More Than A Box of Crayons

The local stores have posted the school supply lists for parents to purchase items for kids who will be attending our local schools this fall. If you get a chance pick one up and read it.  A first grader list looks like this:

First Grade
a back pack,
two over-sized T shirts that have been washed, (boy's size large being best,)
a box of felt markers,
12 glue sticks,
four rolls of double sided tape,
a box of crayons, (sixteen colors only,)
$3.50 for one "Take Home" folder
and $5.00 for photo processing.

It  contains the note: Please only label your child’s shirts and backpacks. All other supplies will be shared.  

Wow, the things you have just bought, belong to everyone, not just you.  What do YOU think about this?  It bugs me.

It's not the sharing concept that bugs me, I am all for sharing what you have with others who have not.  I do not even mind using something that does not belong specifically to me, but I am against the idea that there is no ownership over the items that have been paid for by individuals who worked to earn the money that they have spent.  The idea that you work hard, earn money and pay out of your own pocket for your crayons, but you do not "own them" they are community property is a bit disturbing,  This is socialistic thinking. 

Here are some other sample lists for the 2011-2012 school year:

Kindergarten
*Backpack--that fits a standard-size folder - please put child's name on it
*Two over-sized, plain, white t-shirts with child's name on tag (please wash them before sending)
[Boys' sizes Lg. (14-16) is the best size]
*One box felt markers - no names needed
*12 glue sticks - no names needed
*Four rolls of double-sided tape
*16 Count Crayons - nothing bigger
*$5.00 for photo processing (check payable to ....)
Please only label your child’s shirts and backpacks.
All other supplies will be shared.
Optional - Take Home Study Folder - please send $3.50 (check payable to ....)


First Grade
*Backpack--that fits a standard-size folder - please put child's name on it
*Two over-sized, plain, white t-shirts with child's name on tag (please wash them before sending)
[Boys' sizes Lg. (14-16) is the best size]
*One box felt markers - no names needed
*12 glue sticks - no names needed *Four rolls of double-sided tape
*16 Count Crayons - nothing bigger *$5.00 for photo processing (check payable to Midway ASB)
Please only label your child’s shirts and backpacks. All other supplies will be shared.
Optional - Take Home Study Folder - please send $3.50 (check payable to ....)


Kindergarten
1    Backpack
1    Simple school box for supplies (Not tiny or giant)
1    Watercolor paint set (Single tray)
2    Boxes of 24 crayons (This size only)
1    Box of FAT, WASHABLE Markers
1    Fat pink or green eraser
1    Small pair of scissors
1    Dry Erase-type marker (One only)
1    Package of 12 or 24 colored pencils
  No pencil sharpeners please
           

Items to be shared: (no name needed) 

  *12   Fat beginner pencils
  *10   Large fat glue sticks only - NO WHITE LIQUID GLUE
     2   Containers of Disinfecting Wipes

Girls:    1 Large box of tissues
Boys:    1 Box of zip-type bags (Gallon or quart size)

Sixth Grade
No Binders
No Permaent Markers
2 Packs 200 sheets loose leaf paper
24 $2 pencils
1 pencil pouch
2 dry erase markers
colored pencils or crayons
highlighter
sticky notes
12 spiral notebooks
2 pocket folders
1 box facial tissue
1 ruler
COMMUNITY SUPPLIES
DO NOT LABEL

It's everywhere!

This leaves me wondering; If these items are  intended to be used as "community property," then wouldn't it make more sense to have these items paid for by the school?  They would then be school property borrowed by each of the students equally.  And I am thinking that it would be much better to purchase these items in bulk and get the bulk discount price than have parents buy them individually.  Not only that, it must be chaos trying to sort store and equally distribute items bought from Staples office supply and the Dollar Tree store.

 What is happening here?  It sure looks like people and their personal property are being plundered, forced to participate in collectivism, and it's not very wise spending either..


Need we be surprised?

 
I have to say, I was impressed with one school's third grade classroom teacher, at Shiloh Hills, who had thought it through mathematically and logistically, even tried to make it easy and fair for everyone.  Nothing but a back pack was listed on the class room school supply list.  This was followed by a note that read,  "No other shopping required. No wondering if you purchased the right item. No labeling. No expensive items falling out of the backpack on Day One. Everything will be ready for your child when they show up the first day of school. All you need to do is send $20 cash or check (made out to the teacher) the first week of school. All supplies have been purchased for your child for the year. Please pay during the first week of school. " 

That, at least, made financial sense.  Also when it can to crayons and markers, all would be the same.  However, I am still boggled about kids not having their own items with their names on them to use and care for and manage for themselves while they are in school, after paying for them. 

It seems to me this concept actually began a few years back.  I remember my surprise when I first saw that schools began adding " a box of Kleenex" or "a roll of paper towel" to the school supply lists.  These items would then be used in the classrooms throughout the year.  I remember wondering about it then, but I never forsaw the day when the same would be done for crayons and folders and pencils and notebook paper.

Contributing a box of tissue is a nice gesture on the part of a parent.  It's a way for a parent to contribute to and benefit the class that will be a "home away for home for their kids on a daily basis.  No doubt, it's pretty easy as you are out shopping for your child's school supplies, to just add a box of tissue to the mix.  But we also pay taxes to provide for public education.  The money is supposed to provide people with a free education., pay school personnel salaries, buy text books and other paper products...like toilet tissue.  Are they going to demand contributions for that someday too?

It's funny, in a sick sort of way, that local schools have managed to pay for some people enrolled in the system, to have  private piano or martial arts lessons as well as ski passes at Mt. Spokane paid for with our tax dollars over the years, (that is, if those people are enrolled in their "Parent Partnership Programs," but that is another blog post;)  but meanwhile, they simply cannot afford the usual necessary "community" school supplies in regular classrooms, things like pencils, folders, paper and crayons.

The instructions clearly say, "Do not put your child's name on them." It's not a fluke, all the schools do it on their classroom lists.  I want to know,  Who decided this would be the norm, the procedure for procuring school supplies?  I want to know; Do parents mind?  Are people really just going to go along with this?

the questions do not stop there however.

Is this part of the process of creating a sort of "group think" among the children, some sort of psychological experiment to see how people react?

Why are they doing it? 

Is this some sort of method for trying to erase the individualist thinking that might lead the children to believe that the items their parents purchased for them with their own hard-earned money might actually belong to them?

I think so. Do you?


As Dorothy would have probably noted, if this sort of think had happened in OZ,
              "Yes Toto, It appears that this is about more than a mere box of tissue or a box of crayons."