Anonymous
Post 01/21/2026 07:38     Subject: Classroom valentines
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It doesn't matter. The junk is all going into the trash as soon as it gets home. The only things we don't toss are the snacks they might eat later or throw in the lunch, like the fruit cups.


Why would you toss pencils, play dough, stickers? A small pink plastics heart person sure...but there are things that are not trash.


Because the pencils are trash with erasers that don’t even work. Junk, all of it.


It’s not just that the erasers don’t work, the leads are often broken and the plastic wrapping messes up the pencil sharpener.


Lol, true. It’s hard to imagine something so simple can go so wrong. But these cheap pencils have found a way to be completely useless. And they come to the house in droves as if the people pushing them have never attempted to use even one.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2026 07:35     Subject: Classroom valentines
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It doesn't matter. The junk is all going into the trash as soon as it gets home. The only things we don't toss are the snacks they might eat later or throw in the lunch, like the fruit cups.


Why would you toss pencils, play dough, stickers? A small pink plastics heart person sure...but there are things that are not trash.


Because the pencils are trash with erasers that don’t even work. Junk, all of it.


It’s not just that the erasers don’t work, the leads are often broken and the plastic wrapping messes up the pencil sharpener.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2026 07:33     Subject: Classroom valentines
Are kids really coming home with 28 pieces of junk or 28 candies? Or some of each adding to 28?

When my kids were in elementary a few parents sent a lollipop or a pencil that didn’t work, but the vast majority just sent paper cards. Are paper cards really not allowed now? I have kids in middle school so it’s not like I am talking about ancient times.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2026 07:30     Subject: Classroom valentines
My kids just write their name on a blank card and they go to a random kid. Even the card is pretty useless.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2026 07:30     Subject: Classroom valentines
Anonymous wrote:JUST. GET. CANDY.


Not allowed.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2026 07:23     Subject: Classroom valentines
What is a sticky heart?
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2026 07:19     Subject: Classroom valentines
Anonymous wrote:Speaking as an elementary school teacher, please do not do those sticky hearts! They inevitably get lost or crushed in the excitement of the party, and then the teacher has to clean it up.


As an elementary teacher, why don’t you just tell parents cards only? I think all parents would rejoice and less mess for you. It’s so unnecessary and wasteful to keep buying and giving kids the same junk year after year. But parents feel like they are obligated to do this- so please just tell parents cards only.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2026 06:57     Subject: Re:Classroom valentines
My kid is in 8th grade. He never used the pencils or erasers or any of that, I donated a drawer full of pencils and erasers. Maybe some kids use them but mine did not.

The origami paper and small candies were used, pretty much everything else went in the trash or sat unused and went in the trash. He did paper airplane valentines and the slap bracelets, those seem to be ok.

Happy to be past this stage. It is one thing I don’t miss.
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 22:45     Subject: Classroom valentines
Anonymous wrote:When I was a kid everyone just did valentines. A few kids would also do some candy but it was not a candy-centric holiday. You'd get 20 valentines from classmates plus maybe a handful of chocolate and candy hearts. No plastic junk, and no giant bag of 20 kinds of candy or junk food.

My favorite part of valentines day when I was in elementary was making our "mailboxes" out of shue boxes or tissue boxes. And then "delivering" out valentines to each kid in class.

I always thought of it as a paper holiday, where you exchange notes and cards.


Yes, I loved this!! We made the mailboxes at school.

My kids' school still does the mailboxes, by the way, but the kids have to make them at home and bring them in. Even my 6th grader made one last year. It's a great tradition!
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 22:39     Subject: Classroom valentines
JUST. GET. CANDY.
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 21:38     Subject: Classroom valentines
Anonymous wrote:This is the same kind of junk that's in birthday goodie bags.


so candy instead?
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 20:56     Subject: Classroom valentines
Anonymous wrote:This is the same kind of junk that's in birthday goodie bags.


+1 this is why China now owns many of our best companies. What a sad trade we made.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 20:09     Subject: Classroom valentines
This is the same kind of junk that's in birthday goodie bags.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 15:22     Subject: Classroom valentines
I’m a guru at this: small dig hearts with gemstones kit, mini canvas w paint, mini volcano experiment all on Amazon for less than 20$
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 08:24     Subject: Classroom valentines
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It doesn't matter. The junk is all going into the trash as soon as it gets home. The only things we don't toss are the snacks they might eat later or throw in the lunch, like the fruit cups.


Why would you toss pencils, play dough, stickers? A small pink plastics heart person sure...but there are things that are not trash.


Because the pencils are trash with erasers that don’t even work. Junk, all of it.