I just have to rant here for a moment. Here it is the 12th of August, and school starts in 17 days but there are no supply lists out yet. I know MC.com has no love for their low income neighbors but for those of us who are on a fixed low income the beginning of the month is budget time... how can you budget for what you don't know? Granted there are the items you need every year, but there are always suprises and no one wants to send their child to the first day of school lacking. Is it really too much to ask for at LEAST a month's notice? Good Grief.

Well, if your darling child goes to Garfield, they need a box of 8 Crayons. If they go to Highland Park they need a box of 128 crayons. Sacred Heart box of 2 crayons... 1 black and 1 white.

I was wondering when school registration is here or when you find out your child's teacher?

Teachers aren't paid during the summer so they may be waiting until they are actually getting paid to make supply lists to do so. They may even be enjoying their last days of vacation or getting in one last paycheck on their summer job, too.

Keep calm and carry on, as the Brits say.

[This message has been edited by Amorette Allison (8/12/2012)]

I have been freaking out about not getting a list yet; my son starts Kindergarten and I have NO idea what to do or where to go- I believe he is going to Highland Park since that is where I had to send his immunization history... Hope they get those lists out soon! Working on a budget here too.

I know MC.com has no love for their low income neighbors

This is untrue and insulting.

Btw, a lot of teachers wait until the first day of school to send home supply lists. Sometimes they don't know what the school will provide and what it won't until then. Have you tried calling the school office?

+1 to Wendy.

Teachers do get paid during the summer, but they are not being paid to teach, or write materials lists for that matter. On the other hand, it doesn't sound like a particularly taxing job. What kind of stuff is on these lists that you have to plan ahead for? I don't remember taking anything to school that would cost more than a couple dollars but it's been a while since I was in school.

I believe they are not being earning money during the summer but are having their school year salary spread out through out the whole year to make paying their bills easier. When I was young I know that this was an option they could choose if they wanted to but it may have become standard by now.

I know MC.com has no love for their low income neighbors

All I know, is that, come November, the looters and the moochers are going to get what's coming to them.

Teachers start back to school today. Supply lists should be coming within the week. You won't know who your child's teacher is until Wednesday next week. The lists probably won't be posted until next Friday.

You can go to the school your child attends and get them signed up or check with the Superintendents office to determine which school.

High school students can get signed up next Tuesday I believe. You can call the high school to find out more information.

Levi,

Teachers only get paid in the summer if they choose to have their 9-month salaries divided into 12 paychecks instead of 10 paychecks. Many teachers have second jobs for extra summer income.

Most teachers I know definitely put in 12 months of work for the 9-month salary - not too many spend only 8 hours a day completing their work. Most of them do not complain about the extra hours as they know they choose their 9 month contract to allow summer for time with their families or time to complete required continued ed or time to earn advanced degrees.

And for what I saw with some of the lists in other cities in Montana, it is much more than it used to be in terms of cost. Many of the items that schools used to be able to fund now are either provided by the student and/or many times the teacher's personal funds. I am sure you know how much teachers pay for with their salaries.

There used to be lists at Walmart. Maybe there was missing communication this year that can be rememdied in the future.

Levi, here's a school supply list from my kids' school. We were given a supply list for this coming school year on the last day of last school year.

http://www.lwsd.org/schoo...%20pdf.pdf

As you can see, the list isn't exactly small. Last year the 6th graders went to this school and they were required to have a USB memory stick as well.

Last year the 2nd graders were asked to bring 4 LARGE boxes of Kleenex tissues. My kid had 26 students in his class. I can't even imagine where they'd store 104 large boxes of Kleenex. None of the other classes were asked to bring that many. I guess 2nd graders are extra snotty...

[This message has been edited by David Schott (8/13/2012)]

10 glue sticks!?!

The kindergarteners are asked to bring 24 (!) glue sticks. I think they eat them when the snack supply runs out.

My oldest is going to Kindergarten this year too...I am not mad that I don't have the list yet, but it sure would be helpful that have it sooner than later. If everyone gets the lists at the same time (a week before school)I think there will be nothing left on the shelves...and no time to order more items...not how I want to start the school year. I hope I am wrong. I think handing out a list the last day of school is a fabulous idea.

For the record, my mom is an elementary school teacher, so I don't need a large amount of education on the subject. Thanks for the list though, that's pretty much what I would have expected, although some things like copier paper and kleenex used to be provided by the school.

I know about your mom and she is one of the very, very, very best there is. I agree that the lists are longer than they used to be and I know the economy makes it tough and I agree with CK about the items being gone. I have already seen some items are sold out.

Some communities have a group that collects supplies from those who want to donate to help others less fortunate. Maybe Miles City can consider something like this in the future.

The school usually put a list of names of the kids on their front doors about a week or so before school starts. When you find out what school they are going to Walmart usually has the lists there...

although some things like copier paper and kleenex used to be provided by the school

I don't know what the situation is like in mc, but there's nothing I find more amusing that watching a school district reject a mill levy and then listening to parents from said district complain about the large school supply lists their little Galtian broods bring home on the first day.

The week of august 13 they will have a list on the schools of what teachers the kids have. School supply list you can look on http://www.school-supply-...list-51422

I saw several school supply lists at Walmart tonight.

I used the link in the message above and I am pretty sure it is just generic suggestions. The 9th grade list did not look like anything our high school would put out as a supply list.

Walmart has a display of lists from some of our local schools.

[This message has been edited by MeiMei (8/13/2012)]

http://www.school-supply-...list-51422

Umm... this list is absolute BS and will cause deficit spending for those on a limited budget. This is a list of the crap WalMart wants to sell you.

Just a suggestion. My children went to schools where the PTA acquired the list for the campus and ordered the supplies at the end of one school year and then had the parents sign up over the summer or shortly before school started to purchase the items. It is a big fundraiser for the PTAs and most parents seem pleased with how it operates.

Sounds like an interesting idea. Problem is we do not have PTA in Miles City. Maybe someone needs to look into starting one.

I don't remember taking anything to school that would cost more than a couple dollars but it's been a while since I was in school.

Hi Levi. I thought this was an interesting comment at the time, so I kept my receipts from supply shopping. We are through two of our three children, both elementary students (we are waiting for the high schooler to decide what she thinks she will need). Anyway, for two elementary-aged children, just for the required supplies on the lists, the total expenditure is $86.50. Hope that helps to answer your question.

I still haven't been told what school my child will be going to, and she's entering Kindergarden this year. Do I have to go around to each school with Kindergarden to hope to catch her on a posted list?

Class assignments will be mailed out this Friday (tomorrow) from what I was told at a school.

Call the school district at 234-3840 and give them your address. They will tell you where to go to register.

Supply lists are at WalMart! Bought all my son's supplies for $20. That was a relief!