Holy cow. If I have to buy all these supplies, why aren't I just homeschooling? - Page 2

[wildmonkeys]

The list seems pretty standard for where I live too. Somebody mentioned fundraising for hurricane victims and the like - there is plenty of that in our public school too. We do it when we can and don't when we can't - it is charity, you know?

I think the original question of why not homeschool if you have to spend $ on supplies is interesting...is ps a financial decision for you?

I think these lists have been around for ages, but quinnsmom I can't ever pass up a chance to say that I agree that we are spending too much money in Iraq

[SAHDS]

Originally Posted by quinnsmum

Okay, I am sorry, but I think these lists are total BS. Yes, our kids probably need all most of this stuff, and learn so much during these years, but if we are spending $300million PER DAY in Iraq, why the *&$% are we not sending a mere fraction of that to our schools? This blows my mind. Here I am, the mom of a toddler and I have to think about how the heck I am going to pay for these outrageous supply lists, just for kindergarden?!

Isn't it sad? On the same level, teachers are making $30,000/year while professional athletes make in the double-digit millions. Pathetic.

In my area, I know the schools are well funded, it's the main reason we moved here - best schools.

[shaywyn]

Originally Posted by Heavenly

Trust me, homeschooling costs ALOT more than that.

This may be OT, but from my experience, I totally disagree that homeschooling always costs more than sending your child to public or private school. Not being snarky, jmho.

[MattBronsil]

Originally Posted by SAHDS

Isn't it sad? On the same level, teachers are making $30,000/year while professional athletes make in the double-digit millions. Pathetic.

In my area, I know the schools are well funded, it's the main reason we moved here - best schools.

I don't think I should get millions of dollars a year, though. I don't bring in as much money as an athlete, so I shouldn't make that much.

[Marilde]

Isn't it sad? On the same level, teachers are making $30,000/year while professional athletes make in the double-digit millions. Pathetic.

Elementary school teachers here make around 10,000 but in Mexican pesos and that's about $1,000 dllrs or less, now that's pathetic.

Back to the subject, i think thats a short list, how i wish my kids lists were like that. This is my son's list:

For his english lessons:
6 notebooks covered in different colors
1 Webster dictionary
1 folder
1 block for Spelling dictation

For Spanish:
2 folders covered in different colors
3 notebooks covered in different colors
1 drawing block
1 Spanish dictionary and another Synonyms/Antonyms Dictionary(in spanish)

In General:
1 box of colored pencils
3 pencils
pencil sharpener
eraser
1 blue pen
2 black pens
3 red pens
Scissors
Glue
Pencil Box
Markers
Crayola's
Tissues
Homework Pad

That's all...

[philomom]

Hmm, I never had to buy band-aids or baby wipes. I never bought more than one package of the gluesticks, either. The rest seems typical. Also, my kids never seem to use up the colored pencils.... just have them bring them home at the end of the school year so you can sharpen them and send them back out the following school year. I also "recycle" the crayons and boxes for crayons if they aren't too bad off.


If you can't afford to buy the extra stuff for the teacher just now, wait and send it in around the beginning of January.... by then her supply will be low and you will be her "hero".

And on the homeschool thing... I homeschooled one child just one year and the costs in books alone was way more than I ever spent on a supply list. Sorry to burst your bubble there.

[SAHDS]

Originally Posted by MattBronsil

I don't think I should get millions of dollars a year, though. I don't bring in as much money as an athlete, so I shouldn't make that much.

Nor do I think so, but that's not the point I was making. I was just using that as a basis for comparison to show how skewed society is when it comes to placing importance on things.

Marilde - That's for a Kindergartner???

[DoomaYula]

To clarify, I sort of meant the "why aren't I just homeschooling" as an off-the-cuff comment.

[ChristyM26]

Originally Posted by MattBronsil

I don't think I should get millions of dollars a year, though. I don't bring in as much money as an athlete, so I shouldn't make that much.

Frankly, I think my job deserves more money, considering what I do vs what an athlete does. JMHO.

[1xmom]

I agree, the supply list is pretty typical around here. This year my dd is going into 3rd grade and in addition to the standard folders, post-it note pads, pencils, glue, etc., she needs a 1gb jump drive.

I have to say though, that she did end up bringing things back home at the end of the year so things liker her scissors and pencil case/sharpener will be re-used for next year.

When my dd was in 1st grade it seems she was always needing crayons (I always stock up and got them 10 cents a box of 24 Crayola at Wal-Mart). When I asked her halfway through the year and coming home w/her 3rd request for crayons, come to find out, a little girl beside her didn't have any so she would always share.

[mommy68]

It looks normal to me. It's good for the teacher to make sure all students have what they "might" need for a whole school year at the very beginning because it's much harder to get parents to purchase the items once they get in to the year.

My kids just got out of school a few weeks ago and brought home a bunch of stuff that was never even used. But the classroom supplies like kleenex, antibacterial, baby wipes, and stuff like that usually runs out so it's good to even get extra of that stuff.

And on the homeschool thing... I homeschooled one child just one year and the costs in books alone was way more than I ever spent on a supply list. Sorry to burst your bubble there.

I don't think the original poster meant her comment about home schooling the way everyone is taking it. Anyone knows that it would be more expensive to actually have to buy curriculum for your child to H/S than it would to send them to a public school for free. Although some H/Ser's are pretty nifty and find sharp ways to save money.

[mommy68]

Originally Posted by shaywyn

This may be OT, but from my experience, I totally disagree that homeschooling always costs more than sending your child to public or private school. Not being snarky, jmho.

I agree. H/S is definitely not more expensive than private school. I just took my younger two out of private school so I could H/S them with their older brother BUT I was paying a little more than $8k for them in tuition alone, not including lunches and other costs that come up throughout a typical school year.

I think I'll spend maybe a few hundred on H/S supplies for each child next year. Definitely cheaper than private.

[diamond lil]

I agree the lists are total bs. My SIL told me that my nephew brought home over half of his school supplies at the end of the school year *un-opened and unused.* She called the teacher to complain and the lame excuse she got was, "well, we just like to have those things on hand." If she had chosen not to buy certain items, she would have been berated by the teacher for being a bad mother.

[Phantaja]

What's with all the Ziplock bags? If each kid brought in 3 boxes of 20 bags then the class will have an astonishing 900 flippin' Ziplocks, given that there's about 15 kids in a kindy class. Why???

[alegna]

Originally Posted by Phantaja

What's with all the Ziplock bags? If each kid brought in 3 boxes of 20 bags then the class will have an astonishing 900 flippin' Ziplocks, given that there's about 15 kids in a kindy class. Why???

IME they're used for a thousand different things. Sending home crafts. Snacks. Making activities. Storing supplies. etc

-Angela

[mamalisa]

That's a pretty typical list for our school too. If you start to shop early stuff is dirt cheap, usually the end of July.

[Tuesday]

Wow. I feel pretty grateful. I live in southern Ontario, Canada and my eldest DS is just finishing JK. There was no list supplied last September - no supplies were needed. We're in the public school system.

[TCMoulton]

That's pretty accurate as to what we had to bring to kindy this past year and it really didn't bother me in the least. At our school the kindy teachers only get $50 for classroom supplies for the whole year so any need that was not filled by the supplies brought in by the students at the start of the year the teacher had to cover and when the $50 was gone it meant that she had to pay out of her own pocket. If you watch for back to school sales it is pretty easy to get the majority of the supplies for super prices at Target or WalMart. I also take advantage of the back to school sales to fill up my crayon and marker stash at home for the year as the prices are hard to beat.

[Mandynee22]

It is a lot but it's about the same as what we have to do. (Only one kid, though, in school)
Watch for sales. Do you have a staples near you? The ones here have these killer sales during summer vacation (like crayola crayons- 5 cents a box, glue sticks or folders- 1 cent, box of pencils- 3 cents etc). The things change every week and I go as much as possible and send other people too because they have a limit of 5 usually.

[TCMoulton]

Definitely watch the sales - for crayons you can usually get 24 count boxes of Rose Art for .10 and Crayola for .20 - I always buy extra to send during the year if more are needed as if you wait to buy you can easily spend $1 on a box of 24 in December!