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School Supplies |Pad Patter 7.25

bestcee

bestcee

In love with places I've never been to
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Dec 18, 2013
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Around here, kids will be heading back to school in about 3 weeks! Oh my gosh, that seems so soon! My friends have been talking about the different school supply lists that have been sent home for their kids.
We homeschool, and I'll admit that school supplies are my jam! I love them. I don't care if I don't need more pens, I want more pens! And pencils! And erasers. I'm avoiding the stores right now because I know I'm in trouble if I go!

So, what about you? Do you have a school supply list? Do you like shopping for them or hate it?
 
We get a school supply list for the beginning of the year and then buy as needed every term she goes back.
My daughter is such a dream compared to her brothers. Shopping for 1 is so much easier than shopping for three! Also we have to cover their books (plastic for textbooks and patterned paper and plastic for books they write in) - I used to host a party to get family around to help do this and all I needed was to feed them and make sure we had sufficient supplies. Each subject needs to have the same colour/patterned paper so Biology was green stripe and maths was yellow etc.

DD went back to school on Monday - we have a 3 week Winter break. Yuck, getting up while it's still dark is dreadful.

I love pens too, pretty colours and ones that simply glide effortlessly over the page.
 
The school provides two ways to get your supplies... a purchased box with all the supplies and a list if you would rather purchase your own. I did the boxes last year, and then the teacher had a supplement list to the box - absolutely ridiculous! I was advised that the point of the box is to save people from shopping and save money. After that experience, I won't be purchasing the box.

We start September 6th, I believe!

I have a pen fetish.... and used to collect them. I've gotten better, only since I don't have the extra income to purchase all the pens! :giggle
 
I always hated it!!! The kids always go back after labor day and the teachers always waited until the last minute to give out their supply lists. So much stuff was gone bf you knew exactly what you needed. I would try to anticipate and buy when the good sales were going on ... but always either bought too much of the wrong thing or didn't anticipate things that would be needed.

Now they are in HS - so pens, a binder or two and notebooks are pretty much all they need.
 
jenn mccabe said:
I always hated it!!! The kids always go back after labor day and the teachers always waited until the last minute to give out their supply lists. So much stuff was gone bf you knew exactly what you needed. I would try to anticipate and buy when the good sales were going on ... but always either bought too much of the wrong thing or didn't anticipate things that would be needed.

Now they are in HS - so pens, a binder or two and notebooks are pretty much all they need.
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Sept 6th for us too!
 
:lalala:lalala:lalala:lalala:lalala:lalala

I should ignore this thread like I do the school supply aisle at the store!! :giggle
Don't get me wrong, I love office supplies...pens, paper, clips...give me all the things!
I just don't want to be reminded that I have to go back to work so early!! :overreact

I go back on Aug. 21 and the kids start back Aug. 28. Our suggested lists are already out, and I added it as a note on my phone so that when we are out we can start picking up some things. I usually pick up a few extras because I know there are some that won't have anything. I don't hate them because I know they are necessary, but I don't particularly like the expense or certain items on the list. I wish schools were funded the way that they should be, but I won't get on that soap box. I do spend a lot of my own money for supplies for my students. When they get to high school, the list is a bit shorter, but they don't usually get it until the first day, which means having to run around that evening to get all the things. That's kind of a pain.
 
My oldest 2 start back next Wednesday. We did shopping yesterday. I personally love the school supply isles. I am a pen and pencil collecting kinda gal but I will be the first to admit I hate doing the school supply shopping. It's usually packed and every year I get so aggravated at how much it costs to get all those things the teachers want, especially when they ask you to get the most expensive calculators and supply their rooms with markers, wipes, tissues, etc..... My kids attend a private school and so I feel like when I pay thousands of dollars every year for them to attend then the least they can do is take some of that money and supply the teachers with marker, tissues, wipes, germ x, etc....
 
I actually finished up school supply shopping yesterday. DD got her cast off (whoo hoo!) and Target is right off the freeway on our way home, so I figured "Why not?" They've got a month until school starts, but now I don't have to worry. If anything, I can pick up some stuff for myself--I mean, for the kids next year!--when it's on sale after school starts. I love office supplies, and I love buying in advance.

A few weeks ago I got a few things that were on sale that I knew they'd need--I had taken a pic of each of their lists so I'd have them with me. DS's list for kindergarten is quite small. DD's list included a few new things, like an "extra fine black marker," that weren't included last year. Anyway, yesterday DD wanted me to buy her a $20 pack of Paper-Mate Flair pens that had ONE black in it. They weren't extra fine, so I said "Listen, I get that you want these, but I can't spend $20 on a pack of pens that aren't on the list. I love pens, but I just can't do it. But you can have one of my Sharpies for school." That was enough to pacify her lol cuz she is obsessed with Sharpies (a girl after my own heart!).
 
oh be still my heart to school supplies....to sharpen boxes of Ticonderoga pencils. A tall stack of college ruled paper, and I am done!
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but, I buy sharpie highlighters, pens and such all year long! and white erasers...le' sigh
 
IntenseMagic said:
I wish schools were funded the way that they should be, but I won't get on that soap box. I do spend a lot of my own money for supplies for my students.
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I totally agree.
In Utah, they aren't supposed to send a school supply list in elementary - state law or something?
Here, we got a request for paper. Not notebook paper, printer paper. It annoyed me because they sent home so much crap on paper that didn't need to be, and then asked every student to send in 2 reams of paper. I mean, we didn't need a notice about the school Halloween party every day for 8 school days! Since it was PTA sponsored, I really hope PTA used their own paper, but I doubt it.
 
bestcee said:
I totally agree.
In Utah, they aren't supposed to send a school supply list in elementary - state law or something?
Here, we got a request for paper. Not notebook paper, printer paper. It annoyed me because they sent home so much crap on paper that didn't need to be, and then asked every student to send in 2 reams of paper. I mean, we didn't need a notice about the school Halloween party every day for 8 school days! Since it was PTA sponsored, I really hope PTA used their own paper, but I doubt it.
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Each school in this district sends a weekly phone call with school highlights (that Halloween party would be in it, for example) and then they also send an email with everything said in the phone call.

Yet they still send home gobs of paper. I don't need 25 notices about ANYTHING. Send out an email twice a week: school events and school photo reminders and whatever else. But stop with the papers! Send home ONE with the whole month's worth of info and then email us reminders closer to RSVP dates or whatever.

And don't get me started on the PTA...
 
I'm a teacher. I loooove school supplies.
Every school year is a reason for a new pencil case, new pens, binders, maybe even a new bag. The whole shebang. I am actually wanting a new iPad, but that's ridiculous. So I probably won't.
I don't even have to buy anything myself, I could just get everything I need at my school supply office. But I want my things pretty, and different, and fun. So I have these super cool colourful (like purple and orange) whiteboard markers, and recycled post-it notes, instead of just the normal things everyone has. And it makes me really happy. :)


(We have a different school system in the Netherlands. Kids don't have to bring anything to school in Elementary. In high school and up you do have to buy and have your own supplies with you. Teachers don't have to buy the supplies themselves or hope parents bring them either. Having a supplied classroom is part of the job. Even though I teach college, and I don't have my own room.. anyway...)
 
We go back on Aug 17 and bought a box with all the supplies. It's more expensive but last year I missed out on it and shopping was a nightmare!!
 
Oh, and I have 5,5 weeks more of my summer holiday. Don't take that away from me with your talking about "back to school". I had to suffer working for weeks (months!) while y'all were holidaying already. ugh :carryon
 
I love school supplies and it would be fun to shop for them except that now the lists are so absurdly specific that you spend all your time stressing out trying to find exactly the right item. You need the 8 pack of watercolor, metallic, fine tip, washable crayola markers. NOT the 12 pack, not medium tip, not a million different other options. You need a 1.389543 inch binder with a white plastic cover and pockets inside with numbered (not alphabetic!) tabs and college ruled paper with little protectors on the holes. It's ridiculous. When I was a kid, it was a pack of pencils, a pack of pens and something to keep notes in -- either notebooks or binders. Now I sound old.
 
My kids go back 08/24 for 2 days, then it's the weekend! I bought the school supplies from the list last weekend. That list was sent home with the last report card in June. It totaled about $50 for two kids. Some of the supplies stay with them & others are for the rest of the school. Each grade brings something different. All the kindergarten kids bring copy paper while 2nd, 3rd, & 4th grade kids bring dry erase markers. I swear every grade brings crayons, colored pencils, & markers. It's not a big deal, but I do wish schools were better funded. They bombard us with fundraisers all year long & it's so tiresome. Jamie needed a new backpack & lunchbox, so I got those 2 weeks ago. They each got a new water bottle. My mom bought them shorts & tees, I got the underwear. They just need socks, & hoodies, & we'll be all set. I am not looking forward to school one bit. The schedule drives me nuts & I'll probably be fighting tooth & nail for decent special ed services (both kids have ADHD & delayed motor skills). Just grr!
 
I love shopping for school supplies but don't get to do much of it anymore. Clara's books are all on her iPad, so a new stylus is about it for her. Alex will need supplies, maybe. But he won't have those supply lists until after the first day of school since what each teacher wants is very specific.

Clara's private elementary didn't require any shopping as they supplied it all. When she was in public school, she had a huge list with everything like Clorox wipes, reams of paper, kleenex, paper towels, plus the normal pencils, paper, etc. It wasn't much fun as it was all very specific and it was all communal. Everything from the list was turned in to the teacher to then distribute to the kids as needed. My one beef with this was that you brought it all of the first day of school... it would have been nice for us (and probably the teacher as well) if we could have dropped it off before school started.
 
I also have an obsession with "school supplies". I love this time of the year for planners and notebooks.
 
bestcee said:
I'll admit that school supplies are my jam! I love them. I don't care if I don't need more pens, I want more pens! And pencils! And erasers. I'm avoiding the stores right now because I know I'm in trouble if I go!
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OH My -- This is me too! I homeschooled my kids and they are now 30 and 26 years old and I still want to buy all the pens, all the folders, all the pencils, etc!
 
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