I'm in the Sun-Times today!
Submitted by Coupon Maven on Thu, 08/20/2009 - 7:13am
The Chicago Sun-Times has a story on saving for back-to-school supplies. Take a look!
Discount-blogging mom Jill Cataldo of Huntley cherry-picks drugstore and grocery-store deals -- 9-cent notebooks, 5-cent rulers and a pack of 20 pencils for 19 cents -- as she aims to keep her back-to-school shopping budget to no more than $10.
Read more...
I saw it
as soon as I got to work. Great article. I even put a link to it on my sad little blog that no one reads :-) Something I really need too after getting my grandson's school list and having to buy 8 glue sticks for a 4 year old! Despite our high taxes and school fee of $100, it seems we are all stocking the classroom too.
Tons of Glue Sticks
I inquired about this when my son's kindergarten class required 10 glue sticks. Apprently, 5 year olds do not use them efficiently and tend to press down to hard (thus breaking), eat them, forget to put the cap back on, or use too much, etc. etc..
Don't be surprised if in January they are asking you to supply more! I always try to find these on clearance after the BTS rush and then donate to the school
Jafra.....
I went out and bought school supplies for a kindergartner in a "less affluent" family that I know. I was stunned that his list included 8 glue sticks, 4 boxes of 24 ct. crayons, and a huge assortment of other items - for a lower income area in Cook County. My own kindergartner's list was nowhere near as comprehensive or costly (here in good old DuPage Co).
JILL - CONGRATS ON THE ARTICLE!!!! THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
glue sticks
I am a teacher an am personally amazed at how many glue sticks my classroom goes through annually! While they are really irreplaceable in thier ability to glue things neatly & dry quickly, they get used up fast! It also seems that each time we take out the box of glue sticks at least 2 of them are dried out - and not because the cover was left off. They just dry out on their own (faulty, non-sealing covers?). Despite all of this, they are still the best option for most projects - especially for little kids. Consider if a 5 year old is given a bottle of white glue. We all know there would be a huge lake of it placed on the paper. Think of how long that takes to dry. Teachers don't have the kind of classroom space necessary to have lots of projects spread all around the room for days - and yes, it can sometimes take several days for these lakes to dry up. Plus, white glue will leave paper warped after drying.
I really believe that 8-10 glue sticks is not unresonable, especially for younger kids with 'heavy hands'. And as asantoro stated, don't be surprised to be asked for more in January. Every year the pile of glue sticks seems HUGE in August, but I'm always surprised to see it disappear so quickly. Do stock up after school starts and prices drop (if thats even possible from where they are now!).
Also, at the last school I taught at, the teachers were each given a certain dollar amount to buy 'stuff' for the classroom. This particular school didn't have a 'supply room' like many do. This means that you would basically spend your whole budget on things like construction paper, staples, tape, chalk, pens & pencils for the teacher, batteries, paper for your classroom printer (if you had one), etc. Thsi leaves little or nothing for new curricular materials or activity supplies. Don't be surprised by what teachers ask you to send in, especially in a time when the state of Illinois is billions of dollars behind in sending out school funding to the districts & school boards are actually worried about making pay-roll!
Just a little perspective . . .
Stealfinder.....
Can you lend us some insight as to teacher gifts that the teachers will actually love? I am assuming that things such as gift cards to the local teacher supply store might be good, but was wanting some suggestions as well.
I know that the school supply situation probably differs from each school. I felt bad that one of the less affluent schools had such a long list (with multiples). I am thinking of sending some of my "stash" of supplies in to the teacher at that school, to see if maybe it would help out as well.
Thanks!!!!!
teacher gifts
Since you asked, here are some ideas for teacher gifts I like to receive:
Handwritten notes/cards: I save ALL of these things in a box for those days that we all have. The "did I even talk with Billy once today?" days. Of the "Am I really making a difference?" days. Most importantly, the "I'm not sure how much longer I can do this!" days. ALL teachers have them. I guarantee it.
As a parent (Or an older child), write the teacher a note with an example of something your child has learned (socially or academically) or something nice your child has come home and said about school/their teacher. Also, if the child is young, have the child draw a picture to go with the card. This makes it seem to come from the family, rather than the mom.
Gift cards ideas: These are always my favorite gifts for obvious reasons. Good places would be teacher stores (Chalkboard, Let's Learn, Lakeshore, etc.), or office supply stores. Another good idea is a GC for a spa or salon. A good massage or pedicure can go a long way towards keeping me sane!
Another thing to note, is regarding baked goods. As thoughtful and I'm sure tasty as these are, many teachers throw them away. It is a matter of safety - we don't know what your house looks like or what your personal hygiene levels are - sad but true!
I recently had a parent give me a really nice gift. It was a basket of goodies with a note. The note was very short - 2-3 sentences at most. The gift basket was hand-filled by the child. He went around the store & picked out HIS favorite snacks. It was very personal since he picked it out & he (6 yrs. old) was very eager to show it to me. It included all pre-packaged items like M&Ms (peanut were his favorite candy), doritos, gum, etc. This was especially exciting because of the time it allowed me to spend with the child. We spent a good 1/2 hour discussing his favorite snacks, what the picture he drew meant, etc. This is quality time that can otherwise be hard to 'squeeze in' to a normal school day, but that goes a long way towards building a rapport between student & teacher.
If your stash includes general supplies like pens, glue, paper, etc., I would imagine that the teacher could use it.
Thanks for the ideas...
This is truly helpful!!! Good luck with the upcoming school year.
You're Welcome
Another thing I might add is this: Don't be upset if you cannot afford to give any gift. I'd rather have a hand-written note on scratch paper that cost nothing, than feel guilty trying to figure out what to do with a candle that smells bad and doesn't go with anything in my house!
I have no idea
what they are doing. I am in Skokie- I pay a LOT of tax-with the most going to the elementary district. I paid the $100 school fee, he is in special ed at the school that covers the entire area but they farmed out the class this year to the local school. It's not like we live in an area where we have to supply the classroom due to lack of funds. Plus these kids are 4 !!!!!!!!!!!!!! The high school is supposed to be supplying each freshman with a laptop too. That really thrilled me since my pc at home went out and I won't be able to replace it for some time to come.
Yes, Jill, THANK YOU! I can see your teaching will save my sanity in upcoming school years :-) I'm going to start my stockpile now!