Off Topic School Supply Scavanger Hunt!

[Sarah'sMom]

Our school is nice enough to give us a list before school starts and each grade has the same list. Last year it was relatively easy. This year I am on a hunt for colored pencils that are 7 inches long and come in a pack of 8. And, I'm on a hunt for a yellow and a red plastic folder with pockets (I already lucked out and found the blue plastic one). At the store, one Mom told me she bought orange instead of yellow because the one store she found the colors they were all out of yellow so she says the teacher will just have to do with orange.

Anyone else having a scavenger hunt experience?

 

[thefellowsmom]

That's hilarious! I just went school supply shopping as well and this other woman and I were wandering around, hunting and pecking through the office supply store. I actually looked at her at one point and said "It's like a scavenger hunt, right?". I was so glad I didn't try to do it with the kids in tow, had to of taken me over and hour

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

That sounds impossibly frustrating. I'm in high school now, and we don't even have a list. We just take a notebook to school the first day to write down anything the teachers tell us they want us to have. Some of them print lists, others just expect you to have whatever works for you.

 

[shelovestoflip]

Target has plastic folders in all the basic colors...well, they had them last week when I was there! As for colored pencils, I would just buy a box of Crayola and call it a day. I can't imagine a teacher will be out there measuring to see if the pencils are the right length!

 

[bogwoppit]

Some schools are so ridiculous in their requirements.

Our old school gave massive, and very specific, lists out the day school began. This of course was when all sales were over. The costs were crazy.

The school the girls are at now sends the list home with the last report card and it is very simple.

coloured pencils
markers
lined and squared paper
8 binders
gym clothes
indoor shoes
etc etc

It is so much cheaper and allows families to buy at the level they can afford. In this day and economic climate it is awful for them to be nit picking products.

 

[Sarah'sMom]

I found the yellow plastic folders at Office Max. One of the Mom's at Kmart told me she found them at Staples for $8 a piece, so I went to Office Max hoping to find a better price than that. The short colored pencils were not at Kmart, Walmart, The Dollar Store or Office Max. I decided to call it at day and give the long ones that are available everywhere. I think the reason why they do this with such specificity is that some of the supplies (other than the folders) go into a shared pot that all the kids can pick from. I don't understand why, though, for our kindergarten list we had to get two boxes of 8 count Crayola crayons when we could have bought 2 boxes of 24 count for much less and the kids would have even more crayons to share, but there must be some method to this madness.

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

the big thing I noticed this year on the list is "white erasers". Both my elementary kid and middle school kid had it on their list. I really thought an eraser was an eraser. Who knew?

 

[Sarah'sMom]

Are the white erasers some kind of special eraser or are they just white?

 

[thefellowsmom]

I had the white erasers on my list as well. Mine called for white erasers that say magic rub on them. I guess just like we all have brands or types of things that we prefer, teachers probably have brands and types of erasers and other supplies that they think work best or cause the least amount of problems. I totally get that. Maybe these are especially good at not leaving those annoying eraser smears or maybe they don't tear the paper up?

 

[ajanele]

Too funny! I have not been able to find bottles of Elmer's Glue in the 8oz size, which apparently my daughter needs for kindergarten. I've been to 3 stores so far (they were within walking distance of each other) but all I can find are 4oz bottles. I am going to check my local grocery store when I shop this week, if they're not there she will just have to settle for the smaller size.

 

[Sarah'sMom]

Ok....I shouldn't admit this, but I suddenly realized when I was telling someone at work about the 7 inch color pencil, that 7 inches is the typical pencil size..... Now I've just deviated not by size but by having the 12 pack instead of the 8 pack. I think I need more sleep......

 

[cher062]

The white erasers are special once I found them, that was all I used. It doesn't eat the paper when you erase and it doesn't leave all that erasure mess when it does erase either. oh and there isn't even a trace of the pencil being on the paper after you erase. Really clean.SO much better than the standard pink eraser. But just wait until the teacher discovers the "Black Pearl" erasers they are even better than the white ones.

 

[cher062]

colored plastic folders with the pockets in all colors I found at Staples and they are still there as of last night.