Let's face it, our students bring A LOT of supplies to school! I remember when I first started teaching (I started in kindergarten), staying LATE into the evening, sorting supplies and putting everything away. There is nothing more frustrating than getting your room in perfect condition for the first day of school and then looking at it at the end of day one, piles of supplies all over!
I've tried a couple of different ways to circumvent the late night stays (I want to go home and sleep after the first day of school)! Someone had suggested that I have a supply scavenger hunt. The students would keep all of their supplies in their backpack until I called out a specific supply. Once I called it out, they had to hold it up. As they were holding it up, I checked off their name. While this was a great idea in theory, it took FOREVER! I knew I needed to change it up.
Now, I send home an introduction letter to my students a couple of weeks before school. In that letter I invite the students to come to the school the day BEFORE school to meet me and drop off their supplies. Of course, I am in my room getting things ready, so, why not! I list a specific 2 hour window for them to stop by. This way, I won't be interrupted all day, while I am trying to get work done.
How does this prevent the giant pile of supplies, you ask? In the hallway I have boxes for each of the supplies the students are dropping off. Above each box I post the name of the supply and a class roster. When the student/parent puts the supply in the box, they check off their name. I also provide Sharpie markers for those that forgot to label their supplies (this saves me the time of writing their names on their things late into the evening). Oh, I also put Post It notes out so parents can make a note for themselves if they are missing something.
Afterwards, I bring the boxes into my room, add any labels that may be necessary, and place the supplies where I would like them. It saves me a ton of time!
Mrs. Kincaid's Linky Party
I've tried a couple of different ways to circumvent the late night stays (I want to go home and sleep after the first day of school)! Someone had suggested that I have a supply scavenger hunt. The students would keep all of their supplies in their backpack until I called out a specific supply. Once I called it out, they had to hold it up. As they were holding it up, I checked off their name. While this was a great idea in theory, it took FOREVER! I knew I needed to change it up.
Now, I send home an introduction letter to my students a couple of weeks before school. In that letter I invite the students to come to the school the day BEFORE school to meet me and drop off their supplies. Of course, I am in my room getting things ready, so, why not! I list a specific 2 hour window for them to stop by. This way, I won't be interrupted all day, while I am trying to get work done.
How does this prevent the giant pile of supplies, you ask? In the hallway I have boxes for each of the supplies the students are dropping off. Above each box I post the name of the supply and a class roster. When the student/parent puts the supply in the box, they check off their name. I also provide Sharpie markers for those that forgot to label their supplies (this saves me the time of writing their names on their things late into the evening). Oh, I also put Post It notes out so parents can make a note for themselves if they are missing something.
Afterwards, I bring the boxes into my room, add any labels that may be necessary, and place the supplies where I would like them. It saves me a ton of time!
Mrs. Kincaid's Linky Party
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