Ridiculous school supplies thread!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The volume of supplies is outrageous. I am the mother of a rising second grader in Richmond, Virginia. My child attends Virginia's first elementary charter school which purports to emphasize environmental stewardship. Yet they mandate throwing away thousands of slide lock plastic bags every year (for instance). I'm supposed to believe my child will use up 24 pencils and nearly 100 crayons, six 'pink pearl' erasers plus 15 pencil topper erasers, and oh so much more in one school year.

I've just completed this year's shopping which began with assembling items to be reused from last year (including pink pearl erasers since he barely used even one, folders, composition books with a few pages used, etc.) The second step is what I call "the quiet rebellion of noncompliance". I do not send in the amounts listed. I send in what he reasonably needs (and then some). This includes previously used, washed, and labeled slidelock plastic bags with my child's name on them. I send the requested classroom supplies (i.e., paper towels, tissues, etc.) but select products that are recycled and nontoxic.

I did this last year as well and added a note that I would resupply anything necessary and that I was happy to assist with needs for any child whose parents were unable to provide for him or her.

If more parents simply refused to comply with these absurd lists, change would follow. I also, via end of year survey, asked for explanation and justification for items and quantities and whether or not inventories are used. No response to that in this year's packet.

That is just disgusting... I am so thankful not to be a teacher whose to deal with nutjob parent like you...

bolded wrong sentence previously

What is disgusting? Re-using items each year? I always do this. Why buy a new ruler, pencils that are still long and with full erasers, markers, etc. if the ones from last year still have life to them? We are fortunate that our supply lists are very reasonable, but I will still re-use items that are still useable.

I was pissed to find out that the headphones that were on last years list were also used by kids who didn't have their own. When my son told me he was sharing his headphones, I had him bring them home and I disinfected them. I also told him to keep them in his backpack or cubby and not to leave them where he used to leave them. Seriously, headphones are under $10. I would have bought an extra pair if I had know there was a child in need.

NP. I think the "disgusting" was referring to sending in washed baggies that are recycled form one child as if the teacher isn't going to need those baggies for anything else except Special Student.

Do you throw out all your tupperware after you use it or do you wash it? What's the difference?

The teacher could use NEW baggies for any number of things in the classroom and for distributing things to students to take home. If pp is sending in prewashed baggies that read "Gulliver" on them in Sharpie, the teacher is limited in what she can do with those. My guess is the teacher will set those aside and forget about them, which defeats the pp's intention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids pre-k list is all cleaning supplies: no markers, no crayons, no pencils. Why can the school provide those things, but not cleaning supplies? (Or, worse, they won't be using those things?)

Don't send it in. No way do I send in cleaning supplies and things (and I'm a teacher). If the teachers at that school feel they need to provide things that run out, it's their job to approach the principal / school board with rebudgeting concerns.

Question for you classroom teacher...Do you clean your classroom? Building service vacuums, replaces paper towels, and quickly wipes the countertop once a week. I'm a classroom teacher too and clean the desks and tables in my room every single week. I always do this on Friday afternoon. This way every student starts off the week with a clean desk. The kids love having clean desks! Building service staff do not clean individual desks. Some of my colleagues clean like I do, and others never clean their students' desks. You can spot these classrooms as soon as you enter their rooms. I think that's disgusting. I feel bad for the kids in those rooms. If teachers are asking for donations such as Clorox wipes or bottles of Fantastic/409, etc., it's because they clean their classrooms. You can't order these things from the warehouse. I sincerely appreciate any donations throughout the year! I absolutely spend my own money on supplies (cleaning and otherwise) every single year. When I'm at Costco buying things in bulk, my husband always asks me why I am paying for cleaning supplies for my classroom, and I remind him that the cleaning done by building service staff is limited, and that the school does not provide these items for me. I want a clean classroom, so I clean it myself. I think it helps keep germs from spreading, and it just feels good to work in a clean space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What isn't asked for but should be - or provided!! Soap in the bathrooms. I never found soap available in any bathroom at my kids' elementary school. When I would report it to the office, they just shrugged - like oops, sorry. It just runs out so quick...

We got asked for hand soap on my list, so that's probably where they are putting it.

Having soap in the classroom makes for quick clean ups. If every one of my students had to leave the classroom to wash their hands, I would always be missing a student. Some kids just like having clean hands. I have a sink and soap in my classroom, so it's not a problem if someone wants to quickly wash their hands. Also, since there isn't always soap available in the bathrooms, the kids know they can always wash their hands in our classroom. By the way, the issue of little soap in bathrooms isn't always because building service staff aren't replacing supplies. Believe it or not, there are kids who will play around in the bathroom and waste soap...taking way too much, soaping up, and blowing bubbles on people (girls mostly), or taking way too much and throwing it directly on people (boys).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't think of anything. I order our school supplies through the PTA. It's amazing!

What is ridiculous about a pencil sharpener and some play doh?

Why can't the classroom have a pencil sharpener that the whole class uses? That worked for my kindergarten class in 1990; it should work now.

That pencil sharpener is less than $1. Everyone has one and no need to get out of your seat or stop working if your pencil breaks. I can see why a teacher would ask for this.

God forbid kids should miss 10 seconds of instruction, or burn a few calories moving from the desk to the sharpener once a day.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:for us last year (kindergarten): writing child's name on each and every pencil, crayon, and marker -- in a fine point, Sharpie

CRAZY!!!

We might be at the same school. I too thought it was crazy but the teacher was trying to theach the kids responisbility. (I asked the teacher why because I too thought it was CRAZY) So when a crayon was on the floor she could say "Larla, you dropped your crayon." I know this because my kid was the worst offender for not taking care of his supplies and then always asking for more. He did indeed learn to take better care of his supplies last year. For any parent out there that hets the request to label every pencil/marker/crayon I would suggest using reutn address labels. Print out a sheet with your child's name and then attach to the pencils. It took me less than 15min to label everything. So in this case the lesson to parents is to ask why, the lesson to teachers is to explain your reasoning so parents don't think you are crazy/greedy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone think 72 pencils per child is excessive? Can anyone help me rationalize this?

Yes, along with out 24 glue sticks.

Our school requires 25 LARGE glue sticks for first grade. Really? You want me to spend 25 bucks on glue sticks? They also want us to buy 3 reams of computer paper. So we're up to $40 now without buying any crayons, markers, pencils, scissors, folders, notebooks, tissues, etc. It's nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone think 72 pencils per child is excessive? Can anyone help me rationalize this?

Yes, along with out 24 glue sticks.

Our school requires 25 LARGE glue sticks for first grade. Really? You want me to spend 25 bucks on glue sticks? They also want us to buy 3 reams of computer paper. So we're up to $40 now without buying any crayons, markers, pencils, scissors, folders, notebooks, tissues, etc. It's nuts.

I remember a thread on here about glue sticks when someone asked "what are they doing with all these glue sticks? Eating them?" and a K teacher replied that yes.... yes she does have kids each year who try to eat a glue stick. And when she sees that happen she throws away the glue stick, so she can go through quite a lot.
Still doesn't really explain 2.5 glue sticks per month per child, but still... I thought it was a funny vision anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whatever happened to those great crank pencil sharpeners attached to the wall in the classroom? I used to love those. No need for a personal sharpener either.

Ah yes. The knuckle beater 300

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whatever happened to those great crank pencil sharpeners attached to the wall in the classroom? I used to love those. No need for a personal sharpener either.

Ah yes. The knuckle beater 300

Still there in my classroom. Eats about 1/3 of the pencil before it creates a point. Kiddos are always so bummed to see their new pencil shrink up so much. Unfortunately, this is all we have after one student out a marker in the electric sharpener and ruined it. This is 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

My school decided to ask for money instead. 40 dollars per semester. Great!! Love the idea, I don't miss going to buy the school supplies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids pre-k list is all cleaning supplies: no markers, no crayons, no pencils. Why can the school provide those things, but not cleaning supplies? (Or, worse, they won't be using those things?)

Don't send it in. No way do I send in cleaning supplies and things (and I'm a teacher). If the teachers at that school feel they need to provide things that run out, it's their job to approach the principal / school board with rebudgeting concerns.

Question for you classroom teacher...Do you clean your classroom? Building service vacuums, replaces paper towels, and quickly wipes the countertop once a week. I'm a classroom teacher too and clean the desks and tables in my room every single week. I always do this on Friday afternoon. This way every student starts off the week with a clean desk. The kids love having clean desks! Building service staff do not clean individual desks. Some of my colleagues clean like I do, and others never clean their students' desks. You can spot these classrooms as soon as you enter their rooms. I think that's disgusting. I feel bad for the kids in those rooms. If teachers are asking for donations such as Clorox wipes or bottles of Fantastic/409, etc., it's because they clean their classrooms. You can't order these things from the warehouse. I sincerely appreciate any donations throughout the year! I absolutely spend my own money on supplies (cleaning and otherwise) every single year. When I'm at Costco buying things in bulk, my husband always asks me why I am paying for cleaning supplies for my classroom, and I remind him that the cleaning done by building service staff is limited, and that the school does not provide these items for me. I want a clean classroom, so I clean it myself. I think it helps keep germs from spreading, and it just feels good to work in a clean space.

Thanks for giving the kids a nice space to work!!

[Anonymous]

I don't have examples of unusual school supplies (our school provides all the supplies), but my school does ask us for things like gently used stuffed animals and headless barbies. The stuffed animals are for the school fair, and the barbies are for a school art project. I love this, because it gets me a chance to purge!

[Anonymous]

I am OVER THE MOON this year. Our classroom list is only a backpack, water bottle, extras clothes and a set of head phones. WOO WOO!!!!!

I don't know who these teachers are (yet) but well done them for saving the old stuff from last year!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am OVER THE MOON this year. Our classroom list is only a backpack, water bottle, extras clothes and a set of head phones. WOO WOO!!!!!

I don't know who these teachers are (yet) but well done them for saving the old stuff from last year!!!!

Which school system is this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone think 72 pencils per child is excessive? Can anyone help me rationalize this?

Yes, along with out 24 glue sticks.

Our school requires 25 LARGE glue sticks for first grade. Really? You want me to spend 25 bucks on glue sticks? They also want us to buy 3 reams of computer paper. So we're up to $40 now without buying any crayons, markers, pencils, scissors, folders, notebooks, tissues, etc. It's nuts.

I send about 5 glue sticks - whatever size is a good sale and no computer paper. Public education is free. I draw the line at what is reasonable (pencils, 24 crayons, scissors, reasonable amount of glue) Baby wipes, ziploc bags, special black Flair markers, copy machine/computer paper - NO! If your school is asking for a ton of supplies, they are spending their building budget on other things that does not go directly towards classroom experiences and that is not the intention of the building budget.