peppermintpatty
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1345
Posts: 3,949
Jun 26, 2014 17:47:08 GMT
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Post by peppermintpatty on Aug 5, 2014 11:51:07 GMT
When my ds was in 5th grade (last year) he went with the cheap mechanical no 2 pencils. My kids like mechanical and they can keep better track of them. I would NOT send 80 pencils in with any kid. I seriously question some of the waste that is required for school supplies with elementary schools. My child did NOT need 5 composition books when 4 of them had 1, yes 1, page written in it!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 11, 2024 6:20:40 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2014 11:55:33 GMT
That also sounds excessive to me. I'm thankful that the standard for my kids in elementary has always been 24 pencils. Yep. It is. Tell 'em all the women on your message board said so and you won't send that many. I'm giggling imagining this..." Dear Teacher/ Administrator: I will not be sending in the requested number of pencils, as the Peas are in consensus and have decreed that this is an excessive amount. Sincerely, Freecharlie "
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eleezybeth
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,784
Jun 28, 2014 20:42:01 GMT
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Post by eleezybeth on Aug 5, 2014 11:57:20 GMT
80... The large package comes configured at 72. So you want me to buy that and a pack of 12 to cover that? Sharpened??
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Post by Merge on Aug 5, 2014 12:02:35 GMT
I sharpen 84 pencils at the beginning of each 9 weeks when I change out the pencils in my classroom boxes. I have a good quality electric sharpener and it takes ten minutes, tops. The core classroom teachers don't share their pencils with me.
I think she's asking for that many because she knows only half the class will send anything at all.
ETA: I'm totally in sympathy with wanting to teach kids responsibility for their things, but we're not allowed to "humiliate" students any more by actually letting them experience consequences, so the only person who learns a lesson when there aren't enough pencils to go around is the teacher. Who learns that she will be making another trip to the store to buy pencils with her own money.
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Post by anxiousmom on Aug 5, 2014 12:07:38 GMT
So, SO grateful that I am beyond having to deal with the dreaded supply list.
As the boys get older, the lists narrow significantly. I can buy them a couple of pencils/pens, a couple of comp book and folders and call it a day. No more communal supply dumps, all losses are the direct result of a boy's usually suspect behavior, and no having to buy a forest's worth of pencils. I don't even have to go back to school clothes shopping (we have uniforms and there are enough laying around the house from last year.) This makes me happy because I am pretty sure that clothes shopping with a teenage boy is a smaller, sub-circle of hell.
Life is pretty okay in the anxious household these days.
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ddly
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,020
Jul 10, 2014 19:36:28 GMT
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Post by ddly on Aug 5, 2014 12:12:22 GMT
This! I know that some people here have posted that they love staples pencils but I can't sharpen one without getting halfway through the pencil. I even have a decent pencil sharpener. I work in high school so we don't have a supply list but I keep Ticonderoga pencils in my room for students to use. I usually just get a few boxes from guidance that are left over from testing. I buy myself one box of Black Warriors for the year. I buy ds the black Staedtler with the white eraser. He likes those and they go on sale for $8 for 30 at Staples. I'm sure the 80 pencils are going into the community supply. It's so much easier to have sharpened pencils available for students then to have them sharpen in the middle of class. lisa D.
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Post by melanell on Aug 5, 2014 12:20:06 GMT
That's a lot of pencils. Even my DS who seems to eat pencils doesn't go through 80 in a year. But hey, I see 24 packs in the stores, so I would likely send in 3 of those and call it close enough. As for sharpening & storing, the pencils we buy each year stay at home, and I do sharpen them ahead of time (in an electric sharpener to make it quicker) but I still just return them to their box. They are much easier to deal with that way. And may I just say, that I personally feel the quality of Ticonderogas have really been slipping the last few years. Last year some of ours were warped, and the year before that some were missing the graphite. So I'm actually hoping to find a new "World's Best Pencil", because I'm not sure these are it anymore.
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Post by katieanna on Aug 5, 2014 12:22:32 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. My daughter's been out of school for a while; I don't remember ever having to supply her with no more than a couple of pencils at the beginning of the school year. We took maybe one or two sharpened pencils to school. I'm sure I had lost some pencils during those years but it wasn't something that required everyone to bring a truckload of pencils to school... I wonder if the school gets some kind of kick-back when the kids buy a bunch of those special pencils?? Communal supplies can get confiscated so quickly. It seems to me that going back to the basics (everyone brings two sharpened pencils to school and is responsible for his/her pencils), it would make it easier on everyone.
Seriously, makes no sense to me...
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Post by ~Zoey~ on Aug 5, 2014 12:41:08 GMT
To echo what another poster said - at what point do we teach kids responsibility for taking care of their own school supplies? To the best of my knowledge I never brought in more than a few pencils and pens at a time. I don't know if it has anything to do with age, but I'm old enough that we never had communal supplies, nor were particular colors required for different subjects. One of my fondest back-to-school shopping memories is of selecting folders based on the picture or design.
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Post by Peace Sign on Aug 5, 2014 12:49:22 GMT
my third grader brought home eleventy billion pencils when cleaning out his desk last year. BUT...none of them had erasers and half of them were two inches long. he erases a LOT. (drives me crazy)
so maybe my kid is stealing YOUR kid's pencils!!
I try to get my boys to take better care of their things but they do homework on the bus, there are pencils in each of millions of bags, upstairs, downstairs...pencils everywhere!!
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MerryMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,562
Jul 24, 2014 19:51:57 GMT
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Post by MerryMom on Aug 5, 2014 13:51:07 GMT
You mean when I was a room parent and I spent an hour sharpening the pencils for my son's teacher, the librarian, the office, etc. I was being cheated??!!?!?!
Having witnessed first hand how excessively elementary age kiddoes sharpen pencils (including my own son at the time!!), I can believe that he can go through a pencil every week. I would sharpen a package at a time.
At our school, the teachers shared supplies (pencils, tissues) with librarian, art, music, intervention, school nurse, office, reading recovery, guidance counselor, and PE teachers.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 11, 2024 6:20:40 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2014 13:55:51 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 It's not that they're so much better, it's that most pencils are crap. Especially the cute ones you get in goodie bags that break when you try to sharpen them.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 11, 2024 6:20:40 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2014 14:06:07 GMT
That's excessive and irresponsible IMO.
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MerryMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,562
Jul 24, 2014 19:51:57 GMT
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Post by MerryMom on Aug 5, 2014 16:13:37 GMT
My son's elementary school was about 42% of the kids there were on free or reduced lunch prices. So I would assume the extras are going towards the children who come to school with no supplies. Happens a lot. If you can afford to send in the 72-80 pencils, then do so. If not, then send in a package.
OP, let us know what the teacher said.
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Post by monklady123 on Aug 5, 2014 16:20:56 GMT
My dd said I should tell you that all she needed for school this year was five notebooks in five different colors, and some pens. So it will get better. (she neglected to mention that we just spend $200 or so on stuff for her dorm room -- mattress cover, new bedding, a coffee pot, etc., etc.... rofl. But school supplies were cheap. )
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Post by Fidget on Aug 5, 2014 16:31:23 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. I'm sure this is true - but do you all think that if only 20 pencils were requested - more would bring in 20? Maybe the school supply list should be for the first 1/2 of the school year and then all supplies should be replenished after the winter break My kids are long out of school and we never had requests like this. If my kids ran out of something during the shool year I simply bought more for them.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 5, 2014 17:06:03 GMT
Our school makes it clear what's community what's not. This is middle school and they requested: 1 Package of 24 for child 3 Packages of 24 for community 1 Package of 24 to stay in one of the elective's classrooms.
All presharpened. They also note that one box of the community supplies are reserved for testing. I know they need to compensate for children who don't bring them in, but I do sometimes wonder if they asked for few supplies, perhaps more people would supply them.
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Post by theboydbunch on Aug 5, 2014 17:18:59 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. This is what I was wondering. Is this amount to make up for the kids who don't bring any? There is a huge difference in the quality of pencils and I can see recommending Ticonderoga brand over $ store brand (even though the kids want the sparkly crappy ones) but I think this is nuts. I buy extra pencils and glue sticks when they are on sale right now as "extras" for my classroom. Kids go through these things like crazy. And, I buy the cheap, generic ones, since I'm paying out of my own pocket and buying many to supplement for those who don't bring in enough. I also have each student keep their extra supplies in a gallon baggy so they can replenish from their own stock of items as needed, including glue sticks, etc. If you send in Ticonderoga pencils, Crayola crayons etc. for your child, that's what they get to use in my classroom
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Post by theboydbunch on Aug 5, 2014 17:20:32 GMT
My dd said I should tell you that all she needed for school this year was five notebooks in five different colors, and some pens. So it will get better. (she neglected to mention that we just spend $200 or so on stuff for her dorm room -- mattress cover, new bedding, a coffee pot, etc., etc.... rofl. But school supplies were cheap. ) Have you purchased her books yet? lol
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Post by monklady123 on Aug 5, 2014 17:24:08 GMT
My dd said I should tell you that all she needed for school this year was five notebooks in five different colors, and some pens. So it will get better. (she neglected to mention that we just spend $200 or so on stuff for her dorm room -- mattress cover, new bedding, a coffee pot, etc., etc.... rofl. But school supplies were cheap. ) Have you purchased her books yet? lol hahaha She says "good point." But we did rent them so got away with a fraction of what we would have paid had we bought them.
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Post by theboydbunch on Aug 5, 2014 17:33:54 GMT
Have you purchased her books yet? lol hahaha She says "good point." But we did rent them so got away with a fraction of what we would have paid had we bought them. Can you tell me more about renting them? I'd like to look into this for my son this year
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Post by straggler on Aug 5, 2014 17:34:58 GMT
This is a repeat of a comment I put out there on another thread...so if you think you read it somewhere, you did! Year or two ago, Grandparent's Night at grandson's elementary school. When we visited his room, he showed us where they kept their pencils...conmunal & there must have been hundreds of pencils in those containers. More than enough pencils for the whole school for a year I am sure! Think the teacher could have skipped a year with the pencil requirement in that room!
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Post by monklady123 on Aug 5, 2014 17:36:34 GMT
hahaha She says "good point." But we did rent them so got away with a fraction of what we would have paid had we bought them. Can you tell me more about renting them? I'd like to look into this for my son this year I'm going to start a new thread with this info, because maybe someone else has other experiences with renting from other places.
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SabrinaP
Pearl Clutcher
Busy Teacher Pea
Posts: 4,408
Location: Dallas Texas
Jun 26, 2014 12:16:22 GMT
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Post by SabrinaP on Aug 5, 2014 17:36:42 GMT
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. My daughter's been out of school for a while; I don't remember ever having to supply her with no more than a couple of pencils at the beginning of the school year. We took maybe one or two sharpened pencils to school. I'm sure I had lost some pencils during those years but it wasn't something that required everyone to bring a truckload of pencils to school... I wonder if the school gets some kind of kick-back when the kids buy a bunch of those special pencils?? Communal supplies can get confiscated so quickly. It seems to me that going back to the basics (everyone brings two sharpened pencils to school and is responsible for his/her pencils), it would make it easier on everyone.
Seriously, makes no sense to me... No schools get no kickback. Teachers just know what supplies are the best quality and last the longest. Crayola are far superior to Rosart, all wooden pencils like Ticonderoga are superior to cheap, crappy, plastic based pencils. I do honestly think kids go through a pencil every 2-3 days because they like to sharpen to a point and they use the eraser like crazy. However, I would never ask for that large of a supply from the first day. I expect my 5th graders to be responsible enough to go home and tell their moms when they run out. I know communal supplies are easier in a lot of cases especially lower grades, but at 5th grade I just don't think it makes students responsible for taking care of their own things.
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Post by *christine* on Aug 5, 2014 17:39:05 GMT
My soon to be 8th grader's list requested "180 (yes 180) each pens and pencils".
I told DS I would get him enough pencils and if his teacher wanted 180 to tell her I would come and find someplace for her to keep them!
He said they want them to have a pen and a pencil for every day of the school year. Ok, you will. But you won't need 180 if I have to staple gun them to your hand so you don't lose them.
ETA - If the school supply list specifically asked for pencils for your child and if you can spare or are willing, a box of pencils for the class to share/teacher to have when kids forget/to cover for kids who can't afford it or whose parents just generally suck, I would be more than happy. But to list an inordinate amount of supplies just pisses moms off.
When DS was younger, I always sent an email to the teacher in the first week to say I work FT, I can't volunteer, come to parties or field trips, but if you need tissues, hand sanitizer, supplies, copy paper, gift cards, cash....let me know and I would do whatever I could because I knew I'm in a better place than some families in our school system. I don't do it so much now that he's in middle school, but I will try to remember to send a note again this year.
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Post by alibama on Aug 5, 2014 17:40:40 GMT
Is it wrong that I am sad that I don't have school school age kids anymore I wish I could share in your vents today lol.
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Post by Lori McMud on Aug 5, 2014 17:53:17 GMT
I haven't looked at the supply lists yet for this year, but in the spring when the backpacks came home loaded with the stuff they did not use, I put it in a box in the basement. And when I do look at the lists, we will be shopping from the box first. It may be traumatic for my boys to have to bring a <shudder> used notebook to school, but like someone mentioned, they may have used a few pages from each.
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Post by theboydbunch on Aug 5, 2014 18:01:57 GMT
Pencils and other supplies such as crayons, etc fall out of desk, get kicked around the room, get lost and end up on the floor. The amount thrown away by the custodial staff DAILY is appalling...but that's because many kids don't care enough to pick them up...even when told this is what happens. I see it every day in my 2nd grade classroom. It's very sad, but if they don't care enough to pick up their pencils and crayons from under their desks, I'm not crawling on the floor to do it for them. This is part of the reason why many don't have supplies...
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Post by anxiousmom on Aug 5, 2014 18:19:35 GMT
Oh, I just thought of something that makes me laugh every time (in a "really, again?? kind of way.) For years I bought protractors. Every year, one for each kid per "THE LIST." And for years, those silly things came home having never been used. They always got lost over the summer (the pitfalls of having two houses, things end up in weird places that aren't even your own weird places. LOL) and every fall, I would buy another two protractors. To my knowledge, they never ever got used. I always wondered why they were on "THE LIST" when they just took up space in the backpack, but I dutifully bought them. I bet I have spent $100 over the years on $5 protractors.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 11, 2024 6:20:40 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2014 18:47:14 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. I can "afford" to pay for whatever pencils I want my child to have. I'll go against the grain on this thread and dare call a pencil a pencil. Even if I need to sharpen a regular "cheap" yellow pencil more often I'd guess it's still less expensive than the more expensive option.
That's the thing. When I'm spending MY money, I get to decide the quality of goods I'm purchasing. There are some things that I certainly don't mind paying more for...but there are other things that I don't think are worth it. And again, as long as it's MY money I'm spending, it's ME that gets to make the call.
Thankfully, the only time we had to send in pencils was for elementary school and there would be no way many of the families in our school could've afforded expensive pencils. Teachers were lucky to get ANY pencils sent in at all.
Crayola vs. Roseart...I never minded being brand specific because Crayola crayons and markers were usually sale priced for back to school. And even if there was a difference it was like $0.20.
It's a pencil.
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