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Students Asked to Supply Their Own Toilet Paper
It used to be that all kids needed when they headed off to school was a few pencils, some paper and a readiness to learn. But these days, with school budgets stretched to their limits, parents are often asked to pick up the tab for a lot more than basic classroom supplies. In fact, at a school in Ireland, parents are being asked to provide something that hardly qualifies as a school supply at all: Toilet paper.
In a note that was sent home with students, the principal of St John’s Girls National School in Carrigaline informed parents that their daughters might be asked to bring in a roll of toilet paper now and then. The note goes on to promise that these parent-provided rolls of toilet tissue will be used only by the students in their child’s classroom.
How does that work exactly? Do they keep the toilet paper in the classroom and carry it to and from the bathroom as needed?
However they work it out, some parents are upset that their kids are being asked to provide their own roll. But this, I fear, is only the tip of the iceberg. With many schools in dire financial straights, it is increasingly common for parents to be asked to provide every single thing a child might possibly use at school — and then some. I’ve never figured out what they do with the plastic baggies, printer labels and staples I am asked to provide. What about you? What’s the oddest thing on your child’s school supply list?
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7 Comments
PlumbLucky commented on Oct 08 09 at 1:37 pmCaveat – I attended a small parochial school.
Our supply list included:
(1) box kleenex per child (this remained in the classrooms)
(4) 6-roll packages of TP per child (this did not remain in the classroom but went in the main school janitorial closet where it was supplied from)
Bring your own personal bar of soap.
Ali commented on Oct 08 09 at 2:38 pmOur local public school asks for the same sort of supplies. Hand gel, toilet tissue, kleenex, bandaids. etc.. The schools health office gets it and the toilet tissue stays in the classroom since the toilet is in each room for lower grades. I thought all schools did this.
Manjari commented on Oct 08 09 at 5:11 pmI taught in public school in the US, and parents and teachers provided those things.
jenny tries too hard commented on Oct 08 09 at 11:53 pmThe public school I first enrolled my kids in put tennis balls on the supply list. I think it was four per child. Several irritated parents asked what the first-graders were using tennis balls for when we went to “meet the teacher” night and were presented with yet more supply lists from the music and PE teachers. Apparently, the tennis balls on the regular classroom supply list were for the classroom.
The janitor was to cut the tennis balls open and place them on the ends of the chairs’ legs, so that when the students pushed their chairs back to get up, there wouldn’t be any screeching sounds or scuff marks on the floor.
Has anyone else had any experience with this use for tennis balls?
Halle commented on Oct 10 09 at 11:17 pmI’m a middle school teacher and we buy SO much stuff with our own money.. I’m in a very low income school so I don’t ask for much, but for those who want to, I accept tissues, hand sanitizer (H1N1!!), and printer paper. Our school doesnt have money for printer paper, so we have to buy our own, and those printer labels are for things like labeling folders that are being reused from the year before. Thank you to any parents out there who are making life a little easier for the classroom teachers. :)
mommiedear commented on Oct 11 09 at 10:50 amI don’t have school age kids but I am shocked that the basics have to be supplied by parents and so what happens if noone supplies toilet paper??? The kids don’t get tp wipe their a**?! WOW! I know on http://www.truuconfessions.com moms will have a ton to say about it!
Canuckmom commented on Sep 06 11 at 12:18 pmI had to bring a backpack and indoor shoes. That’s it.
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