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RANT School Supply list

post #1 of 37
8/7/09 at 4:46pm
Thread Starter 
My son is starting K next month. The school will not give us a supply list until the first day of class!!
That means we can't take advantage of any 'Back to school' sales, and we will not have much time to shop around for good prices :

It is just really frustrating because I feel that we will likely pay 3x as much as we would if we already had the list and could hit multiple sales.

Is this typical??

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post #2 of 37
8/7/09 at 5:15pm
Unfortunately yes it's pretty typical. What I do is go ahead and buy the basics while they are on sale. Crayons, safety scissors, paper amd pencils. Probably markers and colored pencils too.
post #3 of 37
8/7/09 at 5:15pm
I personally would be going and buying what typical supplies a kindy kid would need. Crayons, scissors, construction paper. IDK, that seems really odd to me.

The dollar store is awesome for all this stuff, most of the time too, even not at back to school.
post #4 of 37
8/7/09 at 5:20pm
Sometimes stores, like Walmart, will put out lists from other schools or a basic back to school list. You can check for those even if you don't plan to buy from there.

I googled and found this
post #5 of 37
8/7/09 at 5:25pm
At the school my girls go to the kindergarten list is put in a folder we pick up about two weeks before school starts. It is also included on the end of year newsletter that comes home with students the last week of school and is also posted on the school website. Perhaps your school does the same thing.
post #6 of 37
8/7/09 at 6:44pm
I'd check & see if there are lists at the stores. Are there any neighborhood parents you could ask what they had to buy before?

Here for K they don't require anything but a backpack, lunchkit & shoes. Everything else is supplied.
post #7 of 37
8/7/09 at 6:51pm
I'd start stocking up on the deals anyway - you know they'll get used eventually, and even if they don't you can make an arts & crafts basket for a Christmas gift.
post #8 of 37
8/7/09 at 7:08pm
I have never seen a school supply list before school actually starts, perhaps it's a local thing? (I am in Alberta now, and lived for most of my school years in Quebec) Here, our sales seem to last until mid-September (although they are picked over quite a bit)

It seems odd to me that schools have published lists that they hand out prior to school.

That being said, my experience with elementary schools out here is vis a vis my DSD, so maybe her mom gets one? I doubt it though.
post #9 of 37
8/7/09 at 7:25pm
Definitely pick up the typical stuff now, you can probably use it at home if by some chance it isn't on the list.

Things I know we needed for K last year :24 pk crayons, lots of glue sticks, scissors, big pink erasers, pencils, watercolors, markers.
post #10 of 37
8/7/09 at 8:06pm
I would also pick up ziplock bags in snack size and the larger size because that is always on the list. As well as baby wipes, cloxox wipes and tissue.
post #11 of 37
8/7/09 at 8:37pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the responses. I am frustrated because all the other grades get the list ahead of time, except kindy. It just seems weird to me...why do we have to wait??

Anyway, I like the advice about getting the basics. I suppose I could even save the receipts and return anything that isn't on the list if it really added up.

And I just realized that my first child is getting ready to start Kindergarten :
I am going back to school shopping but I AM THE ONE PAYING THIS TIME!!! AND I am NOT the one going back to school...lol
post #12 of 37
8/7/09 at 9:18pm
Are you sure the school won't order the stuff? We never had to buy anything for the kids' kindergarten class. They each got a big bag of stuff in the first week of class and we just had to write a check for it. I'd confirm about that before stocking up on random supplies.
post #13 of 37
8/7/09 at 9:25pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poddi View Post
Are you sure the school won't order the stuff? We never had to buy anything for the kids' kindergarten class. They each got a big bag of stuff in the first week of class and we just had to write a check for it. I'd confirm about that before stocking up on random supplies.
They sent a letter weeks ago telling us to 'hold off on buying school supplies' because they would 'provide a list of what you need to buy' once school starts .

It is super annoying to me because I don't like doing things last minute. I like to prepare and I don't understand WHY they can't just tell us Now.

Of course I'm not gonna complain to them or anything...I am sure they have their reasons. But it sure is annoying!
post #14 of 37
8/8/09 at 12:26am
Have you checked the school website? Ours have lists up.
post #15 of 37
8/8/09 at 12:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CarrieMF View Post
Have you checked the school website? Ours have lists up.
Ours have the list on the website by grade.
post #16 of 37
8/8/09 at 1:16pm
Our lists are available in July usually. This year though the PTA is coordinating the supplies for elementary and we just send a check. $30 for grade 1, $34 for grade 4. I spent probably closer to $50 for my 6th grader. Those big binders are pricey!
post #17 of 37
8/8/09 at 2:06pm
I wouldn't buy stuff without the list in your hand; they are very specific about brands, sizes, etc. (certain oz bottles of Elmer's School glue, certain brands of watercolors, certain brands of sharpened pencils, etc)

Our school sent home a list for the following list at the end of last year, and the local Targets and Wal Marts have them up, too.

If you don't mind returning and re-buying, then taking advantage of the sales would be good, but doing a bunch of returns when everyone is shopping for supplies might be a real drag, too.

I feel ya, I really do. I posted a school supply list rant last week
post #18 of 37
8/8/09 at 5:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by philomom View Post
Ours have the list on the website by grade.

ours do too. my kids are in private school (K-8), and their school website is the 'hub' for everything that's going on. the kids teachers post everything from class assignments to field trip info, etc. the lunch menu, dress code info, school newspaper.....everything is on the website.

i would definitely check to see if your school has the same thing. we've ALWAYS got our lists early in the packet of info for registration and now it's available online early as well.
post #19 of 37
8/8/09 at 6:22pm
Thread Starter 
There is def not a supply list available for K until the first day of class. That is what they told us in a letter they sent us at the beginning of summer. All the other grades got a letter telling them what they need to buy, but for SOME reason they make K wait :

Thanks for all of the replies!!!
post #20 of 37
8/8/09 at 7:37pm
I wonder if they want K to wait because they don't really need anything?

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