I haven't had much time for the horses. There. I said it. I've been so darn busy running around town trying to buy school supplies like white notebooks for the kids, erasers, colored pencils, crayons, spiral notebooks, kleenex, hand sanitizers, and Clorox wipes for their desks. My students come from a very economically depressed area and I don't want to have to ask the parents to buy anything! Some families are moving in with the grandparents because they can't afford their own homes any more. And, yes, some of them are returning to family in Mexico...Our enrollment is down from 750 to less than 700 students. And, my students are ALL born in the USA! I had a family two years ago...dad lost his job as a pool cleaner. They were going to move to her mom's place in Mexico, but dad found some part-time work and they were able to remain here, which is a good thing because those were good kids and hard workers! Another boy in last year's class told me they were moving further down the valley to live on Grandpa's ranch and he wouldn't be back at our school in the fall. Another girl is moving to another town...another boy is also moving....sigh....So, yesterday I found HUGE jars of hand sanitizer with $1.50 off each one at COSTCO. I normally pay about $4.00 for them, but these were $3.99 less $1.50, so I bought two of them for $2.49 each. That SHOULD last me all year! I always try to buy stuff on sale (since I AM spending my own money!). WALMART had crayons on sale for 25 cents a box, so I bought 36 boxes (since I'll have 32 kidlets this year!)...so, no, I haven't had time to get up to the ranch, but I'm goin' this morning! YEAH! Finally! And, frankly, it has been so darn HUMID here and up there, that I'm a sweaty mess in 5 minutes! My aunt called me the other day and said, "You didn't TELL US that it was humid here in August!!!!!" Huh? Of course it is! August is always humid. The storms in Arizona and northern Mexico sometimes flow up into the Coachella Valley and they bring their humidity with them. That's just the way it is! But, this morning, there is a break in the humidity and it isn't too bad outside! I feel like Scout...go here, go there, but GO!
2 comments:
I'm so thankful that our PTA puts together school supply packs and sells them so we don't have to run all over the place searching for things! Last week there was a news story about a local church that puts together a benefit each year for the kids so they can get supplies and back to school clothes. Any possibility of pulling that off where you live?
I normally don't mind the heat so much but I haven't done as much with my horses as I'd like to lately either because I feel bad asking too much from them in 100+ degree heat! I suppose I'm just spoiling them and a little work wouldn't kill em though lol
I'm so impressed that you spend your own money to buy school supplies for your students. I wish schools would provide a budget for teachers so they wouldn't have to pay for supplies out of their own pocket.
It's crazy that all that tax money comes out of parents' paychecks to pay for public school education, but what does it actually pay for?
As a homeschooling family we still pay into the public school education, even though we pay for our own homeschool curriculum, classes, tutors, and supplies, as well as field trips, lectures, and educational courses.
It's sure expensive, but we pay for it all for less than what the public schools charge parents for each student via tax money.
Still I think public school teachers are way underpaid and under appreciated.
~Lisa
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