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Post by freecharlie on Aug 5, 2014 3:33:27 GMT
First, I am a teacher. I understand why teachers ask for specific items. Crayola markers, crayons, and colored pencils really are better. Ticonderoga pencils kick the crap out of the others... I know there are reasons behind specific colors for folders, college vs wide...
So here is my rant. I just checked my 5th grader's supply list and they want 80 (yes that is EIGHTY) SHARPENED Ticonderoga pencils.
WTF? Really? If most of the kids in the class brought in pencils, that would be 1600 sharpened pencils. 1st, figure out how to manage your students to keep them from using 1600 pencils. 2nd, I'll sharpen 10, maybe even 20 pencils, but I am not sharpening 80. And finally, where the hell do the teachers store 1600 sharpened pencils. It would be easier to have them still in the box and sharpen a box at a time. As a teacher, I can spend some of my time sharpening pencils. Is it a time suck? Yes, but damn. What do they think the families who have that handheld sharpener bought for 50 cents are going to do?
I'm on the board of the PTO, friends with one of the 5th grade teachers, and very involved in the school. This will be a topic of discussion.
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Post by Sassenach on Aug 5, 2014 3:40:33 GMT
Could it be typo?
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Post by eversograceful1 on Aug 5, 2014 3:46:20 GMT
I was thinking typo too
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 5, 2014 3:46:27 GMT
I don't think so. This is an updated list for the whole school. Here are the other grade's pencils requirements kinder- 20 1st- 60 2nd- 48 3rd- 80 4th- 48 5th- 80 |
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whirledpeas
Junior Member
Oceanside, California
Posts: 52 
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Post by whirledpeas on Aug 5, 2014 3:46:33 GMT
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 5, 2014 3:48:25 GMT
Yeah, I'm not spending $24 on 90 pencils, even if they are cool. |
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perumbula
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,439
Location: Idaho
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Post by perumbula on Aug 5, 2014 3:49:56 GMT
yeah, that looks excessive. Personally, I don't send in the full number of requested pencils each year. Yes, I am that mom. I have found over the course of sending five children to school that if I limit the number of pencils I send, my kids keep better track of the ones they have. If I send in the full year's worth I'm having to restock my kid in November. If I send in 1/3 to 1/4 of the requested number I'm having to restock my kid in . . . wait for it . . . November. The more they have the more they lose.
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Post by shanniebananie on Aug 5, 2014 3:53:26 GMT
Many times we had to share our grade level supplies with the specials teachers. It is possible some are going to Spanish teacher, art, music, etc...
Ticonderogas do kick all pencils ass though!
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 5, 2014 3:55:31 GMT
Many times we had to share our grade level supplies with the specials teachers. It is possible some are going to Spanish teacher, art, music, etc... Ticonderogas do kick all pencils ass though! I honestly don't know if they share or not, I can check that. But, wouldn't you think each grade level would need to share too? And honestly, it isn't the 80 pencils that really gets me (although I think it is excessive), it is the fact that they want me to sharpen all 80 pencils. |
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Post by mikewozowski on Aug 5, 2014 4:03:56 GMT
i think that requiring kids to bring in that many pencils is teaching kids to NOT keep track of their stuff. honestly, how many pencils would a kid go through if they lost none of them? 10? requiring 80 is ridiculous!
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SabrinaP
Pearl Clutcher
Busy Teacher Pea
Posts: 4,408
Location: Dallas Texas
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Post by SabrinaP on Aug 5, 2014 4:08:07 GMT
I think that's crazy. I buy my kids Ticonderoga because I think they are the best, but I do not put it on my list. My 5th graders keep their extra pencils in a ziplock Baggie in their lockers. At 5th grade, they should be keeping up with their own supplies.
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 5, 2014 4:09:00 GMT
i think that requiring kids to bring in that many pencils is teaching kids to NOT keep track of their stuff. honestly, how many pencils would a kid go through if they lost none of them? 10? requiring 80 is ridiculous! My best guess (and I will verify with the teacher I know at DS's school) is that they are communal supplies. If the student's pencil becomes dull, they go get a sharpened one out of a can and put the dull or broken one into a different can. The same if they can't find their pencil, just go get one from the can. That way the student doesn't waste class time sharpening the pencil and there isn't the noise and movement in the room. So all 80 that I would supply would not go to DS, but whomever needed them. |
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Post by Minnesota*Mom on Aug 5, 2014 4:14:54 GMT
That is an excessive amount of pencils! I buy the Ticonderoga brand, but I don't send them all to school on the first day. I keep most of them at home and when my kids need more, they know where to find them.
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 5, 2014 4:18:07 GMT
I teach fifth and we ask for 48 and that is a lot. Sadly half the kids don't bring any and teachers end up buying them. Perhaps communal is the way for the teacher to have to keep from buying them. Yeah, I'd ask the teacher. I have a bunch of pencils that are sharpened on the first day kids can borrow. The can only sharpen their pencils twice a day with hand sharpeners. My electric ones I purchased and kids break those within 3 days. (We had old ones that lasted years and years, but the school won't buy them.) I kind of hate pencils. I tell the kids to just bring mechanical ones if they want. The led is so much neater.
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 5, 2014 4:20:03 GMT
I had a fantastic wall mounted manual sharpener last year at my old school. It was like two to three turns to sharpen it. Even with a brand new pencil, it took 5 turns to sharpen it.
I was so tempted to take it off the wall when I left.
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Post by Sassenach on Aug 5, 2014 4:22:26 GMT
It's simple...Those that can afford to pay for the pencils have to provide for those that can't. There is no way that one kid will be using 80 pencils in one year.
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NoWomanNoCry
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,856
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Post by NoWomanNoCry on Aug 5, 2014 4:26:19 GMT
Wow that is crazy...I'm more shocked at the fact they need to be sharpened! On another note: what makes these pencils so good? I don't remember ever having these when I was in school. Just wondering  |
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Post by tania7424 on Aug 5, 2014 4:30:59 GMT
DS had to have 24 in Grade 1. Not a single one came home. In fact, he came home with pencils that were practically nubs of other kids. I guess he ripped right through his 24.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 11, 2024 6:18:23 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2014 4:31:58 GMT
My dd is going to be in fifth grade. She needed 40 pencils. I got her 48 because they come in packages of 24. Eighty is just crazy and sharpened is nuts. I got my kids' supplies today. I have decided that I hate school supply shopping. I am a teacher too and I probably should have more patience with the supplies but with three kids it was so stressful.
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 5, 2014 4:34:08 GMT
Wow that is crazy...I'm more shocked at the fact they need to be sharpened! On another note: what makes these pencils so good? I don't remember ever having these when I was in school. Just wondering They sharpen evenly without breaking and they seem to be stronger than others. |
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NoWomanNoCry
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,856
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Post by NoWomanNoCry on Aug 5, 2014 4:36:15 GMT
Wow that is crazy...I'm more shocked at the fact they need to be sharpened! On another note: what makes these pencils so good? I don't remember ever having these when I was in school. Just wondering They sharpen evenly without breaking and they seem to be stronger than others. Thanks! I may need to pick up a pack. |
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sweetandsour
Full Member
Posts: 227
Jun 30, 2014 17:43:52 GMT
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Post by sweetandsour on Aug 5, 2014 6:06:50 GMT
My kids only needed 24 pencils and I guess they must be frugal because they always brought back at least 12 at the end of June.
But then they became rebels and started using mechanical pencils in middle school (despite what the school supply list said).
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Post by lesleyanne on Aug 5, 2014 6:07:17 GMT
80 is excessive. We have 190 school days. That's a new pencil every 2.4 days. Seriously? I like to have lots of pencils on hand, but I budget a new pencil every two weeks.
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Aug 5, 2014 10:29:31 GMT
I think that's crazy. I buy my kids Ticonderoga because I think they are the best, but I do not put it on my list. My 5th graders keep their extra pencils in a ziplock Baggie in their lockers. At 5th grade, they should be keeping up with their own supplies. It does seem excessive and I too think teaches them that everything is readily disposable , rather than just a consumable. That is 1 new pencil every 2-3 days. |
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Aug 5, 2014 10:32:53 GMT
Yep. It is. Tell 'em all the women on your message board said so and you won't send that many.  |
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Post by christine58 on Aug 5, 2014 10:37:38 GMT
Pssst...you can buy Ticonderogas already sharpened...BUT that's way toooooo many pencils. I wonder if it's a typo
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Post by monklady123 on Aug 5, 2014 10:37:36 GMT
yeah, that looks excessive. Personally, I don't send in the full number of requested pencils each year. Yes, I am that mom. I have found over the course of sending five children to school that if I limit the number of pencils I send, my kids keep better track of the ones they have. If I send in the full year's worth I'm having to restock my kid in November. If I send in 1/3 to 1/4 of the requested number I'm having to restock my kid in . . . wait for it . . . November. The more they have the more they lose. Yes, this. ugh, my ds was so awful with pencils. A decent alternative to Ticonderoga is the Staples own brand. They sharpen well, and the eraser is soft so it doesn't smear. And they're much less expensive. Thankfully none of my kids' teachers ever asked for that many pencils.  |
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Post by pretzels on Aug 5, 2014 11:38:58 GMT
First, I am a teacher. I understand why teachers ask for specific items. Crayola markers, crayons, and colored pencils really are better. Ticonderoga pencils kick the crap out of the others... I know there are reasons behind specific colors for folders, college vs wide... So here is my rant. I just checked my 5th grader's supply list and they want 80 (yes that is EIGHTY) SHARPENED Ticonderoga pencils. WTF? Really? If most of the kids in the class brought in pencils, that would be 1600 sharpened pencils. 1st, figure out how to manage your students to keep them from using 1600 pencils. 2nd, I'll sharpen 10, maybe even 20 pencils, but I am not sharpening 80. And finally, where the hell do the teachers store 1600 sharpened pencils. It would be easier to have them still in the box and sharpen a box at a time. As a teacher, I can spend some of my time sharpening pencils. Is it a time suck? Yes, but damn. What do they think the families who have that handheld sharpener bought for 50 cents are going to do? I'm on the board of the PTO, friends with one of the 5th grade teachers, and very involved in the school. This will be a topic of discussion. FWIW, I'm pretty sure I supplied the entire freshman class (300+) with pencils last year. My DS literally needed a new one every single day. But whatever. |
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Post by PinkPrincess77 on Aug 5, 2014 11:47:13 GMT
I'm "that" mom when I say that I loathe communal supplies. We buy the "better" brands (and I realize that sounds snobby and is not my intent, but it's too early to figure out the right words LOL) so they'll last longer and he gets sent home with the shit brands that fall apart after a couple of weeks. Grrrrr...
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Post by worrywart on Aug 5, 2014 11:49:01 GMT
Seriously, I don't mind buying Ticonderoga for my child but I am dang sure not sending 80 or even 50 of them to the school. In a lot of schools 90% of the kids would not even be bringing Ticonderoga if they brought any pencils at all..and then my kid would end up with cheap yellow pencils while other kids are getting the Ticonderoga I bought.
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