Pleasing Office Products
Posted by Kim Murphy on 29 Jul 2009 | Posted in: Organization and Supplies, Teachers and Teaching
Do you know what I love about back-to-school time? Office products! Notebooks, pens, sticky notes, binder clips, crayons, stickers—I love them all! I want to twirl down the back-to-school aisle at the local superstore and sing a little ode to these marvelous items. (In my mind, I imagine being accompanied by a troupe of dancing writing utensils à la Disney.) Do you love office products as much as I do? Talk to me about how you acquire paper, crayons, stickers, and other items for your classroom. What does your school provide? What do you purchase yourself? What items do your youngsters bring to school? And is the economic crunch affecting your ability to acquire the items you need for your classroom? I can’t wait to hear from you.
Your blog cohost (and office geek),
Kimberly Brugger-Murphy
Congratulations to Diane Fangmeyer, Director/Teacher of Covenant Kids Preschool, Covenant Presbyterian Church; Omaha, Nebraska! She is the winner of a copy of the Big Book of Monthly Ideas, PreK-K.
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64 Responses to “Pleasing Office Products”
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More Comments Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 » Show All Comments
Wow, hearing about teachers with $250-$350 budgets AND parent donations makes me jealous! We get $100 from the office for the entire year, and while we do post wish lists at back to school night, we do not send home supply lists with students. I teach at a low-income school where most kids can’t afford supplies, in fact I had a little girl ask if she could take home her school pencil because she didn’t have one at home to do her homework.
$100/year for 20 kids doesn’t go far, so I spend a lot of time at garage sales, back to school sales, and a LOT out of pocket.
YOU GO GIRLS!!!!!
I am with you all the way. Even though I love summer and getting the chance to get caught up, time with family, etc…. I do get excited when the supplies come out in the stores. I have two boys who could care less. I have to pretend I don’t care if we’re shopping because they do not like going down those aisles in July or even in early August. However, when I do get a chance to shop by myself I just devour the smell, the new colors of things, the new items they have and well, what teacher is not excited to get a bargain!!!! I was a little disappointed in some of the sales too. However, in the town I teach crayons were .25 cents at Wal-Mart. When I went shopping in a bigger city and went to Wal-Mart, they had the same kind for .15 cents. So keep looking for the bargains.
The parents at my school pay a supply fee at the beginning of the year that covers all of our students’ school supplies (except their backpacks). I purchase things like die-cuts, nameplates, and stickers to start the year off. I also send a wish list home with each child at the beginning of the year, requesting things like paper, envelopes, stickers, treasure box items, and gift cards for Lakeshore, Target, Michaels, and Borders (to purchase special items throughout the year).
I work for Headstart. The majority of my children are from low income families and cannot bring in a lot. We do, however, have parents who can purchase some materials for us to use in the classroom. Our center does supply our classrooms with construction paper, paint, markers, crayons, collage materials, etc. My co-worker and I usually get together and plan the themes we would like to use and come up with a theme for our classroom. From there, we figure out what materials we want and split the cost. I also love to stock up on the back to school supplies such as crayons, markers, pencils, etc. When you can purchase them for 30¢ each, you can stock up for the year.
July 29, 2009
Dear Kimberly,
My school has never bought the student’s supplies. Parents are given a supply list and are to purchase items like:
3-prong folders with pockets,
boxes of crayons
spiral notebook
plastic schoolbox
tubs of Play Doh
boxes of tissues
#2 pencils
pink pearl erasers
backpack or buy a school bag
bottles of Elmers, black label, glue
glue sticks
copy paper
sanitize gel
baby wipes
disinfectant wipes
case of watercolor paints
scissors
washable markers
ziploc bags (various sizes)
That’s all “well and good” but about 1/3-1/2 of the parents send nothing or neglect to send: watercolor paint sets, 3-prong folders with pockets, backpacks, tissues, spiral notebooks, scissors, or pink pearl erasers. I usually spend about $40.00-$50.00 or my own money to make up the difference. Also, we do not receive any money for start up supplies or maintenance supplies, so I spend around $500.00-$700.00 of my own money; (on printer paper, printer ink, science, soc. stud. and art supplies).
My school is at about 87% free and/or reduced lunch.
I absolutely love it when school supply time comes! It’s a weakness. I particularly love the smell of new pencils and paper. However, I’m a little dissapointed that Staples did not have more 1 cent sales this year. I still got crayolas in 24 box for 25 cents @ Wal-Mart!
I love getting back to school supplies. I think I have passed that love on to my girls. We are already finished shopping and we still have a month off;)
I buy a lot of my stuff, the school gets us some supplies, and the children bring some supplies of their own. I also hang a tree in my room with apples hanging on it. On each apple I write supplies that I would love to have. I try to make it easy and inexpensive for parents to help if they can. I add things like foamies, small paper plates, and glitter glue. I make a point of sending each parent that helps a hand written thank you. I feel that lets them know just how much I appreciate their help.
This will be the first year that I do not have a child of my own to get ready for school as my youngest is off to college in the fall. While I should be thankful that this expense is behind me ( compared to his college expenses it seems like nothing!) I find myself a little misty about losing the experience. I think I will go ahead and get some of what he would usually need and donate it to a student in my class that doesn’t seem to have enough.
My children always think that I am a bit odd, but there is nothing like a new pack of crayons! I always love to open up the box and look at all the colors and neat sharp points. Maybe that is why I am a preschool teacher..hmmm. A new crayon junkie exposed.
OMG, just the smell of a new box of crayons and new markers with sharp tips, it’s the best. Not to mention all the cool organizing things. I love it all. As far as school supplies my school issues a supply list for parents to purchase. For those that are unable to purchase our counslor along with the PTA have kits available.
I teach in a Head Start program and many of our children come from low income homes. We cannot ask them to provide anything. Head Start here provides our file folders, paints, construction paper, glue and some glue sticks, and other misc. supplies. I usually watch for the sales and try to purchase and send home with each child: a box of crayons, a pencil, scissors, and a glue stick. This allow them to have a “school box” at home and encourages practice of skills learned at school. I purchase extras for the class. I have a very understanding husband who realizes that after 30 years of teaching, I STILL need new crayons and such to start the year!
I also love school supplies. I like to see what is new. My weakness is gel pens/markers in different colors. I buy markers/highlighters, erasers, and crayons when they are on sale now to give as prizes and gifts at Christmas time. The different pens have been a hit for my older students. This is the time to find the bargains!