All things stationery

I love stationery.  I find a certain
amount of comfort from purchasing new stationery.  I don't know when this
closet addiction came about but I do know that when I first started work, way
back when, nothing could beat the feel of going to the stationery cupboard and
picking out new biros, in red, black and blue, a crisp newly sharpened
unused pencil, a nice unblemished white rubber, a notebook which has never been
written on.  If I felt a little stressed a trip to the stationery cupboard
was guaranteed to give me a little "pick me up".  Now,
obviously, I don't admit this to just anyone so please let's just keep it to
ourselves!

I think this is probably part of the appeal of scrapbooking, buying pens,
paints, paper, cardstock is an extension of stationery.

So I have mixed feelings upon being presented with my girls "School
Supply" lists.  On one hand, just think of all that lovely new
stationery I get to purchase but on the other hand... well, here is the list:

• 24 HB pencils sharpened (no eversharp pencils please)



• 4 pink pearl erasers



• 1 pencil case



• 1 pair of good quality scissors



• 3 large glue sticks



• 1 small bottle white glue



• 1 covered pencil sharpener



• 1 box of crayons



• 1 pkg. coloured pencils sharpened



• 1 pkg. fat unscented markers



• 5 large ziplock bags



• 1 box of Kleenex



• 2 heritage notebooks (orange: 12.7cm x 20cm: if you buy Hilroy, number is 42-511)



• 1 80 page Hilroy scribbler (no coiled scribblers or scribblers with tear sheets please)



• 6 green duotangs



• 10 red duotangs



• 6 yellow duotangs



• 1 pocket folder



• 1 activity book (puzzles, word searches, etc.) for rainy recesses



• 1 ruler 30cm clear



• 1 pkg. Xerox paper



• 1 backpack



• 1 pair of indoor sneakers to leave in school (no soles that will mark the gym floor please)



• 1 small plastic box (20cm x 12cm approx.) no larger please, space is limited in the desks



• **$10.00 will be collected for a School Agenda in the fall on the first day of school.  All students in the school will record their homework in this agenda.  It also serves as a message book between teacher and school.



• **Please label all supplies with your name (please label the duotangs on the inside front cover)

Now, a few things first spring to mind upon reading this.  How
many pencils do they expect the children to actually go through?  In my
experience 1 pencil is usually sufficient to see me through quite a few months
if not a whole year.  What is wrong with a run of the mill white
eraser?  When I read 'heritage' notebooks, I immediately think of
scrapbooking and old photos!  What is a 'duotang'?  I actually now do
know what this is as this will be the second year of the girls attending school here in
Canada but must admit I was baffled at first and actually had to ring the school and ask
(it's folder with metal strips that you file your work in).  1 pkg. Xerox
paper?  The government can't even supply the paper teachers need in order
to photocopy notes, letters, homework etc.  It is a crying
shame!  And finally on top of all of the above they also want
another $10.00 for a School Agenda.  Now silly question but do they expect me to label every sheet of Xerox paper too?

Now, you would be mistaken in thinking that the above list was for both girls
but you would be wrong.  This list is just for Harriet, I have a whole
other list for Katarina which includes most of the above, but not all of it, as
well as a large binder, an 8½" x 11" artist sketch pad, 1 protractor,
1 calculator and a headset for the computer.  Oh, and let's not forget the obligatory $10.00 for the School Agenda.

You can imagine my shock on first being handed these supplies lists last year just 2 weeks before the girls first time of entering Canadian school system.  But on the other hand there is no school uniform to buy, so I suppose this is the trade off.  I do think it is a sorry state of affairs when the education system in Canada is such that the school can't even supply a tissue to blow their noses!

It is therefore with mixed feelings I now go off to buy said items.  Although we both know I will thoroughly enjoy it too!