Teacher Tip Tuesday #4

BOY Donations

At the end of each year, I can't help but to think of the next year. What do I want to work on over the summer to make the beginning of next year easier for me.  One thing I do each year is make a donations table for Meet the Teacher day and I also put it out at Back To School Night. My first year teaching, I didn't know what to ask for. I copied down whatever my co-worker had down and it was helpful, but once I had a year under my belt, I was able to think about what I was going to need for the next year. My second year of teaching I asked for many of the same things, but also a few other things that I was going to need. 

I found this cute idea and sign on Pinterest and had to copy for myself. It is from Head Over Heels For Teaching.

Last year I made these adorable apples to ask parents for donations at the beginning of the year. You can get them at my TPT store.

 I printed these on red, yellow, and green paper and cut them out. Parents could just grab whatever they wanted to donate.

For next year, I made cupcakes and this "sweet" sign to ask for donations. I am very excited to put these out at the beginning of next year. You can also get these at my TPT store. 

I printed them out on construction paper and scrapbooking paper and glued them together.

If you know me, you know I am addicted to pinterest and have to admit that none of these original ideas were my own, but I was inspired from Pinterest and recreated the ideas to make them work for me and my classroom.

School Supplies

At the Beginning of the Year, the students are required to bring in school supplies to use for the year. This year, we required the students to bring in: 5 plastic folders,tissues, 3 composition notebooks, pencils, felt tip pens, markers, crayons, glue sticks (seems like we NEVER have enough), erasers, scissors, hand sanitizer, and zip lock bags.  Our PTA is amazing and offers a supply pack that includes all of this when the parents pay a certain amount.  I love when parents do this because it is exactly the correct supplies and we get them in our room the week before the students come back so I can label everything ahead of time!
I also ask for extra supplies from my parents like packing tape, snacks, card stock, play dough, extra glue sticks, colored paper, and sticky tack.  I ask for these donations on Meet the Teacher day and at Back to School Night.  I also will ask for them thorughout the year if I need them on signupgenius.com, which I sign up all my parents for and use it throughout the year to contact and scehude meeting with them.
What do you have your students bring in for supplies for the year?