School supplies: how do I know what to put DC’s name on?

[Anonymous]

This is probably the dumbest My First Kid is Going To Kindergarten question ever, but: I know some of the school supplies are just for DC, and some are communal. I assume I should label the stuff that’s just for my kid, and that it’s completely irrelevant to label stiff that’s going into the classroom pool. But I don’t know which is which! This is in APS if it matters.

[Anonymous]

Do you have a sneak peek? Ask the teacher then. It can vary by school, grade level and even specific classroom. Last year my son was in K in MCPS and the teacher had all supplies be communal but we could put some supplies like pencils, crayons and scissors in a labeled pencil box if our kid preferred that, which he did.

[Anonymous]

I label everything - I use a fine tipped permanent marker on pencils and markers and use preprinted labels on folders, composition books and other stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I label everything - I use a fine tipped permanent marker on pencils and markers and use preprinted labels on folders, composition books and other stuff.

What school system allows this for early grades?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I label everything - I use a fine tipped permanent marker on pencils and markers and use preprinted labels on folders, composition books and other stuff.

What school system allows this for early grades?

I did the same thing. 1st grade. Montgomery.

[Anonymous]

I used to teach first grade and I actually labeled everything because I hated communal supplies in elementary school. Growing up I was in a class several times with kids who chewed pencils, other kids who liked to take the wrappers off the crayons and snap them in half, etc. So when I became a teacher Every kid had a number and I wrote numbers on all the crayons, pencils, etc. It was easy to see who left crayons or pencils on the floor, who didn't take care of their scissors, etc. I think it teaches responsibility because they have to take care of their supplies. When kids have communal supplies there isn't tha sense of respondibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to teach first grade and I actually labeled everything because I hated communal supplies in elementary school. Growing up I was in a class several times with kids who chewed pencils, other kids who liked to take the wrappers off the crayons and snap them in half, etc. So when I became a teacher Every kid had a number and I wrote numbers on all the crayons, pencils, etc. It was easy to see who left crayons or pencils on the floor, who didn't take care of their scissors, etc. I think it teaches responsibility because they have to take care of their supplies. When kids have communal supplies there isn't tha sense of respondibility.

You wrote a number on every single crayon? Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to teach first grade and I actually labeled everything because I hated communal supplies in elementary school. Growing up I was in a class several times with kids who chewed pencils, other kids who liked to take the wrappers off the crayons and snap them in half, etc. So when I became a teacher Every kid had a number and I wrote numbers on all the crayons, pencils, etc. It was easy to see who left crayons or pencils on the floor, who didn't take care of their scissors, etc. I think it teaches responsibility because they have to take care of their supplies. When kids have communal supplies there isn't tha sense of respondibility.

You wrote a number on every single crayon? Wow.

I put my child's name on every single pencil, marker, crayon and colored pencil. It didn't take long.

[Anonymous]

They are having us bring in 3 boxes of crayons, box of markers, box of #2 pencils, cannot imagine labeling all that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to teach first grade and I actually labeled everything because I hated communal supplies in elementary school. Growing up I was in a class several times with kids who chewed pencils, other kids who liked to take the wrappers off the crayons and snap them in half, etc. So when I became a teacher Every kid had a number and I wrote numbers on all the crayons, pencils, etc. It was easy to see who left crayons or pencils on the floor, who didn't take care of their scissors, etc. I think it teaches responsibility because they have to take care of their supplies. When kids have communal supplies there isn't tha sense of respondibility.

You wrote a number on every single crayon? Wow.

I put my child's name on every single pencil, marker, crayon and colored pencil. It didn't take long.

That's nice, but the post I responded to was a TEACHER saying she wrote a number on every single crayon, pencil, etc. That's unreal. If the kids get the 24 pack crayons (and many get a bigger pack) and there is 24 kids in the class that's 576 crayons, if they get the 12 pack of pencils that's 288 pencils, and she's writing a little bitty number on each one. Like I said. Wow.

[Anonymous]

LOL. Kindergarten teacher, here. You can label all you want but everything is communal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL. Kindergarten teacher, here. You can label all you want but everything is communal.

This, and please tell your child. We didn’t think to have a specific conversation about sharing school supplies with our oldest and he was so upset when he found out they were communal. He didn’t mind sharing in general but was excited to have his shiny new school supplies all to himself and devastated when they got dumped in with everyone else. In later years he sat down his younger siblings to gently tell them this would happen before each started K. It was cute but eye opening to us on how big an impression it made.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I label everything - I use a fine tipped permanent marker on pencils and markers and use preprinted labels on folders, composition books and other stuff.

What school system allows this for early grades?

I donate tons of extra supplies to the classroom for other kids. I want my child to have their own stuff so I do every single one - colds/flu's/germs pass more quickly with everything shared as they aren't cleaned and why should my child have to deal with another child's chewed up pencil when I sent plenty for the school year so they will always have a good pencil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL. Kindergarten teacher, here. You can label all you want but everything is communal.

Then, let us know as you'll get only the cheap stuff. And, don't complain when my child is constantly out sick as you don't clean the supplies or your classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are having us bring in 3 boxes of crayons, box of markers, box of #2 pencils, cannot imagine labeling all that

I have done labels in the past but did a fine tipped marker this year and it worked well. Better pencils (mechanical) got labels.