Supplies-Really Not Fair

amother

Smokey

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 9:03 am

Our elementary school buys all the supplies. Yes, there's an added fee as part of our registration, but it is such a game changer. I don't need to send my kids with even a pencil.
And then once school starts if they want to bring in their own pencils or pens that they like specifically, I'm fine with that

amother

Lime

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 9:46 am

I recycle most of the supplies from the year before especially folders, binders, rulers , markers and crayons, notebooks (they usually only write on one to two pages. I rip those out and reuse). I know they’ll need pencils and glue stick. Anything extra, I wait for the teacher to request it.

amother

Mimosa

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 9:48 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

We've instituted a policy in my school that whatever a teacher needs after school supply lists have been sent out, they should contact an administrator and we'll take care of it for them. We don't believe it's fair to parents. We do ask them to try to work with what was on the list in the case it went out before they were hired, and for the most part it works.

I've also made the executive decision to take off some supplies from the list that would make parents crazy trying to find them and the school will buy those in bulk, as well as specific items that are only for certain class placement that a parent won't know yet.

I wish every school was this considerate of their parent body.

much appreciated. I noticed that the pennies for preschool has been taken off as well Smile

I also really appreciated that we got the list before we had to buy in order to get tax free where we live. was annoyed that we didn't get the highschool list until we wouldn't want to buy due to the nine days...

amother

Daylily

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 10:02 am

My kids school has an added fee for registration for younger grades. First day of school I only send a backpack and lunch. Plus uniforms of course. And they refill all year things like pencils etc.

Next year my eldest will have to buy supplies but the school said it is very streamlined and exact as to what they need.

Nervous about having to do that... I remember one year as a child a teacher asked for folders in several colors. I remember she wanted a purple one. No one that year had purple. My mom eventually gave up and gave me a color that wasn't on the list (but wasn't a duplicate to another one asked for). I was so nervous but it ended up half the class did the exact same thing.
Since then I had a silent plea that teachers look at staples before making the list to make sure that the supplies are actually available. Just because last year staples sold that color it doesn't mean they did this year.
Please check staples or office depot!! I shouldn't have to run to 4 stores looking for it and not finding it.

amother

Seagreen ↓

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 10:21 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

Different city but same policy for the school I send my girls to. And if the school asks for something that might be difficult to find they say that whatever is sent in is fine.

amother

Dandelion

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 10:23 am

Reminder that online shopping exists for these added on school supplies during the year. Speaking as a parent. It’s only annoying if they add required sefarim but really you can get that at an online judaica store too if you’re okay with paying a shipping fee for the convenience.

amother

Lemon

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 10:38 am

I'm puzzled by this thread. My kids get a supply list at the end of the previous year, they don't get another one.

Also, what's the deal with specific binders, colors etc?

I've got ka'H 9 kids, boys and girls, seven different schools, Primary school and High and have never heard of this!

amother

Tuberose ↓

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 10:40 am

My biggest pet peeve is when the kids bring home unused supplies at the end of the year. It makes me so upset how the schools don't care about our money. The teachers should be made to revise their supplies list every year & things that aren't used or things that are only used a couple of times, should be taken off the list.

amother

Papayawhip ↓

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 10:41 am

Is this a US thing?
I live in Israel - the lists are fine. I've never had to add anything, they are updated by the teachers before they send them out. I've also never heard of a request for a specific color or shape. Why is it so difficult to get organized?
I grew up in the UK. There, the schools ask for a fee at the beginning of the year and they buy the supplies and each teacher hands them out on the first day of school.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 11:49 am

I would love to pay a supplies fee and have the school take care of it.

Regarding outdated supplies list, seriously?! Why can't they send an updated accurate list each summer?

For those suggesting waiting to buy supplies. A. My kids need to go to school the first day with supplies. B. I want to avoid the mad rush. I'm in the city and most people are upstate.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 11:51 am

Another thing- I have folders and loose-leaf in perfect condition from last year but I know my kids get excited to choose new ones each year. And there's nothing like fresh new supplies.
Would you dump the old ones? Or make them use it?

↑ Hashem_Yaazor ↓

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 12:03 pm

amother Daylily wrote:

I had a kid one year who needed a red folder. I knew he would be fine with figuring out orange meant homework folder (no executive functioning delays and this was 4th grade) so I took electric red tape I had and added a few strips on the orange folder and pretended it was red and the teacher was fine with it 😂

↑ Hashem_Yaazor ↓

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 12:05 pm

amother Mimosa wrote:

much appreciated. I noticed that the pennies for preschool has been taken off as well Smile

You can thank the EC director for that. After I took off smocks for a different grade, she came back and said it's really annoying for parents to get pennies, we'll take care of it. There were other items you wouldn't even know have been removed but we're trying to find the middle ground.
And yes, ify was very important to me that it go out before tax free period so I kind of took over the project even though it's not really my domain.

chanatron1000

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 12:05 pm

amother Smokey wrote:

This system really makes the most sense. Why have everyone buy individually when the school can buy exactly what they need in bulk?

↑ Hashem_Yaazor ↓

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 12:08 pm

amother Tuberose wrote:

Our lists are revised every year but sometimes the teachers aren't hired or assigned the same class to have it accurate.
Occasionally we'll have a new teacher who isn't sure what he or she will find would best for the class.
But then it gets revised for the next year...

We always shop at home first to see what we have unused before actually buying new...
Most of my kids' supplies this year were acquired that way.

↑ Hashem_Yaazor ↓

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 12:09 pm

amother OP wrote:

We reuse and then replenish the other supplies with fresh things...

↑ Hashem_Yaazor ↓

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 12:11 pm

chanatron1000 wrote:

This system really makes the most sense. Why have everyone buy individually when the school can buy exactly what they need in bulk?

As a parent, my kids look forward to picking out supplies and packing them up.

As an administrator, there's a lot of grumbling already about being charged fees and collection can turn into a nightmare if we add this on.
We did discuss it, and if it can be optional, but figuring out the right amount is hard.

We do it for preschool though.

↑ Hashem_Yaazor ↓

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 12:11 pm

amother OP wrote:

Out of curiosity, what would you be willing to pay for this?

amother

↑ Tuberose ↓

Thu, Aug 15 2024, 12:22 pm

amother OP wrote:

We have a $100 supply/book fee per child in addition to the loads of school supplies we need to buy! Why is there a book fee? The school doesn’t pay for books.