About this time of year, do you begin to experience symptoms of school supply fever? I sure do! I begin to crave the smell of crayons and drawing paper. Then I start scouring the Sunday ads for bargains. Before I know it, I’ve lost the willpower to pass by a fully stocked shelf of school supplies without making a purchase. Last night I gave in to the fever. I swung by the store to pick up a few items—cleaning supplies, paper products, and a bit of chocolate. Somehow, as if by magic, when I unpacked my bag of goodies I found a brand-new neon ruler, a Toy Story notebook, a package of multicolored ink pens, and a spiffy pink pencil sharpener—all for me! I simply couldn’t resist making a purchase. How about you? Have you made your first purchase of school supplies? I’ll admit to being a chocoholic, but I’m holding off on confessing to being a school supply junkie just yet. 🙂
Smiles,
Diane
PS: How do you get your school supply list into the hands of parents?
We send home a list of supplies for each grade in the final report card at the end of the school year. The lists are also available online at our school district web site. A new list is also sent home the first day of school.
I have already made several purchases this month! Staples has several penny and dollar specials going on all summer long. I bought 2 pocket, 3 prong folders for a penny each. I use those for so many things throughout the year that I just couldn’t resist.
We send home a school supply list with the final report card of the year. Plus, it’s available at the school office and at local stores.
It’s amazing how much money teachers spend on materials for their classroom… especially elementary teachers! I don’t think my parents or even much of our administration realizes it.. unfortunately, now it’s expected that will fork it over to benefit our students. I hate when I have to tell my son, “No, you can’t use that… it’s for my classroom.” Huh??
Target has Dr.Seuss novelties and I go all out for Read Across America. Although it’s not until March I do a year long author study. I brought mini notebooks(Cat in the Hat, One fish, two fish,Green Eggs and Ham) , notepads, oversized erasers, markers and a Horton Hears a Who tote bag.
I’ve already started the Staples specials too. If you tell them you are a teacher buying for your classroom, they will increase the limit number on specials. I spent my first 25¢ on 25 2 pocket/3prong folders for my classroom! At 1¢ apiece you can’t go wrong!
I went to Walmart today to purchase ONE item…specialty light bulbs for the hall fixture. As I made my way to the bank of checkout stands, there were THE SCHOOL SUPPLIES. I was just going to take a quick look and 20 wide-ruled spiral notebooks (for $0.15 apiece) all but jumped into the basket.
Yikes! Me,too…I went to Target and saw all the Dr.Seuss stuff in the dollar bins and wanted it all. Contained myself and settled for the erasers,pencils,and stickers.But when I went down the aisle looking for picnic items,there were the SCHOOL SUPPLIES!! So,I caved and got crayons for a quarter,pencils and erasers for a buck,and a few notebooks at 15 cents each. I know,I know…there’s still a month of vacation left.But I am a bargainaholic when it comes to school stuff!
I have been hitting the stores for the last couple of weeks buying things. I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday and discovered they are now carrying posters and bulletin board supplies. I was so excited I ended up with 3 new posters.
In PreK we do not give the Parents supply lists. But I have used a giving tree where I wrote on apples what we needed for the classroom. But like all teachers I am always buying supplies out of my own pocket.
I grew up loving the smell of the textbooks and new packs of notebook paper. As an adult with my own money, I’m constantly buying large quantities of paper and pencils. I love school supplies almost more than I love to buy new books to read.
Nothing like it…can’t resist! Been to Staples & love the paperclip holders & the multi-colored paper clips & can’t help but love the colored mini-staplers! And it’s only July!
I too have already hit the staples sales! I can not seem to leave any store with out something school related and the better the deal the more I have to buy. I stock up and give all the students a set of supplies for christmas because by that time of the year they have lost or broken everything they started with. I am very upset when I meet parents shopping that seem bitter about buying supplies. I don’t think they realize how much teachers spend.
Wondering . . .
Does anyone else have to deal with supply lists filled with items that they don’t need in the classroom? Each year our supply lists are sent out without any input from the teachers. Things that we really need (such as markers & play-doh) are left off the list, and things we never use are always listed in multiples (paper plates & small ziploc bags).
Believe me, storing approximately 66 packages of paper plates each year takes up a lot of space!
We send home a supply list at the beginning of the year. We (the teachers) make our own. As for paper plates, I use them for so many projects and other things that I’m not sure I get too many. I have looked at the school supplies, but hubby says NOT YET!
i really envy these discounts/sales you all find.here in europe…no such thing.not only do we end up having to buy our own stuff,we usually have to order online or ask a friend to send some stuff and of course the costs are sky high .i have tried to cut down as i do not make enough to allow for all this spending.life here is EXPENSIVE!
RUTH, I agree with you…perhaps we can work out a trade that benefits both of us.
School Supplies…oh the fun of a new year, new students, a new start…I have been holding off buying but I have been looking throught the sale ads in hopes of a great deal. Diane where did you get the folders for a penny already?
I am always buying supplies, just last week I saw a notebook that had puppies on the front that look just like mine- I bought it and the matching binder, folder, and spiral notebook. This past weekend I was at a teacher conference and was excited because they gave us new bottles of glue and a brand new box of crayons, o and markers! Hi my name is Laura and I am a school supply junkie.
My school posts the list on the website, but the amounts that are asked for last only the first month, till December, or I could supply America. 3 bottles of glue per student and only 1 box of kleenex per student- I have 14 students. We teachers made the list this year.
I too am a school supply junkie and love it when the stores start stocking the school stuff. We also make lists available on the website and in local stores. I often receive the wrong supplies, even though I am specific about getting classic colors of markers or regular-sized crayons. Has anyone set an overall price, parents pay and the school gets the supplies in bulk or on sale?
Love getting all of the school supplies. This year, the district told the parents to buy notebooks but not what color. How do you organize first and second graders if everyone has different pictures on their notebooks? It worked so well when I said, “Take out your green folder for science.” With one look I could see who was ready. So I am out getting the colors that I have programmed into my head for the last 10 years so I don’t go crazy this year. Yeah, Shopko had them for 15 cents
Guilty–I am a junkie! I have already bought some school supplies for myself, and I am heading out again!
As for supply lists–in our middle school, the teachers for each grade get together to make up the supply list and it is handed out to students on Step Up day each spring where kids move up to their next grade for a day. It works out very nicely!