You Gotta be Kidding Me!

I've gotten the school supply lists for the kiddies for the upcoming school year. It seems not only do we supply our kids, but the teachers and the school nurse and the school office as well. Here's the lists for all 4 grades (1st, 3rd, 5th and 6th) combined:

• 2 boxes of quart storage bags
• 1 box of gallon storage bags
• 9 boxes of tissue
• 1 box of band aides
• 4 pairs of scissors
• 5 boxes of baby wipes
• 3 packages of small toys(party favors..that must equal at least 24 per class)
• 3 packages of pencil top erasers
• 4 boxes of crayons
• 6 reams of copy paper
• 1 ream of card stock or color paper
• 14 packages of #2 pencils
• 15 packages of glue sticks
• 2 bottles of Elmer glue
• 2 8-line writing tablets
• 3 zippered pencil bags
• 4 pencil sharpeners(this is just for one kid)
• 1 art box
• 4 backpacks
• 15 folders with prongs and pockets
• 7 packages of 200 count wide-ruled notebook paper
• 2 packages colored pencils
• 2 2 1/2 inch 3 ring notebooks
• 2 packages of dividers
• 1 package of book covers

The ones in red are the ones I just cannot believe I have to buy. I mean 6 reams of copy paper (that's 2 reams each for each of the younger three I'm sure the end result will be 8 but my oldest son's supply list didn't include it, yet). Plus on grade has to have a ream of colored copy paper or cardstock. Yea, I'm so not buying cardstock after purchasing everything else. Whatever happened to schools supplying stuff like that. Don't they get grants and such for supplies? Don't teachers still get a tax deduction for classroom supplies they have to purchase themselves? I didn't have to spend half this much for the year I homeschooled my kiddies. Another thing that riles me is that most of these supplies will be put in one large container to be distributed to the classroom prn. In other words my kids will be coming home saying they don't have pencils or crayons about 1-2 months into the school year. Even though I bought them, in case of my daughters class, 8 boxes of #2 pencils at the beginning of the school year. Yea the teachers are going to love me 'cause I plan on labeling each and every pencil, crayon, marker, folder, notebook with my kiddies names. Even if I have to get out the woodburner to do it. So whenever that kid brings home a pencil with my kid's name on it the parent will know who to thank for supplying their kid with supplies.

I'm all for helping people who cannot afford to get their kids supplies. But I know there are always some good-for-nothings out there that know how the schools operate these days so send their kids in with the bare minimum if anything at all. So I spend mine and my husbands hard-earned cash on supplies that my kids may never see again after the first day of school.

Another thing really sucks. On the first day of school the teachers will send lists of "classroom supplies needed" home with the kids. Oh and I just checked Teachers/educators can receive up to 250.00 tax deduction on classroom supplies. Good for them, huh. Can't gripe about it to anyone where it'll do any good. The school board and such will just spout their whole, funds are tight spiel so parents need to suck it up and hey why your at it why not buy some ridiculously expensive candy from this catalog (don't mind you can go down to the Dollar tree and get the same crap for a buck). If my kiddies didn't enjoy the school so much and I really need my little paychecks right now...I'd go back to homeschooling them.