What Do Schools Need?

My son’s teacher hugged the copier paper to her chest and gushed a thank you.

You know you’re a teacher when copier paper makes you happy.

While most of us grew up in a time when we didn’t have to bring many supplies to schools aside from our backpacks and the fancy box of 64 crayons that we didn’t want to have to share, that’s not how schools run now.

School supply lists are long and when requested items aren’t sent in or get used up, teachers often use their own money to buy classroom supplies.

When I was a teacher, I spent a rather outrageous amount of money on supplies for my classroom, whether it was for a special project or just everyday supplies. I’d ask parents, but that usually didn’t provide my classroom with all we needed.

So now that I’m the parent of three elementary school students, I try to send in whatever supplies my boys’ teachers need.

What do schools need?

The school supplies I know I can always send in that will be needed are pencils, glue sticks, copier paper, loose leaf paper, and tissues. Crayons, colored pencils, and scissors are often broken or misplaced by midway through the year.

Books for the classroom library and balls or other toys for recess time are appreciated, too. Don’t forget your child’s specials teachers: art and PE could use some help, too!

Though if you really want to know what your child’s specific classroom needs: ask. Some teachers keep an updated wish list on their classroom website. If your child’s teacher doesn’t, ask them if they would add one. Making it known what they need could help them spend less out of pocket for what our children need to learn.

Help out your child’s school

If you’re able to, send in supplies when your child’s teacher asks… or even before they ask. Gift cards are always appreciated, too.

Watch for school newsletters, Facebook updates, any info on what is going on at school and what might be needed.

Participate in fundraisers. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of selling things, so I tend to get more involved in fundraisers like our Fall Festival or the Fun Run, but there’s always some way you can help out.

Collect Box Tops. Many of the products you already buy have Box Tops for Education on them. When I’m shopping, if I’m deciding between two different brands and one has a Box Top on it and one doesn’t, I choose the Box Top. For example, Hefty® is the only trash bag that supports Box Tops for Education.

Clip these Box Tops and send them into your school. I have a spot in a drawer in my kitchen where we put all the Box Tops and then we send them in after we have a bunch. Each Box Tops coupon is worth 10 cents and schools can earn up to $20,000 every year by clipping Box Tops from hundreds of participating products.

We save Box Tops all summer and then sent in about 100 at the start of the school year. We’re continuing to collect them and will have another big batch to send in soon. If your child isn’t yet in school, you can still start collecting them now. I noticed when my oldest was 3 that the Box Tops would still be good by the time he entered kindergarten, so we started collecting them early. You can either hold onto them or you can drop them off at a local school.

We have all the supplies we need #SaidNoSchoolEver, which is illustrated hilariously in this Hefty® Box Tops video. Watch it and then decide what you will do to help your child’s school!

What do you do to help a school in your area?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.