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Post by 950nancy on Aug 5, 2014 19:55:46 GMT
Cheap pencils break and clog up the pencil sharpeners. That is why kids now have to use their own sharpener. The pencils that have the plastic lining are the worst.
There are also some kids that still chew their pencils in elementary school. Those get tossed before they are too short.
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 5, 2014 19:57:14 GMT
My youngest is a senior. He said he needs a pen and a couple pieces of paper.
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Post by cyndijane on Aug 5, 2014 20:14:44 GMT
I'm not a fan of communal supplies. I get why they make sense in a classroom setting, but it irritates me to no end when what I send for my child isn't actually for my child. If the teacher needs more of something, I'm more than willing to send in extras of whatever random or common item they ask for. But dumping all the supplies together drives me crazy.
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Post by moretimeplease on Aug 5, 2014 20:23:58 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. This is so me too! I am also not a fan of shared supplies. My DD would get so frustrated last year because she would always get stuck using the crappy pencils. She would get out one of her new, pristine, nicely sharpened Ticonderoga pencils to start the day. But then they would switch centers, or go to Music, or do group work at a different table. And despite them supposedly leaving all supplies at the table when they rotate, she could never find her new pencil when she got back to her home table. We went thru more pencils last year than EVER before.
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Country Ham
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,314
Jun 25, 2014 19:32:08 GMT
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Post by Country Ham on Aug 5, 2014 20:54:15 GMT
I buy them in boxes of 20 already sharpened. I actually do buy a bunch of boxes on sale. Our kids do not contribute to community supplies though.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Aug 5, 2014 21:03:39 GMT
That's excessive, but sadly, not uncommon.
My kids' school had excessive supply lists as well. And it's because of communal supplies as well. Drives me up a wall. I am not made of money, but I PRIORITIZE to buy my children's school supplies. I feel almost cheated when I have to send in all those school supplies to cover when Billy & Sally's parents don't send in school supplies for them, and yet the parents are texting on their brand new iPhones, while I still have my "dumb" phone (not smartphone).
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 5, 2014 21:13:13 GMT
That's excessive, but sadly, not uncommon. My kids' school had excessive supply lists as well. And it's because of communal supplies as well. Drives me up a wall. I am not made of money, but I PRIORITIZE to buy my children's school supplies. I feel almost cheated when I have to send in all those school supplies to cover when Billy & Sally's parents don't send in school supplies for them, and yet the parents are texting on their brand new iPhones, while I still have my "dumb" phone (not smartphone). It is frustrating. I see it a lot. I buy at least five complete sets of supplies for my classroom kiddos that don't have any or just a few. It breaks my heart to see some kids feel badly that they go without. I also pay for field trips and school lunches when needed. I think when you are in the room with the kids you see how a little thing is appreciated. Don't get me wrong, I see plenty of parents at conferences whip out their smart phones and that irks me, but knowing their kids on such a personal basis trumps that.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Aug 5, 2014 21:22:24 GMT
That's excessive, but sadly, not uncommon. My kids' school had excessive supply lists as well. And it's because of communal supplies as well. Drives me up a wall. I am not made of money, but I PRIORITIZE to buy my children's school supplies. I feel almost cheated when I have to send in all those school supplies to cover when Billy & Sally's parents don't send in school supplies for them, and yet the parents are texting on their brand new iPhones, while I still have my "dumb" phone (not smartphone). It is frustrating. I see it a lot. I buy at least five complete sets of supplies for my classroom kiddos that don't have any or just a few. It breaks my heart to see some kids feel badly that they go without. I also pay for field trips and school lunches when needed. I think when you are in the room with the kids you see how a little thing is appreciated. Don't get me wrong, I see plenty of parents at conferences whip out their smart phones and that irks me, but knowing their kids on such a personal basis trumps that. I do understand. And I hold it as no fault of the child's. How could it possibly be? They are just children and have absolutely no control of the situation. And I am that parent who asks the teacher regularly throughout the school year what the classroom needs, and when he/she tells me, I go and buy it, no questions asked. But it just pisses me off sometimes when I see Sally's mom showing off her brand new neck tattoo or Billy's dad with new rims for his truck, and I'm like, "Gee, I wonder how many school supplies you could have bought your kid with the money you spent on yourself instead?"
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cakatie
Junior Member
Posts: 77
Jun 29, 2014 4:45:05 GMT
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Post by cakatie on Aug 5, 2014 21:45:04 GMT
Hi all - 3rd grade teacher here! I totally agree that 80 pencils seems excessive and that, in my experience, Ticonderoga pencils last the longest. I think this may have been posted already in Pea-world, but if not I wanted to say that there is an amazing pencil sharpener, that, as a teacher, has changed my life! The pencils (any pencil, not just Ticonderoga) get super-sharp and they are almost impossible to break even if you TRY. Seriously, as someone who has tried all the options - community supplies, individual pencils, mechanical pencils, etc, this sharpener has made my teaching life 1000 times better. I have to make sure there's a day's worth of sharp pencils before we start the day and then I don't think about it again - the pencils are that good and last that long with this sharpener. Here's the link if you're interested: www.classroomfriendlysupplies.comAnd I'm not affiliated in any way, just LOVE the sharpener! Katie
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 5, 2014 21:50:42 GMT
Katie, I just ordered the firehouse red one. If they are magical, I can foresee these as Christmas gifts for my teammates.
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cakatie
Junior Member
Posts: 77
Jun 29, 2014 4:45:05 GMT
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Post by cakatie on Aug 5, 2014 21:52:32 GMT
You will love it! People think I'm crazy when I say it, but it truly has changed my life.
Btw, if it gets a little slow and the pencils seem like the lead is loose, it probably needs a replacement blade. I replace my blade a couple of times a year and it's good as new!
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Post by theboydbunch on Aug 5, 2014 21:59:07 GMT
Cheap pencils break and clog up the pencil sharpeners. That is why kids now have to use their own sharpener. The pencils that have the plastic lining are the worst. Cheap pencils often are difficult to sharpen and end up having to sharpen 1/2 the pencil to get a point...
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Post by theboydbunch on Aug 5, 2014 22:00:16 GMT
You will love it! People think I'm crazy when I say it, but it truly has changed my life. Btw, if it gets a little slow and the pencils seem like the lead is loose, it probably needs a replacement blade. I replace my blade a couple of times a year and it's good as new! BEST sharpener ever!!!
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 5, 2014 22:09:24 GMT
Exactly. And I think that putting ridiculous quantities calls the validity of the rest of the list. There are legitimate reasons some items are on the list, even if parents don't understand them, but this is beyond me.
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 5, 2014 22:14:57 GMT
That's excessive, but sadly, not uncommon. My kids' school had excessive supply lists as well. And it's because of communal supplies as well. Drives me up a wall. I am not made of money, but I PRIORITIZE to buy my children's school supplies. I feel almost cheated when I have to send in all those school supplies to cover when Billy & Sally's parents don't send in school supplies for them, and yet the parents are texting on their brand new iPhones, while I still have my "dumb" phone (not smartphone). It is frustrating. I see it a lot. I buy at least five complete sets of supplies for my classroom kiddos that don't have any or just a few. It breaks my heart to see some kids feel badly that they go without. I also pay for field trips and school lunches when needed. I think when you are in the room with the kids you see how a little thing is appreciated. Don't get me wrong, I see plenty of parents at conferences whip out their smart phones and that irks me, but knowing their kids on such a personal basis trumps that. Unfortunately it isn't always the parents who can't afford the supplies that don't send them in. As a PTO we for years bought field day t-shirts for the kids whose parents didn't buy them so that all kids had them on field day. Parents figured it out and just quit buying them because the school would. I know that as a teacher, I would make sure that all students had what they needed, but I wouldn't let parents know that.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 5, 2014 22:15:37 GMT
I am much more bitter about the composition notebooks. I detest that all through elementary school the teachers insisted on 4 or 5 notebooks and then used less than half and in some cases a handful of pages. I understand that it's easier to tell a bunch of 8 year olds to get out their science composition notebook. And since they only have science once a week or whatever, it's not going to be used up. But it's such a huge waste. And you can't even rip the pages out to use for another purpose as the whole notebook is stitcher together.
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Post by M~ on Aug 5, 2014 22:15:51 GMT
I'm not a parent, but if I had kids, I wouldn't mind sending extra supplies. A 96 pack of Ticonderogas cost 15.02 on Amazon.
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 5, 2014 22:18:21 GMT
Hi all - 3rd grade teacher here! I totally agree that 80 pencils seems excessive and that, in my experience, Ticonderoga pencils last the longest. I think this may have been posted already in Pea-world, but if not I wanted to say that there is an amazing pencil sharpener, that, as a teacher, has changed my life! The pencils (any pencil, not just Ticonderoga) get super-sharp and they are almost impossible to break even if you TRY. Seriously, as someone who has tried all the options - community supplies, individual pencils, mechanical pencils, etc, this sharpener has made my teaching life 1000 times better. I have to make sure there's a day's worth of sharp pencils before we start the day and then I don't think about it again - the pencils are that good and last that long with this sharpener. Here's the link if you're interested: www.classroomfriendlysupplies.comAnd I'm not affiliated in any way, just LOVE the sharpener! Katie I was looking at those yesterday. Did you mount it somewhere?
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 5, 2014 22:20:21 GMT
I'm not a parent, but if I had kids, I wouldn't mind sending extra supplies. A 96 pack of Ticonderogas cost 15.02 on Amazon. I don't mind either, but I don't appreciate that it is required.
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Post by kristenf on Aug 5, 2014 22:22:08 GMT
Dude... kids are in school for 180 days. That requirement assumes that a kid will go through an entire pencil, ever 2.25 days. For real??? Even 40 pencils is more than 1 per week. Dang!!!
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RosieKat
Drama Llama
PeaJect #12
Posts: 5,538
Jun 25, 2014 19:28:04 GMT
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Post by RosieKat on Aug 5, 2014 22:25:01 GMT
My daughter can go through a brand new pencil in half an hour of homework. She's 8, and it seems like somehow the way she writes (high pressure, and something about the angle) makes the point break off all but immediately. She also likes them super-sharp. The Ticonderogas are better, but still not miracles. So for US, sending in 80 might not be enough! But it's hard, because I'm another one raised in the era of send in 2 and make them last the whole year!
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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 22:25:46 GMT
You will love it! People think I'm crazy when I say it, but it truly has changed my life. Btw, if it gets a little slow and the pencils seem like the lead is loose, it probably needs a replacement blade. I replace my blade a couple of times a year and it's good as new! BEST sharpener ever!!! I agree! I've had mine for 3 years and it's going strong. It sharpens fast and well!
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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 22:28:05 GMT
Hi all - 3rd grade teacher here! I totally agree that 80 pencils seems excessive and that, in my experience, Ticonderoga pencils last the longest. I think this may have been posted already in Pea-world, but if not I wanted to say that there is an amazing pencil sharpener, that, as a teacher, has changed my life! The pencils (any pencil, not just Ticonderoga) get super-sharp and they are almost impossible to break even if you TRY. Seriously, as someone who has tried all the options - community supplies, individual pencils, mechanical pencils, etc, this sharpener has made my teaching life 1000 times better. I have to make sure there's a day's worth of sharp pencils before we start the day and then I don't think about it again - the pencils are that good and last that long with this sharpener. Here's the link if you're interested: www.classroomfriendlysupplies.comAnd I'm not affiliated in any way, just LOVE the sharpener! Katie I was looking at those yesterday. Did you mount it somewhere? I didn't mount mine, but it does come with a little clamp to mount if you want. I up find it easy to just put my left hand on top of it and crank with my right hand. You do not have to hold the pencil because the sharpener grips it.
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 5, 2014 22:32:55 GMT
I was looking at those yesterday. Did you mount it somewhere? I didn't mount mine, but it does come with a little clamp to mount if you want. I up find it easy to just put my left hand on top of it and crank with my right hand. You do not have to hold the pencil because the sharpener grips it. Are you the only one who uses it or do you allow your students?
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Renee
Junior Member
Posts: 89
Jun 26, 2014 0:39:03 GMT
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Post by Renee on Aug 5, 2014 22:39:35 GMT
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. Renting is a great option. My daughter is an art major, so she doesn't need a lot of books. However, we buy tons of art supplies which is kind of fun! Eighty pencils is absolutely crazy.
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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 22:47:18 GMT
I didn't mount mine, but it does come with a little clamp to mount if you want. I up find it easy to just put my left hand on top of it and crank with my right hand. You do not have to hold the pencil because the sharpener grips it. Are you the only one who uses it or do you allow your students? I usually do, but I just bought a second for my students use. I will probably just put it on top of one of my counters. My own child has been sharpening pencils with it since 1st grade. He even taught his first grade teacher how to use it after she ordered one!
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cakatie
Junior Member
Posts: 77
Jun 29, 2014 4:45:05 GMT
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Post by cakatie on Aug 5, 2014 23:59:29 GMT
I don't mount mine either, just hold it with my left hand to steady it. There is a clamp that comes with it and I just saw when I went to pull up the website that there is a new mounting plate that makes it more permanent. Might have to look into that for this year. I don't have my students sharpen pencils but some other teachers at my school do - might try that this year too!
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Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 6, 2014 2:55:53 GMT
I'm not a parent, but if I had kids, I wouldn't mind sending extra supplies. A 96 pack of Ticonderogas cost 15.02 on Amazon. I'm fortunate in that I don't have to stress about the expense of school supplies. But I am absolutely sensitive to the fact that the $187 per child I spent for the list my kids' school sent is a burden on many families.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 11, 2024 6:22:22 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2014 2:59:30 GMT
I'm not a parent, but if I had kids, I wouldn't mind sending extra supplies. A 96 pack of Ticonderogas cost 15.02 on Amazon. I'm fortunate in that I don't have to stress about the expense of school supplies. But I am absolutely sensitive to the fact that the $187 per child I spent for the list my kids' school sent is a burden on many families. When my kids were in elementary school, I would guess more than half of our students in each classroom did not have families that could spend $15 on pencils. I'm glad the teachers in our school were sensitive at the time and realized that getting a pencil in their hand was the more important end result.
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freebird
Drama Llama
'cause I'm free as a bird now
Posts: 6,927
Jun 25, 2014 20:06:48 GMT
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Post by freebird on Aug 6, 2014 2:59:50 GMT
That's one pencil every 2.25 days for a 180 day school year. If your kid can't keep track of a pencil for more than 2 days they have bigger issues.
I'd send a dozen and call it good.
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