Monday, August 23, 2010

In Short Supply...

For a couple of weeks now, I’ve been hearing from parent friends of mine about the outrageousness of the current school supply lists. Recently, I received a local school bulletin listing all of the school supply lists for Pre-K through 6th grade. As I look over these lists, I have questions. If I was a parent, I would want to know why my kid needs so many glue sticks. Are the children required to show up with every item on the list the first day of school and leave it all at school? When I was a kid, we had a cabinet at home that contained school supplies, so when we ran out, we just got more. I don’t remember having such in-depth supply lists, but then again I was a little kid. I don’t remember much from those days…

Some of my friends seem to think they are supplying items for kids that show up empty-handed. Pre-K through 2nd grade requires 6 small glue sticks. That is approximately one glue stick a month. What are these kids gluing? We used good ‘ol Elmer’s when I was a kid…you know, back when kids ate glue! Wait…I just read the list a little more closely; some grades also require bottles of glue. Interesting… I get that kids supply tissue for the whole classroom, but...say an average class is 20 students. If each student brings their required 3 boxes of tissue, then the class will have 60 boxes of tissue. That is approximately 8 boxes of tissue a month…What?? I know kids are messy and they have runny noses, but is this really necessary? Or, is this needed in case only 10 kids bring the tissue?

I do not quite understand why this particular ISD is giving out name brands for supplies, such as: Kleenex, Crayola, Fiskars, Elmer’s, and Zip Loc. Are they getting some sort of sponsorship? I don’t think that 5-year-olds need Fiskars scissors and Kleenex tissue. I think they need what their parents can afford. Wow, 6th graders need 48 #2 wood pencils. Can’t you just see your 11/12-year-old with 2 handfuls of pencils on the first day of school? They will all be broken by lunch from that stupid pencil snapping game that kids like to play, oblivious to the frustration they will cause their parents! 4th graders need a nylon pencil bag. What if the kid wants a vinyl pencil bag? I remember when I was in school, I just put my pens and pencils in a pocket in my backpack. Uh-oh! They forgot something…what about the backpack? What are the kiddos going to put these 30 lbs of school supplies in? Maybe the parents figured that out before they sent their kid to school today with a plastic grocery bag…

Just thought I’d throw a little humor into a day that was surely stressful for many. Parents, kids, college students, drivers that had to deal with new cell phone prohibition in school zones, teachers, bus drivers, and all other school faculty are probably excited, depressed, happy, mad, thrilled, frustrated, and/or scared after the first day back to school. I’m certain that by the middle of next week, school will feel like the new norm again! Best wishes for a safe and happy school year.

If you are unaffected by school, get out and learn something new so you won’t feel left out…

2 comments:

  1. I totally see here you are coming from. Cameron had to have supplies or Pre-k and then had to have supplies for daycare. On the daycare list it has a disclaimer that if supplies are not brought by Sept 3rd, your account would be assessed a $50 fine. really, the supplies do NOT cost that much!!!

    Fortunately I buy as soon as supplies start going on sale but still a bit over the top, if you ask me.

    I just can't wait to have a 2nd kiddo in school and daycare!

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  2. You know, I really dont mind the million boxes of kleenex or the trillion pencils, but what I do mind is the teachers putting something on the list that stores carry 20 of and I travel to every store in Greenville and everyone is out. When I do find it I have to pay more for 25 then I would for 100, but hey they have to have something, so I pay for 25, hoping and praying it will hold him over till I can get 100 at the local discount store. Dang, those 5x8 index cards!!!!!!!

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