At the start of every school year, I see posts on many mom groups that I am a part of questioning the school supply lists. “Why do I have to send in two packs of dry erase markers or ten glue sticks? Why do I have to buy Clorox wipes, sanitizer and tissues for the classroom?” And what makes these mamas most irritated is that they’ve been informed not to write their child’s name on any of the supplies they send in.
Welcome to communal school supplies, my friends! Whether you realize it or not, this concept isn’t new. I know it can be a little overwhelming to look at your kid’s school supply list and see 28 additional supplies you need to buy when really all you wanted to buy was a new backpack.
But.schools.need.your.support.
I know I don’t have to tell you that educators aren’t paid enough, so if you have the funds and means to help them out, why wouldn’t you? Teachers spend quite a bit of their own money on their classrooms (supplies, decor, etc.) If your problem with communal supplies stems solely from you disliking that your child won’t have the supplies you bought and nothing at all to do with you being able to afford them, then please get over yourself.
If you’re really so gung ho about Johnny having his own supplies, then fine. Let his teacher know. But when Johnny runs out of his 12 pencils in the first month of school, which you intended to last all school year, what would you like Mrs. Smith to do? Let him sit there without a pencil? Give him a zero because he isn’t prepared for her class? Or would you prefer him to be able to grab a pre-sharpened pencil from the classroom stash that the rest of the parents have sent in? Even if you think your kid will be fine without a set of communal school supplies in the classroom, they will absolutely benefit from these supplies, too. Why? Because their paper is going to run out, they will use all of their glue sticks, and their crayons will break. This is where you should realize that community matters.
There are parents who drop their students off with an empty backpack- no supplies in tow. Be the parent who goes above and beyond to buy extra supplies for the class- just because. Community matters.
Wouldn’t it be satisfying to know that any child who’s suffering at home or having a hard time getting what they need doesn’t have to worry about not having a pencil when they sit down at their desk? Community matters.
Some of you will still be upset about the idea of sending in school supplies for the classroom; you’ll be mad that the teacher asked for a red, yellow, and green folder when Johnny only wanted sports ones. And you’ll really blow a fuse at the thought of being responsible for taking care of “somebody else’s child.”
But it takes a village, and you yourself need a village- a community. And that community is built by sending in an extra pack of tissues, a spare box of pencils, or ten extra glue sticks.
Community starts with you; community matters.