MarieD schrieb:
"Anne Rogers" wrote in message
. ..
If you want to get stressed, I have a good recipe...

...try to get school supplies on the evening before school starts!

I have been really shocked at the amount of school supplies parents have
to provide and even more shocked that the lists specify brand! When I
was in school, we just needed some "things". A notebook and folder for
each class, some pens and pencils, a calculator/protractor/compass, and
crayons in lower elementary. Now, the lists say Crayola 24 count
crayons, what color and brand of pencil, it's outrageous. Kleenex,
antibacterial hand stuff, WHY do people think it's ok to constantly use
that antibacterial stuff.
And why do parents continue to agree to buy all this stuff, especially
down to the specified brand? If you can get the generic or cheaper, in
the same color and count, why isn't that acceptable? I am a homeschooler
and I keep finding it strange the things parents put up with when it
comes to the schools. Every parent with school kids I know complain and
complain but no one does anything about it(or tries to)!
Marie

In germany we have different lined paper for the first 3 years of
school. We start with three lines in a large format, then 2nd grade has
the same lines but at a smaller scale, third grade only has the middle
two lines.
We got our list at the first day of school, which sucked, because all
the shops had school supplies on special during the summer holidays and
I did buy some things, but of course I didn't happen to buy what Sam
ended up needing... Ugh.
I don't buy brandname things except for gluesticks and watercolors
because I personally thing the non brandname stuff doesn't work as well.
I remember having a box of watercolors that would not dissolve with
water, meaning you could not paint with them. Infuriating! Same with
some cheaper gluesticks, they stick stuff together for 5 seconds and
once it's dry it comes apart...
One teacher in pre-school (remember, germany, different system, I'm
talking about the grade before 1st grade) specified crayons that come in
blocks. there is only one brand which is super organic, kind of
anthrophosophic, all ingredients have to be collected by virgins no
older that 14 in the light of the full moon,... otherwise I can not
explain the price of that box of 12 crayons which was a whopping 18€.
Sure, they were made from beeswax and you could probably eat them for
lunch, but seriously, 6 y.o. kids will draw with anything, they don't
need crayons for 18€! And yes, I did tell her that that amount of money
buys a very nice birthday or Christmas present in our family.

cu
nicole