Keep Teachers in Mind When Back-to-School Shopping
Aug 8, 2018, 6:37 AM | Updated: 8:33 am
SALT LAKE CITY – It is the last days of summer vacation for many kids.
Even Kelsey Koch was feeling the summer days slip away. As a middle school math teacher, she was getting mentally ready — and stocking up.
We asked Koch how parents could help her in the classroom this year.
“Pencils, definitely. Because kids sometimes come to class without being prepared,” she said. “Any donations are appreciated for teachers, honestly. Because you know a lot of stuff comes out of our pocket to give to the kids. So, any donation is appreciated.”
Deerfield Elementary School teacher Bridget Varner is just as thankful for any parent donation. She estimated she spends about $300 a year of her own money on her second-grade class.
“Extra crayons and markers are helpful,” she said. “We always give those to students at the beginning of the year. But the crayon breaks, they run through them super fast.”
Other things like tissues, towels, plastic baggies, even Expo markers help.
“Our school used to supply those for us, but they’re so expensive — like for the whole school — that they no longer supply them for us. So we have to use our budget to buy those,” Varner said.
We also asked teachers online.
One said, “Antibacterial Wipes, glue sticks, fun colored paper/cardstock, and Papermate Flair Pens or really good pens (for the teacher)!”
Another said this: “Donate $ to the teacher’s school account – teachers are required to only use this money for classroom expenses, and donating money to their accounts allows them the flexibility to get what is most needed.”
Varner added one other thing parents can do to make a child’s year a success.
“Volunteering in the classroom is really helpful. I would say that consistency with that is most helpful.”
None of this mandatory — just a request.
And if you can, help. You’re not only impacting your child’s success in school, but other kids as well.
