school supplies (ridiculous don't u think)?

Question

My daughter is going into 1st grade and the kids k-4 are NOT allowed backpacks with wheels. They also need baby wipes, camera's, tissues and paper towels. Along with ziplock bags. There are 33 kids in each class, how many of these items do they really use a year? How much do you think is left over?

Some teachers require the kids to have those fold up matts and they specify, "no roll up matts".

Why do teachers do this. are they trying to make it hard on parents. Now, I am not by any means disgracing teachers, but I want to know why all the crazy demands? Wouldn't it be better on the first day of school, to put all those wipes and stuff in a hat and let the kids draw? This way you don't get too much and the parents can save $$ without haveing to buy all of it. I know there is some left over in the closest.

Answer 1

Yes some teachers ask for a lot of stuff. Try buying for 5 kids from kindergarten to a Senior in High School. It isn't easy, but many of the office supply stores, Wal-mart, and Target have great sales for back to school. Some have limits on how many you can get like on paper. One store had loose leaf paper for 15 cents limit 5. So each child was given a $1 and 5 packs of paper, I did it, my mom did it, my sister, and husband. We got enough paper to last the year very cheap.

My sister is a teacher. I know she has asked for baby wipes in the past. This is to save trips to the restrooms to wash hands when working on a project. She has also asked for certain brands like for colors and markers. This is cause they work better on the paper they use and most the time last the entire year.

Many schools are banning backpacks with wheels because of injuries. They also damage the walls and floors. My middle schooler has to have a clear backpack - no wheels. This was not easy to find. But a little shopping around when out we found one.

You might think some things are silly on the list, but many times the teacher has found it comes in very handy.

Answer 2

As state and federal school budgets tighten, teachers have to find other ways to get the supplies they need.

You are in a district that has come up with the solution of having parents help supplement those kinds of needs, rather than making the teachers pay for them out of their own pockets (which many do, in other circumstances). Things like tissue and baby wipes may sound silly, but they really are needed! (Think of all the runny noses 33 kids will have over the year). Ziplocks are also used a lot, to sort supplies, to send home messier projects, and other miscellaneous reasons. Disposable cameras are more of a 'want' though, and really should be on the optional list, not the required one. Many teachers like to make sure there are plenty of pictures taken of the kids throughout the year so that they can contribute to the school's yearbook, or they can make their own picture scrapbook for each child at the end of the year.

Most teachers do recognize that the list is extensive and are willing to work with families. If possible, call the school and ask to talk to the teacher about the list. Ask her what things are really necessary and what things you could skip buying this year, as money is tight. There will probably be several things that he/she will say are okay to not buy. He/she may also say that you can wait to buy any shared supplies until later in the year when stock starts getting low, which will help spread your personal spending over several months, rather than at the same time (especially when you probably are buying school clothes, as well).

If you are unable to contact the teacher ahead of time, just show up without all of thing items you believe are 'extras'. Several families will do this, so don't worry. Asking for 33 packages of paper towels is a way to ensure that the teacher will get the 20 or 25 that she really needs.

Best of luck!

~Kyanna

P.S. I agree that kids should not be allowed to have the backpacks with wheels. They seemed like a wonderful new invention when they first came out, but they are bulky and very heavy (even when empty). Kids still need to lift them occasionally. They take up a lot of the much needed class space, because they generally can't all fit in the allotted cubby or coat rack area.

Answer 3

Unfortunately, the $$ allotted to education by local, state, and federal government have continually been cut, while the expectations for testing, curriculum, etc., have increased. Often times, with No Child Left Behind and other measures, there are demands placed on school districts which require a great deal of additional funds, with no additional money allocated by the government. A class of 33 students will go through massive quantities of supplies, especially the younger grades. If there are things you don't feel comfortable providing, don't provide them. I work at a K-12 building, and I know teachers ask everyone to bring in all of the items, knowing not everyone will. You could always purchase wipes and tissues and the like later in the year if they do run out. The backpacks with wheels have benefits, but also risks - I've seen kids accidentally tripping each other with their backpacks with wheels - they often times are all over the place walking down the hallways, and dragging the backpacks far behind themselves - one little guy actually had to go to the ER for stitches. If you have concerns or questions about specific items and the reasoning behind them, talk to the teacher or principal - they should be happy to answer your questions, and will appreciate your insight as well.

Answer 4

A classroom of 33 1st grade students could easily use 33 packages of baby wipes, 33 boxes of tissue, 33 rolls of paper towels and 33 boxes of ziplock bags in an average school year. I really doubt that there will be much left over at the end of the year.

And, 1 package of baby wipes, one box of tissue, one roll of paper towels and one box of ziplock bags could set you back all of $6, if you buy generic. I, personally, would rather my kids teacher spend what little 'discretionary' money that they get on educational supplies rather than cleaning/storage supplies.

Spend some time in your child's classroom, if you can, this year. You'll see these items being put to good use and begin to understand why the teachers/schools are asking for them.

Answer 5

Schools give teachers a few dollars (about $250) to cover items that are not part of the curriculum (textbooks, construction paper, etc.) the rest is up to the teacher to furnish.

Teachers can either pay out of their own pocket (above the $250) or try to involve parents in the education of their kids. It may seem much to many parents to buy stuff like baby wipes and tissue but you would be surprised on how much is actually used during the school year (even with 33 kids in the class).

Answer 6

Our supply lists are generated at the district level, meaning the administrators at the district, not the teachers, create that list. At a blush, that may appear imprudent: how is an administrator supposed to know what each class will need? However, it is based on years of feedback from every teacher at every grade level in every school in the district, so I believe it is fine-tuned to be as close as to what is needed. In fact, there are often one or two things that the teachers will ask towards the end of the school year, because they may have run out early.

I am absolutely amazed at how much school work is brought home by our children at the end of each week! When you do the math, you'll figure that classroom instruction and work calculates out to about 700 hours per year... in the early years, most of that is "hands on" projects that give the children experience. You can't expect a 1st grader to listen to a "lecture" for much of the day... they need to stay occupied in practicing those 3 R's.

BTW, keep in mind that some of the people posting here have no idea what you are talking about... you could move to California, for example, where it's illegal to require students to provide any school supplies! But, that usually means that the state (which never seems to have enough money for all of its projects) underfunds for education, and supplies are never sufficient for teachers. As life-long Cali natives, my wife and I moved out, largely because of education issues.

We now live in a state where supplies are required by the child, and this ensures that every child has what he/she needs, and is not dependent on some stuffed shirt sitting in an office at the state capitol far away from any understanding of the needs of the children.

Answer 7

I've NEVER heard of kids needing baby wipes or a camera for school. Capture memories? De-stickify hands? That's the strangest request I've ever heard of. I do remember having to bring in a box of tissue and it being used by the entire class throughout the school year and it's probably the same for the paper towels.

As for the $$, go to your local Walgreens, Walmart, or 99- cent store and get all that stuff cheaply. If it really, really bothers you, contact the principal of the school to get the list changed.

Answer 8

I know exactly how you feel. I have 4 kids that I have to buy school supplies for and some of the things the teachers ask for are just over the top. And every year there is going to be something on somebody's list that is impossible to find.

Answer 9

It sounds like the teachers are trying to stock up on supplies for their classroom; things that will be used for your child and the other children as well. Chalk that up to poor pay from the school board. And although it may be annoying, a few dollars out of your pocket for those things will be a lot less of a burden than a few dollars (times 33 kids) for the teacher.

Answer 10

What happened to the days where kids just needed pencils, coloring books and crayons in their backpacks for k-4? Everything else was provided by the school or the teacher if they needed it. If it is such a requirement why doesn't ur school supply these items? Take it to ur PTO and ask them what's up? Get involved.