School supplies

My triplets just handed me their school supply list for 7th grade.

It is the MOST SENSIBLE list I have ever seen!

4 double pocket folders
1 box colored pencils
Never ending supply of pencils
2 pens
4-3 ring binders with dividers
Filler paper

Easy peasy. I am buying everything tomorrow

Years past have had different size 3 ring binders, certain color and style folders, glue sticks, scientific calculators, highlighters, dry erase markers and erasers, pink and white erasers, 100 pencils (on the first day of school) and a specific style ruler (wooden only). And if they had all these things on the first day they would get an extra 10 points added to their first quiz. While this is still true at least this time they will have all those supplies.

So how crazy or simple are your children's lists?

 

Not my kids' list, but at a nearby school they are required to bring 48 glue sticks. EVERY student is supposed to bring 48 glue sticks. That is about 24 students. This is for kindergarten. My list is huge, BUT I am totally going to use supplies from last year that did not get used up or used if I can.

 

I think when they get in middle school the supply list can grow depending on their classes they take and teachers. So I would not breathe too easy yet lol. luckily the girls are in a 4/5 high ability class so they have the same teacher this year so they can reuse a lot of their supplies again. I still spent about $65 on supplies for the 2 of them. Then we have $125 book rental each.

 

None of my children are in the same class this year but they are on a 4 man team and each has a teacher on the team so their lists are exactly the same. With these lists being so "normal" I think I will be okay with whatever else they might throw at us once school starts. Last year they needed folders for a book reports and a few book covers on top of the crazy lists. Those extras were easy purchases and would be again.

 

All I have to buy is a backpack and a folder for K. We just pay a fee for everything else. I'm really bummed. I love buying school supplies!

 

Our school district made a conscience decision to streamline school supplies this year. The entire Middle School has the same list, and it wasn't too extensive. The only thing I still need to get are earbuds. I am done shopping, now I just have to orgainize it.

Sharon

 

What the heck! Are the selling them on the black market?! That has to be a typo.

 

We don't have our list yet. Last year they posted the list on-line around August 1st. I went out and bought everything and then about 3 weeks later we found out who their teachers were and got a revised list that was totally different. I had to go out again and buy more. So frustrating. I am hoping the same thing doesn't happen this year.

 

All we need for K is nap mat, backpack, ziplock bags, and then we have a supply fee.

I was kinda hoping we'd get to buy crayons and stuff too! Oh well!

 

Me too Gina! I actually want to buy crayons and pencils and glue sticks.

 

My girls school's PTA does a fundraiser every year selling school supplies. When my girls went into K and I got the school supply order form, i priced out what it would cost to buy everything myself vs ording the school supplies through the school and having it waiting for the girls when they got to school. That year it was way cheaper to order it through the school then buying everything myself.

This year I think I could have gotten the school supplies cheaper on my own (but I would have had to store it) but I got roped into to being the co-chairperson of the school supply ordering so I had to order from the school. I know the 1st grade list was crazy. i did not see what was on it but it was $60 a student.

 

Our school district moved to a universal school supply list a couple of years ago. So every grade in the school district needs the same things. I have 5 kids going to school this year and have spent a total of $100 on supplies and backpacks/lunchboxes for the kids that needed one. Middle school is great because they use ipads so the only thing they need are earbuds to start school with. As the year goes on I'm sure I'll have to buy more but its nice that I don't have to spend a lot of money at once.

 

The exact wording was 4 - 12 pk pkgs of glue sticks.

 

We're buying for two kindergartners, a first grader and an eighth grader and it's almost a car payment when you include backpacks. Thankfully, our oldest isn't allowed to have one and just needs one of those athletic drawstring bags instead. I think I would be okay with our schools having a supply fee, especially since there are several items on the list every year that we can't find in our local stores (construction paper, of all things!).

 

We have a district list. It's pretty basic. Folders, crayons, markers, scissors, glue, etc. The new things this year are clipboards, accordion folders, and rulers. In 4th grade the teachers have the kids use the accordion folders instead of having a different folder for every subject. I actually prefer the system. They label sections for each subject. They also have a section for homework and paper. This way, instead of trying to remember what to bring home or what to take to their science or math (they switch teachers to be taught by levels instead of by homeroom), they just grab the accordion and the pencil box and go.

I know 6th grade will be expensive because that's the year we buy the nice calculators and thumb drives. But then they reuse those throughout all of middle school.

They do sell pre-packaged school supplies. It's a fund raiser for the high school booster club so the supplies literally cost twice what they do in the stores. I buy ours and the kids enjoy picking that stuff out.

Our books fees are $100 per child.

Marissa

 

Glad I'm not the only one! I used to love shopping for school supplies when I was younger. There's just something about all those nice, neat folders and notebooks and rows of brand new crayons and pencils that I love! LOL I was excited to go pick it all out with the kids!

 

When my two started either K or 1st grade, they had to each bring in 32 glue sticks. EACH. And like a gazillion pencils.

This year is the first year I haven't thought the list was totally insane. Box of crayons, markers, couple folders, composition book, scissors, etc. Pretty normal really.

 

I got everything Xs3 today at Target. It came to $73.40

I also went over to the highschool to get the twins list. They have not written it yet! The secretary said to just buy what they had on last years list and gave me a copy of it. This seems to a big drop the ball on their part. The stores are selling out.

 

Same thing at all DS's schools! Maybe that's a Jr. High/High school thing? They don't get supply lists before the first day of school, in the first class session. And then the kids have a week to get it all.
So I'm just buying the basics now -- some looseleaf paper, some folders, some pencils.. Using the list from last year as a guide is a good idea!

 

I have two sixth graders and a high school freshman. The sixth graders are done and it was expensive as they needed new backpacks and locker organizers. Not to mention the fancy calculator. They will be using these things for at least the next three years. The actual list wasn't too bad I made sure they got sturdy folders. My oldest had sturdy enough folders that they lasted all three years of middle school.

All my oldest has gotten is a new backpack with a pouch for the chrome book the school is issuing. No list yet. I'm hoping he brings a list home from orientation. That will give me the weekend to get a few things. I'm not sure quite what to buy as I've been told a lot of their work will be done on the chrome book.

 

I was thinking the same thing - that the goal is 48 - 2 per kid?

 

eta: i saw your post upthread - that to me sounds like what they need per classroom and it was poorly worded...so strange.

 

Just a vent....


Actually, buying the school supplies isn't the big dread -- it's the calculator! About $100! Why does a HS sophomore need a graphing calculator?

My father was an engineer, and I remember him grumbling that people need to learn to DO the problems before they use electronic crutches. He was old-school enough to think sliderules were enough for anyone!

Never thought I'd be one of those "IN MY DAY.." people, but in my day we bought graph paper and sharpened a lot of pencils!

 

I used my graphing calculator clear into college. It's not for addition/subtraction. You need it for high level math like calculus.

 

I am so screwed when the kids get in high school - i remember nothing of how to use these calculators.

 

I used mine from 7th grade through college, too.

I bet you could buy one from Craigslist for cheap- as long as the screen works and it's the correct model number it should be fine.

 

I still use my graphing calculator at my job. It is definitely dated but I still use the calculus and stat functions when verifying data results or if I need to do a quick calculation and don't want to use the software on the computer.

 

Oh, good idea.
Thanks everyone, letting me know that those calcs are useful and not some unnecessary expense. He's taking Algebra II/Trig. He loves math - DH is an engineer, and DS obviously got the math gene from him, since math and I are not best friends.
Acquaintances, maybe....

Anyways, thanks for the info. Guess I'm going on Craigslist tomorrow!
P.S. The model they want is in the TI 84 series.

 

My TI-80 is still going strong. LOVE that calculator.

 

The good news is that unlike in normal technology/computer world, the math people of the world have decided that the TI-84 does what they need it to do and they have been using the same model for years and years. I too used mine from 9th grade up through college. Mine recently died due to misuse by some offspring of mine.