somegirl
I don't have to buy school supplies!! WHOOO!!!!!
Posted on: 07/31/2009 17:11
September is a pretty expensive month in the Some household with choir, cubs, band, choir, and violin. So, with that in mind I decided to go to my son's school website to see if they had the school supply list up yet so I could see if I could recycle things from last year and pick up some stuff here and there. Anyway there was a letter to the parents under the heading of school supplies saying that the school is purchasing all the supplies with $35 due the first day of school. Considering that school supplies cost us over $50 last year even with some recycling it is a pretty sweet deal. I am so happy!!!!!
Just wanted to share my joy.
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somegirl
I forgot you can't edit
Posted on: 07/31/2009 17:12
I forgot you can't edit original posts and I forgot these guys
(Representitive of the Some family)
Pinga
Heh Somegirl, that is
Posted on: 07/31/2009 17:34
Heh Somegirl, that is great...i bet they got a good discount.
ninjafaery
Sweet. September feels like
Posted on: 07/31/2009 17:51
Sweet.
September feels like New Year to me. A fresh start symbolized by the smell of new pencils and a new binder.
crazyheart
Regina lawyer Tony Merchant
Posted on: 07/31/2009 19:26
Regina lawyer Tony Merchant looks to expand school board lawsuit
Regina lawyer Tony Merchant
Photograph by: Don Healy, Leader-Post
REGINA — A statement of claim filed in Regina on Monday alleges the Regina Public School Board needs an education on when they can and can't charge school-related fees.
Regina parent Jacky Atkinson claims the school board wrongly charged her about $475 in fees pertaining to her high school-aged son's education during the last two school years. Regina lawyer Tony Merchant is moving to make Atkinson's claim a class action in Regina — and perhaps throughout the province — and Merchant's B.C. offices are looking into whether there is a similar lawsuit to be filed in that province.
The class action in Regina would cover "all Caregivers, students, and other persons, who paid fees to Regina Public School Board for supplies, materials, equipment, services, or administrative operating fees, provided to students, contrary to the Education Act."
A Regina Public Schools spokesman was contacted but said he couldn't comment because the board had not yet been served and the matter may end up in court.
In her claim, which contains statements not proven in court, Atkinson alleges the school board cannot legally request or receive certain fees, including for supplies and equipment "that are required and must be provided to students without charge."
"For example, if a school runs a regular science or woodworking class, the supplies needed must be provided free of charge," the claim reads.
As an example, Atkinson claims she was asked to pay $30 for her son's accounting class when the only materials provided following payment were a ruler, a pencil and an accounting workbook — without which a student would not otherwise be able to complete the course. Of the approximate $475, Atkinson has to date refused to pay all but $10.
The claim points to the Education Act, part of which reads that "educational services provided pursuant to this section are to be provided at the cost of the school division, and no fees for tuition, transportation or any expenses with respect to attendance at school are to be charged with respect to a pupil who is resident in the school division or whose parent or guardian is a resident in the school division."
The same act adds that the board can ask for payment for transportation costs for special projects or special equipment or supplies not ordinarily provided to students.
"School boards may charge students for some items, but there are exceptions," the claim states, adding that supplies necessary to complete a class should be among those exceptions.
Atkinson asks that students and their guardians be granted restitution for the "unlawfully collected Charges," along with unspecified damages and interest.
hpolischuk@leaderpost.canwest.com
Thought you might find this interesting
Birthstone
So good to hear a worthwhile
Posted on: 07/31/2009 19:40
So good to hear a worthwhile school fee. I'm so tired of getting my cheque book out for a 'free' school system, but for costs like that, I'd be thrilled. no more fussing about what colours, or 'everyone has one of these' or 'I can't remember if I need this' - etc...
Pinga
Agreed, Birthstone. Also --
Posted on: 07/31/2009 21:11
Agreed, Birthstone.
Also -- the competition might stop a bit...(though, I must admit, with the boys, I didn't get much pressure...but having shopped with my niece...wow)
seeler
As I remember from when my
Posted on: 08/01/2009 15:47
As I remember from when my kids went to school (Ontario and then NB when we came back home), and from what my daughter tells me about her childrens schools, the schools provide certain things. I think regularly assigned text books (which are reused for several years until they wear out or are outdated and replaced), equipment needed for science or phys ed, etc. Students (or their parents) are responsible for other things like suitable clothing, back packs and lunch bags, workbooks, pencils and pens, rulers, erasers, gym shoes, bathing suits or ice skates (if the school offers these programs). Sometimes the school provides a list which suggests the supplies the child will need. Sometimes the school will ask the parents to pay a sum at the beginning of the term and the teacher or parents' group will purchase notebooks, pens, paper, and other supplies - leaving the parent still responsible for clothing and back pack. For those children whose families cannot afford basic supplies sometimes a church or community group will provide them - and sometimes the teacher buys supplies and even food for some of the children in her class out of her own salary.
Pinga
We have backpacks hung up in
Posted on: 08/01/2009 20:36
We have backpacks hung up in our church hall, with a sign asking for items for back to school supplies.
These will then go to our foodbank for distribution.
Also....we provide a bushel of apples to a couple of schools weekly. An apple is a good piece of food nutriously. For those churches who are in downtown areas with markets, consider connecting with an apple seller to deliver bushels to your church, which are in turn distributed in yoru community to the schools. Easy ministry -- makes a difference.
lastpointe
I like it when the teacher is
Posted on: 08/03/2009 16:59
I like it when the teacher is really specific about what to buy.
When they eliminate the huge bags of markers and fancy stuff.
I am glad you have a system you like somegirl, I wonder what they do about families who can't afford it. I mean at it's most basic you really just need a ruler, a couple of pencils, an eraser and maybe a pen.
somegirl
Lastpointe, I imagine that
Posted on: 08/03/2009 20:17
Lastpointe, I imagine that the school will help students that can't afford the supplies. They have a petty cash or slush fund or something that can be used for that kind of thing. The first year that my son was in violin we were really broke and just could not afford the rental. The school paid half and the music centre paid half so I would find it hard to believe that the school would let anyone go without supplies.
riderguy
How did you get away without
Posted on: 08/03/2009 22:26
How did you get away without buying a new backpack? My daughter NEEDS!!!!! a new backpack. The kids know what her last one looked like. All the kids willl have a new one !!!
Great for you!!
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Pinga wrote: We have
Posted on: 08/06/2009 06:48
We have backpacks hung up in our church hall, with a sign asking for items for back to school supplies.
Hey, I love that, Pinga. What a kewl idea. I'm going to suggest that at my church. Most of our folks can use a helping hand, we're not a rich church by any means.
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somegirl wrote:September is a
Posted on: 08/06/2009 06:50
September is a pretty expensive month in the Some household with choir, cubs, band, choir, and violin. So, with that in mind I decided to go to my son's school website to see if they had the school supply list up yet so I could see if I could recycle things from last year and pick up some stuff here and there. Anyway there was a letter to the parents under the heading of school supplies saying that the school is purchasing all the supplies with $35 due the first day of school. Considering that school supplies cost us over $50 last year even with some recycling it is a pretty sweet deal. I am so happy!!!!!
Just wanted to share my joy.
Pinga
Jae, our backpacks will go
Posted on: 08/06/2009 07:21
Jae, our backpacks will go the food bank.....interesting thought though..that there are likely kids in our own church whose family could use the assistance.
any ideas how to approach that? We used to have somethign called "the food shelf". It had food that people could take if they needed food that day...and was in the one hallway that had traffic, but not people hanging out in. We got rid of it, and I am not sure why. The concept was that there were likely folks who were in our own congregation or visited it, who could use a hand....
seeler
Pinga - I don't know if this
Posted on: 08/06/2009 07:24
Pinga - I don't know if this would work for the backpacks, but I have often thought that a church should have a designated area for collecting things (food, personal care products, school supplies, toys, clothing - depending upon the space) and a sign up: Please contribute out of your abundance / Please help yourself if you need something or know somebody who does.
crazyheart
Good idea, seeler and make
Posted on: 08/06/2009 12:08
Good idea, seeler and make sure this door isn't locked all the time and permission needs to be received to access it.
13Stories
I love the smell of pencel. I
Posted on: 08/06/2009 15:42
I love the smell of pencel. I went to the Walmart the other day and smelled the pencels, Full of nice memories.
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Pinga wrote: any ideas how to
Posted on: 08/06/2009 16:47
any ideas how to approach that? We used to have somethign called "the food shelf". It had food that people could take if they needed food that day...and was in the one hallway that had traffic, but not people hanging out in. We got rid of it, and I am not sure why. The concept was that there were likely folks who were in our own congregation or visited it, who could use a hand....
We use a large window ledge in our church basement to distribute stuff. Anyone can bring stuff, anyone can pick it up if they want it. We also have a deal going with a large food warehouse type grocery store. They provide us with bread on a weekly basis. The bread is free at our church for anyone who wants it. As far as starting up the backpacks, I think I'll just suggest it to the leader of our Sunday School.
Nealatthewheel
riderguy wrote: How did you
Posted on: 08/14/2009 08:07
How did you get away without buying a new backpack? My daughter NEEDS!!!!! a new backpack. The kids know what her last one looked like. All the kids willl have a new one !!!
Great for you!!
Not my kids....the only time we needed to replace them was when the kids were little and the backpacks were themed....Suddenly a Dora backpack ain't gonna cut it in 2nd Grade like it did in JK....gotta splash out for Spiderman...