What is the deal with back to school kits?

[Anonymous]

Our teachers put out a list at bts night for parents to sign up. I sign up for 2-3 things.
I remember my mom doing this as a kid. It's not new. Nor is it just DC area.

[Anonymous]

While I am fine with buying kits I just checked on the kit that was $40 last year for K (according to the school's website) is now $62 (according to the edukit website).

More than a 50% increase. That is nuts. And no $62 will not impact my family negatively, I am juts saying. That is some increase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD's school has 5 reams of copy paper on each grader's supply list. Ummmmm. No! That's the school's job to provide.

But what if the school doesn't provide it? And the parents all think like you?

Seriously. So tired of free loaders. And to the mom who doesn't "believe" in hand sanitizer...do you think the teacher will send your special snowflake to wash his hands (remember, it has to be at least 30 seconds to be thorough) while all the other children line up for sanitizer or do you think she will just have him skip the sanitizer and have dirty hands? There is no time for 30+ kids to correctly wash their hands several times each day.

Why the hell do kids need to wash their hands several times a day? I never washed my hands with anything but water as a kid because I hated industrial soap. If my kid washes their hands before lunch that's plenty. Hand sanitizer kills good bacteria.

[Anonymous]

For 100 years plus, and up until about a decade ago, families, no matter what their income level, always provided their own school supplies for their kids. That's always how it worked. And, in many places, that is still how it works. And I'm saying that as someone who was a FARMS student myself. When I was growing up we still had to supply our own paper, pencils, et cetera.

Why is it suddenly now a big huge problem, and why are parents who want to keep doing that suddenly being demonized as obsessive weirdos and control freaks?

Makes zero sense.

[Anonymous]

I don't mind buying Lysol wipes, kleenex, dry erase markers, etc... for the teachers throughout the year.

But I won't buy the kits. The quality of the supplies they put into those kits is horrible. The notebooks, folders, pencils, and glue sticks are all the cheap, flimsy options at Staples.

I'd rather suck it up and deal with the crowds at the big box stores to get Mead, Crayola, Elmers and other more durable brands, even if they do get pooled. There has to be working markers somewhere in the box!

[Anonymous]

I have a different sort of a question. I did not buy the kit. It isn't about the money. I also don't plan to put his name. DS is the only child and I want to have fun going to the stores and buying supplies. I think it would be a fun activity.

So do I just drop off all the supplies on the first day of the school? I don't mind it, I just don't know if that's the norm.

Also how much will the teachers hate me for not buying the kit itself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a different sort of a question. I did not buy the kit. It isn't about the money. I also don't plan to put his name. DS is the only child and I want to have fun going to the stores and buying supplies. I think it would be a fun activity.

So do I just drop off all the supplies on the first day of the school? I don't mind it, I just don't know if that's the norm.

Also how much will the teachers hate me for not buying the kit itself?

At our school the kids and parents are invited to meet the teacher and visit the classroom a few days before school starts. The kits are waiting for those who ordered them (although this year the kits are being mailed to homes), and those who didn't buy the kits can bring their supplies then. The parents and kids go through the supplies and put them in the appropriate bins and a few things in the child's assigned desk. I think the teachers couldn't care less whether you get the kit, but there are suggested brands of some items to maintain uniformity.

I've noticed some pps complaining about the quality of supplies in their kits, but for the past 4 years the kits for my kids' classes have all contained high quality items. I guess it's dependent on the school/PTA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a different sort of a question. I did not buy the kit. It isn't about the money. I also don't plan to put his name. DS is the only child and I want to have fun going to the stores and buying supplies. I think it would be a fun activity.

So do I just drop off all the supplies on the first day of the school? I don't mind it, I just don't know if that's the norm.

Also how much will the teachers hate me for not buying the kit itself?

At our school the kids and parents are invited to meet the teacher and visit the classroom a few days before school starts. The kits are waiting for those who ordered them (although this year the kits are being mailed to homes), and those who didn't buy the kits can bring their supplies then. The parents and kids go through the supplies and put them in the appropriate bins and a few things in the child's assigned desk. I think the teachers couldn't care less whether you get the kit, but there are suggested brands of some items to maintain uniformity.

I've noticed some pps complaining about the quality of supplies in their kits, but for the past 4 years the kits for my kids' classes have all contained high quality items. I guess it's dependent on the school/PTA.

I am 19:08. Thanks. I plan to buy the brands suggested in the list. So no issues there.

DS will go to Arlington Science Focus School. Don't know about the meeting with the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD's school has 5 reams of copy paper on each grader's supply list. Ummmmm. No! That's the school's job to provide.

But what if the school doesn't provide it? And the parents all think like you?

Seriously. So tired of free loaders. And to the mom who doesn't "believe" in hand sanitizer...do you think the teacher will send your special snowflake to wash his hands (remember, it has to be at least 30 seconds to be thorough) while all the other children line up for sanitizer or do you think she will just have him skip the sanitizer and have dirty hands? There is no time for 30+ kids to correctly wash their hands several times each day.

Lazy. I absolutely refuse to by hand sanitizer. It will NEVER be in my house or car. I get terrible migraines and the smell does me in. My kid can use soap and water which is far better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD's school has 5 reams of copy paper on each grader's supply list. Ummmmm. No! That's the school's job to provide.

But what if the school doesn't provide it? And the parents all think like you?

If the school doesn't provide copy paper then the school is not fulfilling it's state law required duty the provide basic education and parents can sure just like in Washington state.

The court set the goal two years ago when it correctly ruled in McCleary v. State of Washington that the Legislature was underfunding basic education. Lawmakers have begun a most-needed debate on school funding, already budgeting $1 billion in additional K-12 money. For too long, they have shorted education in all its forms, and they have spent the state’s money where the special interests were the noisiest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For 100 years plus, and up until about a decade ago, families, no matter what their income level, always provided their own school supplies for their kids. That's always how it worked. And, in many places, that is still how it works. And I'm saying that as someone who was a FARMS student myself. When I was growing up we still had to supply our own paper, pencils, et cetera.

Why is it suddenly now a big huge problem, and why are parents who want to keep doing that suddenly being demonized as obsessive weirdos and control freaks?

Makes zero sense.

Because school have gotten unreasonable about what they "require." It used to be a few pencils, pens, Elmer's glue, folder, crayons, ruler, notebook. Now it's 50 pencils, 10 colored pencils, 10 fat markets, 2 red pens, 5 dry erase markers, 2 flair black pans, 50 crayons, 2 pink erasers, 25 glue sticks, pencil box, tissues, hand sanitizer, clip board, ruler, 2 sharpies, baby wipes, scissors, composition book, post-it notes, and USB drive.

[Anonymous]

oh... ^^^^ AND and check for $35

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD's school has 5 reams of copy paper on each grader's supply list. Ummmmm. No! That's the school's job to provide.

But what if the school doesn't provide it? And the parents all think like you?

Seriously. So tired of free loaders. And to the mom who doesn't "believe" in hand sanitizer...do you think the teacher will send your special snowflake to wash his hands (remember, it has to be at least 30 seconds to be thorough) while all the other children line up for sanitizer or do you think she will just have him skip the sanitizer and have dirty hands? There is no time for 30+ kids to correctly wash their hands several times each day.

Lazy. I absolutely refuse to by hand sanitizer. It will NEVER be in my house or car. I get terrible migraines and the smell does me in. My kid can use soap and water which is far better.

So, a class of 25 kids, 24 of them use hand sanitizer in the line before lunch, and you want the teacher to accommodate your child going off to wash their hands with soap and water? Whether or not that's what you think should happen, it's very unlikely that that's what actually will happen. I don't like hand sanitizer either, but my children use it at school. If you want to have 100% control over what your school-aged child does all day, you have to homeschool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't mind buying Lysol wipes, kleenex, dry erase markers, etc... for the teachers throughout the year.

But I won't buy the kits. The quality of the supplies they put into those kits is horrible. The notebooks, folders, pencils, and glue sticks are all the cheap, flimsy options at Staples.

I'd rather suck it up and deal with the crowds at the big box stores to get Mead, Crayola, Elmers and other more durable brands, even if they do get pooled. There has to be working markers somewhere in the box!

Our PTA does their own kits- so they control the quality. They just buy in bulk and get really good deals. Some of which are passed to the parents the rest is the fund raising part. In the years we have been at ES, I never found the required things on my own to be cheaper than the PTA supplied kits. They have been doing for 10+ years and have it down pat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While I am fine with buying kits I just checked on the kit that was $40 last year for K (according to the school's website) is now $62 (according to the edukit website).

More than a 50% increase. That is nuts. And no $62 will not impact my family negatively, I am juts saying. That is some increase.

What on earth is in that kit? Here's the K list from my school (which does not sell kits). I guess ~$20 for all of this:

Marble composition book
Expo Markers
Crayola washable markers
Several glue sticks
(2) Boxes of 24 Crayola crayons
#2 pencils (several)