School supplies (kindergarten, public schools, pay, grade)

[statefan]

What happened to the good ole days when you went to school with a pen, a pencil and a notebook of paper? Where did these lists of school supplies come from and why do people freak out so bad while buying this stuff?

My children are going into the 1st grade and kindergarten. Why do they have supplies other than crayons and markers. In 1st grade they are asking for spiral bound composition books, 70 pages, but no PERFORATIONS! Do you know how hard that is to find? And kindergarten, 100 page spiral composition books, not 70 or 120, 100 which is very hard to find in the colors they want, plus wide ruled.
You do not want to get the wrong thing, so your kids will not feel "stupid", so what are parents supposed to do? I have gone to every freaking Walmart, Office this and that in the area. Am I making my life too difficult or are their others out there with the same frustration?

[FarNorthDallas]

In my area you can pay the public schools and they will get your school supplies for you. You just write them a check and they buy in bulk. The supplies often end up in the same pot anyway.

My son is in private school and all supplies are provided with tuition. I send him with an empty backpack the first day.

[chitown68]

Even in kindergarten and 1st grade, some school districts place a heavy emphasis on students keeping journals for language arts and math. I am gathering that is the reason for requesting composition books. I don't understand the logic behind asking for a 70 page spiral bound composition book for first grade and a 100 page composition book for kindergarten. My school typically request that parents purchase the 100 page composition books.

[statefan]

In Tennessee last year, we paid a fee for my daughter who was starting kindergarten, especially since the school had already purchased all the supplies, it was a lot easier. We go tomorrow to register here in Texas, if at all possible, I will pay again and keep what I have bought for the kids here!

[Inthesierras]

Our district doesn't do the 'supply' list. The kids have everything they need in their desks on the 1st day. It ranges from pencil boxes for their rulers, red pencils, etc, crayons, journals, folders for each subject, etc. I talk to the teachers and see if there is something they need, and then send things. I mainly bought supplies for the prize box. That seemed to be a very motivatoinal thing for homework, etc. My DD was a 1st grader last year.

[Mrs.Bewitched]

Originally Posted by statefan

What happened to the good ole days when you went to school with a pen, a pencil and a notebook of paper? Where did these lists of school supplies come from and why do people freak out so bad while buying this stuff?

My children are going into the 1st grade and kindergarten. Why do they have supplies other than crayons and markers. In 1st grade they are asking for spiral bound composition books, 70 pages, but no PERFORATIONS! Do you know how hard that is to find? And kindergarten, 100 page spiral composition books, not 70 or 120, 100 which is very hard to find in the colors they want, plus wide ruled.
You do not want to get the wrong thing, so your kids will not feel "stupid", so what are parents supposed to do? I have gone to every freaking Walmart, Office this and that in the area. Am I making my life too difficult or are their others out there with the same frustration?

I am a teacher, and I have to admit, the supply list for children entering first grade....every grade to be frank, is indeed quite long. When comparing the good old days......I don't remember learning and doing half the stuff we do with the kids now...back then. Perhaps because over the years it has gone away from the sit and write and fold the hands across the day...to learning and exploring more creatively...that we ask for more...

For example, on each grade's list is a package of dry erase markers. Why? Because we have little individual dry erase boards for each child to use...and they practice their math, or their writing...games and so on on them. Write down the problem to an answer and 1, 2, 3 hold it up! More fun than paper and pencil...but we need those supplies.

We need them to have composition books for spelling (we have a different phonics approach than some schools), for poetry, for journaling, for guided reading extensions.

They need folders for the daily communication folder, their writing, their guided reading.

They need a highlighter to go through the poems for many things: word families, phonograms (our phonics program), sight words...specific words (color words), adjectives...more fun than just copying.

Index cards...to glue sight words on and to use as flash cards, play games...rather than boring memorization

Gallon size baggies...these are used to put their guided reading book in. I can't count the times a guided reading bag in lost or misplaced every single week, by almost every child...and if we provided them it...it would be their responsibility to get it replaced which I know usually doesn't happen...so they bring in the gallon baggies...which are pretty cheap, and this way at the moment they tell us they lost one, we can replace it.

I'm a parent of two...so I have to pay alot as well for my own children. But because I know what the materials are used for...and how well learning goes on at my school, I am more than comfortable to pay for these "odd" things...because I know that my child is learning.

[southernlady5464]

A friend of mine had to pay a $10 fee for her daughter's typing class lass year. For paper...said she could have bought an entire BOX of paper at Staples for that $10 and sent it with her, LOL. But sending her in with paper wasn't an option. Liz

[2beamissourian]

Originally Posted by southernlady5464

A friend of mine had to pay a $10 fee for her daughter's typing class lass year. For paper...said she could have bought an entire BOX of paper at Staples for that $10 and sent it with her, LOL. But sending her in with paper wasn't an option. Liz

I pay for supplies - that I cant even buy (such as at sales) because I have to wait till the first day of school then they are expect to have them the 2nd day ... so the first day of school is chaos and I have to run to the store that night ........
not to mention i pay $10 for every club / organization/ sport/ lab she is in
Then honor classes the book fee is additional to the fee the school already charges .............SO this year to register my 1 child for school I will pay
Aprox $50 for regist/ books
$150 each semester for honor classes books
$ $50 for lit/ science/ international/ softball/ art

so Just to get her in school I will pay $200 then run out that night to get supplies that will be way off the wall...... one year I had to buy 5 binders for a class that later decided they were a hassle!

[DawnW]

Ok, as a teacher, who also has kids in the district, THAT would drive me nuts. I am stressed enough the first week without having to take 3 young children shopping on the first night of school!

Dawn

Originally Posted by 2beamissourian

I pay for supplies - that I cant even buy (such as at sales) because I have to wait till the first day of school then they are expect to have them the 2nd day ... so the first day of school is chaos and I have to run to the store that night ........
not to mention i pay $10 for every club / organization/ sport/ lab she is in
Then honor classes the book fee is additional to the fee the school already charges .............SO this year to register my 1 child for school I will pay
Aprox $50 for regist/ books
$150 each semester for honor classes books
$ $50 for lit/ science/ international/ softball/ art

so Just to get her in school I will pay $200 then run out that night to get supplies that will be way off the wall...... one year I had to buy 5 binders for a class that later decided they were a hassle!

[DawnW]

I never even heard of school supply lists until I moved out of California.

Dawn