home are not what they send in, and are of poorer quality.

Parents don't think teachers should supply the supplies, but neither should parents supply the supplies beyond their own child. Parents feel that a teacher should have a wish list/make a request for extras. Then those who aren't struggling can decide if they think they should give. Most would, but they would prefer to be asked rather than have a demand made of them.

 

[noodleknitter]

Did someone actually post that they had $100 in supplies that were totally to share? I missed that. I thought the only thing that takes it that high is the calculator, and that was a personal item.

I don't see how anyone can buy that many packs of crayons, notepaper, glue sticks and wipies.

 

[Tiffany_MommyOf3]

I've spent over $60 on totally shared supplies. This is NOT including his pencil box, all the supplies Im sending that I say wont be shared, his backpack, lunch box, all of those type things. Im only counting the stuff that will be shared 100%. I seriously must have just funded 5 kids LOL Ive never spent so much money on glue alone - over $15 on friggen glue sticks lol

 

[Lilogirl]

Yes, someone did post they spent $100.00 for shared supplies.

Yes, I get annoyed. And I don't think it is over "crayons" as suggested by another poster. For example, I spent over $100.00 for school supplies for 1st grade. I was told each student NEEDED everything on the list, so I bought exactly (brand, size etc) what was on the list. Took all the supplies to school and never saw them again. I still had to buy more pencils for my child (homework each day to sharpen xx number of pencils, and even though I bought HUNDREDS of pencils and gave them to the school, they were never sent home for sharpening). Every week a new request for "more" was sent home. Each student NEEDED 10 boxes of a specific box of tissue. And I watched the staff fill a storeroom with the supplies brought in.

 

[J3nn78]

I've spent over $60 on totally shared supplies. This is NOT including his pencil box, all the supplies Im sending that I say wont be shared, his backpack, lunch box, all of those type things. Im only counting the stuff that will be shared 100%. I seriously must have just funded 5 kids LOL Ive never spent so much money on glue alone - over $15 on friggen glue sticks lol

How many glue sticks did you buy? They are only $0.20 at my walmart for Elmers?

I supply my whole class of 30 with 4 glue sticks each to be used throughout the year for less than you say you spent?

I guess I grew up odd too, because I reused my backpack and lunchbox every year. I maybe had 3-4 of each throughout 13 years of school.

 

[rt2dz]

Did someone actually post that they had $100 in supplies that were totally to share? I missed that. I thought the only thing that takes it that high is the calculator, and that was a personal item.

I don't see how anyone can buy that many packs of crayons, notepaper, glue sticks and wipies.

A few people did, myself included.

I'm not "allowed" to send in those $0.22 boxes of crayons. We MUST send in the washables at an odd number over $2.50 a box, and we MUST send in 14 boxes of them. That alone is over $35. That doesn't count the 8 bottles of large glue (also NOT on sale) or the 15 glue sticks, an expensive brand that is NOT on sale that is REQUIRED. Have you checked the price of packages (not singles) dry erase markers--which the required brand is (again) NOT on sales--that I am REQUIRED to send in 3 packages of? Those 3 reams of printer paper is $15. Then there are the pencils that if my child uses one every two days should still have left overs of, and the 8 folders, and the three 3-ring binders (that are $5 each). And the several packages of 150 count baby wipes. And the 5 boxes of Kleenex that must be anti-bacterial (which, really, I would do anyhow). Then there is the $18 notebooks, yes $18, special notebooks that I must supply two of. I haven't even gotten through half the list.

Do you understand why I would want my unused supplies back? They aren't even being used and I could send them in the next year. Plus, that much money is ridiculous on elementary school supplies. Wouldn't you be annoyed? Come to think of it, maybe the teachers should be spending their own money on them so they can figure out that it shouldn't be required!! There are 25 kids in each class. So, each class has 375 glue sticks at their disposal each year. Is that necessary?