Do you supply the supplies or does the school?

[RCT]

ok, I had my doubts about this year round schooling...and the district we are in...but after talking with other parents...including you all here ;) I have come to find out how good this school is...

do you supply your kids supplies or does the school?

when we were in CNY we had to purchase everything...it was a huge list of things each year that the children needed.....

Here, I asked each teacher what they needed...if there was a supply list....they said no....an extra pencil every now and again....oh a box of kleenex for each was all that was required....:happydnc: that was easy...even the kindergardeners are provided with supplies....I am impressed....

so what about you all....am I the only one who is stunned that I don't have to supply everything? is this common...are we just lucky....

[darlene]

We supply it all here. The kids list are each a page long. I am a miser though and have them reuse anything they can from last year...scissors, binders, pencil crayons, calculators etc.

Each school district is different though...I know my sil just sends $20 and the school then has everything ready for the kids on the first day of school.

:)

[AnnW]

At the elementary school, we write a check in the spring and then all the supplies for the year are waiting for them when the arrive in August.
Middle school, we buy them..just did yesterday.

[KarlaB]

We supply them here. Ds's list for kindergarten was pretty small, but other grades have to buy more.

[MaryL]

At my school you supply your own stuff (or pre-order it through a school supply company if you prefer). I think it depends on each individual school/school district.

[JAK]

We have supply MORE than I think we should have to. Last year (for example) each of my dks had to bring in 3-4 bottles of glue (each child) and then a lot of glue sticks. They actually used the glue sticks and each said they only used glue a few times. I'm wondering where all those extra bottles of glue are!

[Linda/NE]

We supply the bulk of the supplies for school but we are to label them with the kids' names. Except for big boxes of kleenex, each child uses their own supplies. When they run out of paper or whatever they have to bring more.

One school the boys went to asked for one bottle of glue then the school filled them as the year went on.

[kat]

Parents supply things here. More and more schools are moving toward putting together supply kits which the parents purchase. That's what we do at the kdg. That way we buy in bulk from the co-op, we get exactly the brands we like, and parents don't have to go all over and wonder if they bought the right thing.

I'm picky. I like my students to have Elmer's glue and glue sticks, Crayola crayons, and Fiskers scissors. I also prefer the better quality construction paper you can't get at Wal-mart.

I know that alot of parents make school supply shopping an outing and some still prefer to get an itemized list and take the kids shopping for their supplies. More so with the little ones.

[Diane]

We always had to purchase our own school supplies. I think it would be a great idea if all we had to do was write out a check... it sure would save a lot of running around looking all over the place for everything. I always hated that.... and then to find out that half of what you are looking for is sold out. Ugh... 8o LOL

Diane... :wave:

[lindaM]

We have to supply things here. However no one tells you this. So when ds went to 1st and 2nd grade I had no clue till he came home from school

[angie r]

We pay book fees of around $100 and buy around $20 of school supplies.

[bizymum]

The school gives us a list of things to buy at the end of the year.
I still have to go out and get it all...

[AnnW]

Angie, you have to pay for your books? Is this private school?

[angie r]

Originally posted by AnnW
Angie, you have to pay for your books? Is this private school?

No, it's public. So on top of our property taxes, book fees and school supplies why is it that we still have to "fund raise?"

[AnnW]

That's amazing! Have you asked your school board why you have to pay for all that?

[MaryL]

Originally posted by kat


I'm picky. I like my students to have Elmer's glue and glue sticks, Crayola crayons, and Fiskers scissors. I also prefer the better quality construction paper you can't get at Wal-mart.



Amen, sister!!!!!!;) :) I'm totally with you on this one!

[MaryL]

Originally posted by angie r
We pay book fees of around $100 and buy around $20 of school supplies.

Wow...that is surprising since your dks go to a public school. We have a book fee at our school of $160...which pays for books, paper, consumable workbooks, art supplies, AND field trips. My school is a private (parochial) school, though. Paying book fees is the "norm" at this type of school.

[Marla]

Originally posted by AnnW
At the elementary school, we write a check in the spring and then all the supplies for the year are waiting for them when the arrive in August.



Ann, I think this is a great idea. Do all the students put an order in? Is it mandatory?

We get a list at the end of the year and have to send it on the first day of school

[AnnW]

Originally posted by Marla


Ann, I think this is a great idea. Do all the students put an order in? Is it mandatory?

We get a list at the end of the year and have to send it on the first day of school


It started out as a fund raiser for the PTA, but now they just do it as a service. It's not mandatory. I think they almost 100% participation. I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't. The kids always get so excited on "meet the teacher" day when they see their desk with all their stuff.

[vea29]

Ususally around here you get a list from the teacher on the first day of class...It was so fustrating because everyone is in the store that first night!!! CVS was trashed last year on the first day. I really like the idea that you just write the check and the school orders it for you.... That sounds so much easier!

[angie r]

Originally posted by AnnW
That's amazing! Have you asked your school board why you have to pay for all that?

I've never heard of it being different than what we do so I never thought to question it!

[Lynda-WA]

In CA, the school provided the supplies for the most part. The list was very small, less then 5 items. A box of crayons for community supplies and a 3 ring binder for their poems. They also requested a couple of parents provide a pair of scissors since they were short. Every once in a while they'd send out a request for donation items like old magazines. I thought that was a great set up.

My SIL (2nd grade teacher) says she sends home a request for donated prizes. Things like happy meal toys and other small items. Used is fine as long as it's in great shape. I thought that was a great idea. She says the kids love digging through the box and don't care that it's someone elses discards. To them it's new.

Here we provide everything. And like Jen, I know we provided more then they used. 3-4 bottles of glue and 2 glue sticks for DS last year. From what he brought home it looked as if he didn't even use one glue bottle. Each of my two had a disposible camera on the list. The only pictures I saw was one on DD's name tag on her desk and one of DS with his class when his first teacher came in to show her newborn. DS had a VCR tape on his list. He never did use that. Nor did we get it back. DD had to provide a set of colored dry erase pens plus an extra black one and an eraser. She used one (the black one) out of the entire set but never got any back. Nor did she get to keep the dry erase pen eraser. I have now idea why she even had the colored ones on the list since they only used black. Just how is a class of 20 students going to use 400-800 zip- lock bags AND 1,000 paper lunch sacks? (2 boxes zip lock bags per student and one package of paper lunch sacks per student)

This year's list is much more realistic. I also decided that when it says 3-4 bottles of glue, we are sending one. The rest stay at home until they need it. I suspect that other years I was providing supplies for the kids that didn't bring any.

The school posts the supply list on the school door about 3 weeks in advance. They also send a copy to local stores like Wal-Mart and Fred Meyer. Those lists dissappear fast. The problems is that each teacher has their own list. So there are 4 lists for 5th grade and 3 lists for 1st grade, each one different. We won't know which teacher the kids have until school starts unless we go to school the week prior and see if they've posted it on the door.

Angie - if you are paying for the school books, do you at least get to keep them? I've never heard of a public school charging for books on top of school supplies, misc fees during the year (field trips, scholastic news fee). And getting tax money and fund raisers and donations?

AnnW - I really like your set up. One check and you know the supplies are there. Plus probably cheaper then at the store since they've bought bulk. At DS's second school you could buy the folders at school since they had to be a specific color. I liked that.

I remember in HS (decades ago!) the student council had a store that sold some school supplies. Things like folders with the school logo on them. And DS's first school sold T-shirts and sweatshirts with the school name. It was a nice way to raise money.

[kacee]

We purchase our supplies here, too. The district has a list of supplies for each grade level.

DD and I enjoy shopping for her stuff. I let her pick out the color folders and "fancy" spiral notebooks.

We did recycle her backpack and her binder from last year.


Our PTO does sell prepackaged supplies. I opted not to get them, since she is in 3rd grade and has scissors recycled, etc. I know that is probably the easier way to go. Many of our parents rave about it. I just remember shopping as a child. It is fun for me.

HEY!! Y'all don't let the word out about the book fee's. I have never heard of that before!! (I am sure that if our district hears about it - they would emplement it!!!)