School Supplies: To Buy or Not to Buy – That is the Question

The flyers are out, the stores are jammed with unhappy kids and backpacks are flying off the shelves like bananas at a monkey party. But, what about the aisles and aisles of supplies? Do we really need to go out every single year and buy boxes of crayons, notebooks covered with puppies and kittens, rulers, glue sticks and everything else that we find on the back to school supply list? Hopefully every teacher who reads this won’t be too devastated, but as a veteran teacher, I say NO WAY! At least, not before school begins. Schools print out relatively generic lists of supplies that can be found at super stores across the country, but as a teacher, and a parent, I prefer to get the input of the classroom teacher before I actually go out and spend money on things that my daughters really won’t need.

Now, what should you really send you child to school with on the first day? What are the actual essentials that every student could bring in, and every teacher would be happy to receive? First, and foremost – tissues, tissues and more tissues. Last year I received twenty boxes of tissues and they were gone before the end of January. Let’s face it, we’ve all sent our kids to school with the sniffles, it’s just a fact of life. But, when a teacher runs out of tissues and we’re forced to tell kids to use those scratchy, recycled, paper towels, we feel pretty bad about it. I send my daughters to school with six boxes of tissues each. This year, as we enter middle school (don’t get me started…I’ll just start to cry again!), I’ve stocked up on the little packets of tissues for her backpack. At least one folder with pockets is essential for homework and papers that are sent home. One package of pencils, which I usually collect when they are brought in and hold in my supply cabinet until needed, because if I leave them out, they seem to walk away. One composition notebook, or a spiral with perforated pages. Once you find out the preference of your child’s teacher, you can go nuts. Personally, I prefer binders in my classroom, so when my students show up with a stack of notebooks, I feel that it’s a horrible waste of money. Dry erase markers are another item that many teachers use, pretty much all the time. When one of my students gave me a package of dry erase markers that were a variety of exotic colors it was one of the coolest things I’d seen! One package of baby wipes – perfect for quick clean ups, and sandwich as well as gallon zip-top baggies are a few other items that teachers use more that parents might realize.

The first days of school can be completely overwhelming setting up procedures, meeting new friends, passing out textbooks and performing the basic housekeeping tasks that help create a positive learning environment. Sending in a few boxes of tissues along with a note asking what the preferred notebooks are (1-subject? 3-subject? Spiral? Composition?), how many folders the students will need, crayons/colored pencils/markers is a great way to show that you’re a ready, willing and able participant in your child’s learning process. This is where those generic supply lists can come in handy. If you attach it with your note and ask the teacher to highlight what they would like, you’ll make his or her day easier and you’ll have your shopping list ready for your next trip to the store!

Wishing you all a fun-filled school year!

– Erin (So. Florida That’s It Mommy)