lizzyq

Why not hang on to the returned stuff for the start of the next school year?

Yorkieabroad

The first year, we used some of it over the summer, then sent most of the rest back in, thinking the teachers would be grateful....wrong! they complained that they end up with too much stuff, and not enough space.....overfunded anyone? I suggested that we could collect the spare stuff and take it to some of the schools in the poorer parts of the district that do struggle to get supplies, but that idea was poo-pooed by both the PTA and the school district.

I briefly thought about buying the supplies individually, rather than buying the packs though the school, but one look at the length of the supplies list (times 3 as each grade has different) and I decided savings weren't worth the the hassle. very "ungreen" of me, i know.... so now the charities reap the benefit.

kins

Very interesting. I had not realised the spending varied so widely...

kins

No you don't generally in the UK. You send them in with some pens and pencils and protractors but the paper/books/glue/etc are provided.

In the UK you spend a fortune on school uniform instead, especially as the kids get to high school and need blazers etc. Theoretically schools can't force students to wear expensive uniform but in practice they often do.

AmerLisa

Districts vary, as they do throughout the country. I found that California had pretty good schools. I was educated in California, but in the 70s, my older children were educated there as well. I think the schools we went to were good. However, like a lot of the country, education in California is pretty hit and miss, it depends highly on where you live.

I should add that when I went to school and when my older children went to school, there was no supplying the school with papers, pencils, crayons, etc. When we moved back from the UK and my youngest started in school (here in Washington) we were hit up with a "school supply list" In my naivety I thought it was just where we lived, but as I've come to find out it isn't.

lizzyq

And how! Both my boys are at the same school and I foolishly thought that I would be able to pass on the PE kit - expensive, single supplier, all embroidered with school logo. Boys was I wrong, as younger son started they changed the PE kit so that year I had to buy 2 lots of it, as well as new blazers, etc. They have at least now relaxed the trouser regulations so I can buy from Asda not the school supplier. Also everything has to be named, but not once has a lost but named uniform item made its way back home.

Sally Redux

Where my kids went, you could buy the logo'd stuff or the plain equivalent in school colours.

Since moving here, I have definitely come to see the benefit of school uniform. What to wear has occupied too much of my daughter's attention over the years.

SultanOfSwing

Bloody right. Plus it would help avoid exchanges like this:

Me - "Oi, it's 7:00, get your arse ready for school."
Son - "I will ... (assorted grunts and whines)"

5 minutes later:

Son - "Where's my <<whatever it is he was looking for>>"
Me - "I don't know."
Son - "Didn't you wash it?"
Me - "Did you put it in the basket, or on the floor by the washing machine?"
Son - "No ..."
Me - "Then no, I didn't"
Son - "WHAT?!??!??!?!?!?!!!?! I wanted to wear that today. I hate you."
Me (sotto voce) - "Twunt".
Me - "Not my problem. Next time you know what to do."

Repeat as needed.

AmerLisa

Have to agree with you. It was funny, however, to see my younger daughter's reaction when we were buying school uniforms for her nieces this summer. She thought it was cruel punishment to have to wear uniforms! I did tell her had we never moved to the US she wouldn't have known the difference!

AmerLisa

Yeah the "hate you" would get a kick up the backside and an immediate lesson of how the washer machine works, he may or may not have use of the dryer depending on mood.

SultanOfSwing

I never have the energy at that time of the morning to administer kicks up the arse, so I tend to stick to verbal abuse until after lunch

AmerLisa

Well whatever works, I can relate! But I hope you revisit that one later on!

SultanOfSwing

It'll be something else entirely by then.

We have an arrangement whereby I will throw his stuff in with the normal loads (I don't fold it) but he has to make sure I have it, I won't go looking for dirty clothes so it's his problem if something doesn't get washed.

He can run his mouth off all he likes, I find it hugely amusing that he thinks I'm suddenly going to start giving ****s about what he thinks or says

Yorkieabroad

I suspect the schools expect more from the parents in terms of paperwork...in their first day packets that came home today, I had to fill in 11 forms for the Elementary kids (no 'family' submissions allowed, must be for individual students, and no photocopies allowed, so I had to do double duty on each of these). In the space of those 11 forms, I had to sign 12 times, enter my address 5 times, emergency contact 4 times, Medical insurance 4 times, kids had to sign 4 times (even my 8 year old!). I also had to write for each kid the names, grades and campuses of any siblings in the same school district. The above excluded the optional popcorn forms, PTA membership, spiritwear and yearbook order forms which I just couldn't be arsed with tonight....

For the JH level it was a bit easier - 10 forms, and only 8 signatures for me (still 4 for him), but there were extra forms for Band Performance permission slips, band uniforms and "optional" private lesson registration. The paperwork is a right royal pain in the arse - still stuck in the 1970's - have they not heard of computers!!!!!

Apparently not, because the last one I tried to do was enter our info (again!) in the online directory, but guess what - after all summer to get it ready, the link wasn't working - nice job!!

Rereading this, I think it should have gone in the what pissed you off thread....mods, pretty please....

AmerLisa

The last few years our district has made the forms a bit easier (although the cost for junior high stuff this year made my eyes water!) The form that has the usual student information, ie.. parent's names, emergency contact is now already filled in and we look it over for mistakes, sign it and send it back. At least one less form to fill in!