School & Pet Peeve. . .

[Melissa Burnell]

I was happy to see that this year my list
just said 7 assorted colored folders. In the past I hadn’t been
able to find the black folders but my teachers were generous enough to “allow”
another color. They explained to us about the multiple packs of supplies
that if you know you’ll need them for the year, you will buy them while
on sale and eliminate the need for a last minute store run in December when
they are full price again.

I never send it all at the beginning of the
school year. I’ve learned that most teachers have adopted a
community approach to school supplies and put them all together and just use
from the top. This totally upsets my oldest child who is add and a tad
bit ocd – having to mix his stuff with his classmates things really
upsets him (especially when his things “disappear”!).

It
upsets me in the fact they know I will send in replacements but hate to be the
class supplier of all needs. I finally had to tell the teacher last year
that I would NOT be sending in any more pencils and erasers since they
used/lost/whatever 25 pencils and a box of 100 cap erasers in a week!!!

My pet peeves:

Mandating a supply – then I get it
home UNUSED at the end of the school year!

Kleenex & paper towels – don’t
they provide them?!

Hand sanitizer (so they don’t have
to “waste time” at the bathroom!)

Copy paper – my taxes should at
least provide adequate supplies for the materials they need!

BTW – I do keep under bed storage
boxes in my room with enough school supplies to last throughout the year and
into the next. I buy multiples when they put them on as loss leaders at
the beginning of the school year. I also buy poster boards when they’re
on sale (10 cents this week at Walgreens) so I have them for any projects that
come up during the year.

The best advice is to educate yourself
before voting on school board elections and to know who your representative
is. Call, email and meet them if you can. Sometimes they aren’t
aware of the ‘real’ issues and inconsistencies.

It is
frustrating but I would encourage everyone to get involved at your children’s
school no matter what grade they’re in. It really does make a
difference.

~Yolonda

You know, as a Frugal Mom, I have to share a pet peeve
that really

grits my teeth every year when school starts. . .

The schools here send a letter home with a list of “Required School

Supplies”.

On this list is the following:

Notebooks (7) – the colors are Specified Per Subject. For example-

science notebook must be blue. folder for science class must also be

blue.

excuse me? what right does a school district have to tell me exactly

what i have to buy right down to the colors?? sure, walmart has

notebooks on sale for .10 each right now, however, the closest

walmart to me is an hour and a half away. i had an overstock of

notebooks that i purchased on sale last year which now i am being

told my children cannot use because they aren’t the correct color?!

want to know the kicker? if the kids go to school here and the

supplies don’t match those on the list, the kids get a detention.

punished because their parents live on a budget?!

i picked up one of those lists at the entrance of walmart when i was

grocery shopping last week. one school district required each child

to have 7 new boxes of crayons EACH.

In addition, our school provided me with a bill for $20 per child

for a homework planner they will receive on the first day of school.

I’ve already provided a homework planner for my children, so when I

contacted the school I was told, take it back to the store you have

to use the one the school provides.

Isn’t it interesting how our tax dollars provide less and less for

the schools these days.

Other items on the list:

2 boxes of tissues

Purell hand cleaner

At what point do parents put their foot down and tell the

schools “NO”?!

~Liss

12.0pt;color:

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