The stores have the school supply sections up and ready. Amy has her list and it would be a gross understatement to say that she is eager to go shopping for her first grade supplies. “I really neeeeed that puffy, glitter *insert pop culture icon here* folder/pencil/eraser for school.” After a million school supply lists, I am convinced that teachers get together when they are completely hopped up on caffeine to create these monsterpieces. It’s not the items that make you question why they need them at school that make school supply hunting a cross between “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” and “Death Race 2000“. No, it’s the mythological item on the list that causes parents panic attacks in the aisles of the red bullseye store.
sweater vest for every holiday teacher: “Let’s color code everything and everyone this year.”
denim jumper teacher: “Well, we can’t ask for erasable red pens again this year.”
fuzzy slippers teacher: “I know. I heard that parents stock piled them last year to be prepared for this year.”
sweater vest for every holiday teacher: “What about tabbed dividers in a number that doesn’t match any set?”
fuzzy slippers teacher: “No. Everyone cheated and just sent in sets that had too many tabs last year.”
denim jumper teacher: “I saw a store display for plastic 2-pocket folders and plastic brad folders.”
fuzzy slippers teacher: “No plastic pocket AND brad folders in the store?”
denim jumper teacher: “Let’s ask for SIX plastic pocket and brad folders per child.”
sweater vest for every holiday teacher: “That is the best idea ever! Let’s celebrate with a Starbucks run.”
denim jumper teacher: “I’ll drive!”
Amy’s List (so far – teachers always add stuff the first week of school)
gel pens (color? quantity? for art or academics?)
scissors
pencil box (this is waaay too vague)
colored pencils
1 box of Kleenex
thin highlighters
pencil top erasers
waterless hand sanitizer
1 box of Crayola markers
24 pack of Crayola crayons (The only item I know I’ll get right)
24 sharpened yellow pencils
1 bottle Elmer’s glue
6 glue sticks
5 subject, wide ruled spiral notebook
3 plastic folders with brads & pockets
Yep, it’s that time of year again. Luckily, in our district, the high school teachers are pretty easy going. Even though they won’t disclose their supply lists until the first day of school, I already know what each one will be like: “1. binder; 2. tabs; 3. some paper; 4. highlighters” and, if the mood strikes them, “5. notebook.” Now my 7th grader is a different story. His list is already out and it’s about 30 items long. I still haven’t read the whole thing. Also (shameless brag alert) he’s skipping a grade in math, so I get to buy the Dreaded High School Calculator a year early! Yay for me. The Dreaded High School Calculator is a TI-something something-silver edition and it is absolutely required for all students in grades 8 and up and costs anywhere upwards of $100 ($130 at Officemax I think). That reminds me, I need to go hit eBay right now. Good luck with your shopping.
I went back to your post last year to make sure I hadn’t already told you about this. That’s when I saw Gail O’Neill’s spammish comment about being the MOM WITH ONE GREAT IDEA.
Her idea is actually not bad. . . only it’s been implemented in other states for decades now so I don’t know that she can lay claim to it.
What my elementary school in Dallas did was to have PTA volunteers pack up whatever school supplies each child would need into individual brown paper grocery bags. They had all summer to get ’em ready and you’d pick them up the week before school started. I’m sure they had some kind of wholesale pricing so it was way cheaper than the parents having to hunt down each item and pay for it individually.
I wonder if there would be a following for such a thing in your district.
I should go through the pictures in my dad’s attic–we have several First Day of School pictures with the three of us standing outside the front door, our brown paper bags next to us with their “K”, “2”, and “5” labels (or whatever grades we were in that year).
I heard about PTAs doing this as well. Cathy, have you seen any supply lists posted? I checked the individual school sites, but didn’t see anything.
I think it would be wonderful if PTAs did bulk school supply purchasing. I haven’t seen any lists posted. Amy’s list came in the mail. Our elementary school has always mailed us the supply lists. It’s a wonderful service, but all schools should use e-mail and website postings to save money and paper.