Stationary

[Rowyrow]

Hi All,
I just want to know if you provide stationary for teachers if they request it for pracs. I am getting extreamly frustrated with teacher requests for things like highligher textas, one lead pencil, permanent markers, rulers, blue tack, sticky tape and scissors. All students were provided with most of these things at the start of the year and I know they never retain them for the whole year but why should replacements come out of science budget? I have a stash of these for personal use but i don't see why my personal stationary should be used for class activities (because half the time it doesn't come back!!!!!!)
Also if what they require is avaliable from another department i.e. the maths department do you get it for them? I don't because if it gets damaged or lost I don't want it signed out in my name when I have no controll over it's use. I was asked for tape measures and meter rulers today (20 mins into the lesson), I have no idea if any other faculty has these what would you all do?

[kimmy]

All our teachers at the start of each term I give them a container with Pens, Pencils, Colour pencils, textas, 10 xScissors, 10 xRules a stapler and sticky tape in it. When required I refill this from our stationary cupboard. All our labs have 6 x1 metre ruler in them. We often borrow from other departments as others do the same with us. I think it depends on size of school and how well staff relate to each other. i am lucky I have a great school to work in.


KIMMY

[bindibadgi]

When we moved into our labs a few years ago I set up a stack of drawers in the prep area corridor with all kinds of stuff like scissors, glue sticks, pencil, pens, whiteboard markers, staplers, sticky tape etc for them to raid when needed.
The drawers are great because they can pull them out & take them into the lab. I top up supplies from either the school shop or $2 shop down the street, & the system seems to work OK, apart from scissors going missing occassionally.

Supplies.jpg

One teacher still raids my drawer becasue she's special though

[Narelle01]

all my pens have gone!! i have to use lead pencils!!!!

[nickyw]

We are the same. Each lab has a tool box filled with scissors, blue & red pens, pencils, rulers , sticky tape and erasers. Mind you its the cheapest stationery that can be found. We even supply exercise books for assignments which I buy from stores when they are around 10c each.

I usually replenish the boxes at the start of term3.

As far as requesting permanent markers, these are supplied but they have "SCIENCE" written all over them and they do generally come back. I dont buy sticky tape I just raid the office for that stuff.

[fibreweb]

I keep the teachers supplied with White board markers, pens etc.

This all comes out of the science budget though I do have them in a locked cupboard to which I have the only key so I can keep control of the stock and and don't have the situation of teachers helping themselves and then running out without knowing.

I have 15 rulers, protractors, compasses, and lead pencils in each lab also 8 glue sticks and calculators.

There is a class set of scissors for each lab also but they are kept in the prep rooms instead as are 10 metre rulers, a large box of coloured pencils with about 10 of each of 12 colours, 2 staplers and 2 big rolls of sticky tape.

Every week or so I do a check of the numbers and top up what I think needs topping up. Sometime I don't top up the pencils which disappear quickly as I think if the teachers can't be bothered to get them back they can go without.

I have done this to stop me having to cart gear all around the school and if a teacher specifically asks for such gear in their order I usually get it from the cupboard/drawer and add it to the tote tray.

As I said this all comes from the science budget and I can order what is needed at just about any time. I am lucky to have a fairly generous budget compared to other places.
Wendy

[smiley]

Gosh Kiah! That's like so-o-o-o tidy & organised. I am in awe.

Seriously though, I have a supply of pens, labels, rulers, whiteboard markers etc. I have a whole box of sticky tape, masking tape etc. The wide clear sticky tape is the greatest for putting over labels on little stuhl bottles. so I always have a couple of rolls of that.

I like the toolbox idea. I might consider that when we build our new labs. At the moment I have emergency supplies in an old wooden First Aid box in my far away lab, and for the two adjoining my prep room I just have stuff in those clear shoes boxes from Howard's Storage.

So Row, maybe the answer is that Yes, we do mostly seem to have stationery stashes for use in the Science Dept.

[Didee]

Stationary items come out of the budget here. I've always supplied as necessary. Metre rules, 30cm rules and tape measures (sewing and 50m) are part of our general science supplies. I have worked in a number of schools and it has been the same in all. General stationary items (pens, pencils, markers, sticky tape and staplers etc) are supplied for staff and student use. I have sets of scissors and glue sticks that go out into classrooms and all classrooms have a set that includes stapler, tape dispensor, punch etc. I don't lock the main stationary supply away, we are all adults and professionals after all . I do however keep back a small a part of the supply so that it is available for late term 3 and 4. Everyone knows where this second supply is but know that once it is used we don't get any more until next year.

[Rowyrow]

Thanks everyone. The school does have a stationary cuboard which all staff are allowed to help themselves to so maybe I will go and raid it and grab a bunch of stuff and labell it specifically for science. I guess we are still a realatively new school and alot of things are still being made up as we go along and budgets are tight so there are alot of short comings when it comes to equipment. With each year comes new staff who have different expectations of me and school resources and what worked one year may not work the next. As much as I enjoy the challenges of what I do here it can be very frustrating as im sure you all know!

[trish armstrong]

I sweet talk to my cleaners, and they bring any rulers/pens( working and not chewed)and other stationary to me, so i can recycle/use in the science area. They only generally throw them in the bin as they clean the rooms throughout the school.
thats how I have cut down on stationary purchasing. But still have to buy glue sticks and whiteboard markers for the teachers.
trish

[smiley]

Hey Trish,

Cool idea! I'm buddies with the cleaners. I'm going to ask for that too.

[rae]

I really liked the storage idea with the draws and would like to do something similar. Where did you buy the draws??

[m]

all our stationery needs come out of science budget. it doesnt matter if its for teachers or students. of course there is never enough in the budget and towards the end of the year teachers use their own money to purchase items. most faculties share their equipment although some (home ec) are a bit precious.

[lurra]

I use Paper copier boxes with the teachers name and at the start of each year i restock it with Stationary.
If they run out then I will give them extra but they have to look after it and keep with them and if they need it in the lab or sometimes they take it with them when they need to go to a class room.

[tuesday]

I have in each Lab sticky tape, glue sticks, scissors, 10 rulers and a stapler so that they don't bug me all the time and at the start of the year I put pens and white board makers in their staff room. this has made my life so much easier

[macca]

I went to the cleaners yesterday and asked if I could have any they found. I don't believe how much was on my desk this morning just from one day.
even a protractor and correction tape. I'm going to keep this a secret from other departments.

[lizzieb]

Those drawers are available at KMart, at reasonably prices. Used a lot of them to organise storage at home last hols!

At my last school I introduced the toolbox idea, restocking at the beginning of each year - the teachers had top it up themselves if they ran out. Really kept budget costs down.

Have just stocked our new labs here, but as teachers tend to stay put in one lab, they opted for large pencil cases which they can keep in one of the locked drawers.