Full Swing
Tonight we received THE LISTS.
For those of you with school aged children, go ahead and groan.
I am amazed...no, I am a.m.a.z.e.d. at how much schools do not supply. I remember when all I needed to do was show up with some paper and a pencil. Today's students are much more sophisticated, and so the school supply lists are much much longer.
We spent about 1.5 hours at Office Max tonight, along with about 300 other parents toting thier own lists.
I was sooo not going to Meijer again this year. They had NOTHING left on the lists, which only drew out the nightmare longer than necessary. [i.e. numerous notes from teachers asking for more stuff]
So I decided to get it all done in one event.
We left Office Max $90 lighter, and a ton of school supplies heavier. Which totally deserved a swing through Baskin Robbins...and then an excusion to Barnes and Noble.
Now the house is quiet, except for Caleb grumping at the T.V. because he has once again decided to torture himself by attempting to play a video game. Either that or the cat is attacking his feet, which she is convinced are monsters [I don't blame her].
I've just finished writing to all of the kids' teachers. Just a hello letter to let them know that I am watching them. I mean...that I am here for them in case they need me. Yeah. No really...I wanted to try something this year called communication. I hear it works wonders. So I wrote to each of them [all 8 of them].
School is almost in full swing. Unfortunately, my swing is one of those crooked ones with half the chain wrapped around the top bar. I'll probably be swaying lopsided all year. Of course, that's really nothing new.
xoxo
posted by Kassi Gilbert @ 11:15 PM
9 Comments:
Yeah, Spencer started school today, which means that we "picked up her schedule" (ie: registered her) last week.
School this year cost us just over $100.00 for books, $40.00 for her 2005-2006 yearbook, and $48.25 for school pictures. Isn't public school supposed to happen for a 'nominal' fee??
She'll find out today what she needs supply-wise for the semester. My guess that a graphing calculator (roughly $80.00) is required for her math classes.
...and mind you, she won't know what she needs for second semester until mid-January.
I long for the carefree days of grade/middle school.... ((Although not that often anymore, to be honest. Just at school registration.))
Maybe I just want an excuse to buy a new 24-pack of Crayolas?
xoxoxo
--Kim
$90? You got off easy. Three kids + athletics = $600. Want to buy some kids?
Umm..that was just for paper, pencils, pens, and binders, I never mentioned anything about shoes, clothes, pictures, yearbook...etc. etc.
We have yet to do clothes shopping and this weekend is haircuts. I feel your pain.
Update on the graphing calculator...
Spencer called when she got home from school, she needs the Texas Instruments (?) T-84 Plus Silver Graphing Calculator for math class this year.
Research online shows this gem to cost $120.00 - $150.00. (Plus tax.) The teacher wants them to get this one because #1: They can download what they need from their home computers, and (according to my thoughts) #2: This teacher is somehow getting a kick-back from TI for every damn one of these sold.
Oh, and we haven't shopped yet for shoes, jeans, binders, etc....
Pray for us to win PowerBall or something like that!
xoxoxo
KimR
I'm so glad my kids aren't in H.S. yet. I almost had to buy that calculator for college. I decided not to, and just use the internet for my graphing needs.
Do you think the teachers are just disgruntled by the pitiful pay they receive for molding the minds of America and are taking out on the parents? "If I'm going to be perpetually broke, so will everybody, ha,ha,ha!" Whatever happened to a pencil, ONE pad of paper, and some glue?
Or better yet, what about the GOOD old days when kids shared a slate a penny-piece of chalk?
NOW we're talkin...
I'm with you Afric Bleu. I think I'm taking all this crap back to office max and making my kids use chalk and slate boards. Heck...why not just give them toilet paper and golf pencils. If they make a mistake they can tear a sheet off...that's all I was allowed!!
I think that the school budget should actually include some things like oh I dont know...text books. My child doesn't even have a text book for science class this year. He has a binder, and they will be giving him hand outs. wth?
oooooo - it's amazing how much stuff has to come from parents. I remeber when I was working as an aide in an elementary school. I was in the special ed department and the school was actually recieving extra funds because it was home to the special ed classes for several neighborhoods - and those kids had to sit in broken chairs and use pencils without erasers and their books were missing pages. At the end if the year they hit a budget crisis and we weren't allowed to make copies anymore. So, no hand outs, and hardly any books. I know that schools don't exactly have much money, but come ON. I think this state - this country, needs to take a more serious role in education. A lot of parents can't afford all of the junk needed for school for their kids.
i think it's awesome that you are writing their teachers - whatever the reason(s), i think they'll appreciate it and i bet the benefits (to your kids) long-term could be huge - but hard to measure.
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