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Class Lists Posted Six Days Before Start of School — Is it an Inconvenience?

Parents have taken to Patch and social media to say they are upset that the class lists can't be posted sooner than Aug. 17, a few days before the start of school.

By Amanda Harnocz
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July 28, 2012

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Melanie on her first day of second grade and Chad Woliver on his first day of fourth grade at Indian Trail. Angel Woliver

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Melanie on her first day of second grade and Chad Woliver on his first day of fourth grade at Indian Trail.

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Patch announced this week that elementary class lists will be posted on school doors Aug. 17 — six days before students are supposed to report to class.

Many parents commented on the Patch story and on the Stow Patch Facebook page about their discontent:

Pamela Wind: "Gee, how nice of them to tell us what's going on SIX DAYS before the start of school. Am I the only parent driven nuts by this? At Echo Hills, the supplies needed are by classroom, not by grade, so we generously get four days until open house night to make a mad dash for school supplies. Forget watching the sales!"

Some schools/classes have supply lists posted on the district's website. Fishcreek has a .pdf of the Kindergarten supply list. Check your respective school building for a list that may be online.

Teachers or parents can add the school supply list to Stow Patch by clicking here.

May school supply lists can also be found at businesses like Office Max and Drug Mart.

Paul Hunter: "We have no idea what to purchase for our daughter's class or even what school. We have to set up before and after school care at a daycare so if she gets bumped from our closed school we will be scrambling to sign her up at a daycare close to the school. This process of posting on the actual school door six days prior to starting isn't very practical for families."

Some people who commented on the site said the supply lists are pretty much the same year-to-year and have already started purchasing some items.

Patty Whitaker: "I have found that the elementary lists (at least Fishcreek's) haven't changed all that much. Except for a few select items, It's pretty basic stuff: Green, red, blue and maybe yellow, notebooks and folders, No. 2 pencils, crayons, washable markers, yellow highlighters and black dry erase markers to name just a few items. I have been stocking up on these basics. I have one going to Lakeview this year and kind of going nuts not knowing what items he is going to need beyond the basics!"

Comments were also left on the Stow Patch Facebook page:

Renee Reinhart Mihalyov: "We are new to Stow and I can't believe how inadequate this process is!! I thought it was bad enough that we couldn't confirm morning or afternoon Kindergarten. Then we found out that we may not even be able to attend our home school? Ridiculous! Looks terrible to a new resident!!"

Jan Hightower-Woods: "Really, it's always been made into such a big, secretive ordeal in this district and quite frankly I don't get it! Why are they posting kids names and teacher assignments on the schools windows for everyone to see? Why isn't this done electronically. Saves everyone gas and time and saves the environment too ... "

Click here to view the back to school dates and times. Also, back to school forms are available online, print them here.

Do you think it is incovenient to post the class lists six days before the start of school?

How would you prefer to find out this information? How soon would you like to know?

Tell us in the comments.

Thanks. We'll email you the next time we update this story.

Brian Heath

11:17 am on Saturday, July 28, 2012

I might be dating myself a tad by revealing this; but when I went to Newberry Elementary in Cuyahoga Falls, the next year's classroom assignment was indicated on the final report card for the year. Now, class lists are posted a week before elementary school starts - and a list of "the basics" for the coming school year in terms of school supply lists is included with that final report card.

TB Player

1:26 pm on Saturday, July 28, 2012

Some people will complain no matter the circumstances. If they had been given their supply list at the end of the prior school year (as is done in Norton), they would complain "It was too early.. I lost the list"... If you dont know your child need pencils, markers, paper, notebooks, books covers... The 'basics', then you arent smart enough to even raise a child. There would be very few items other than the standard that would be required. Norton even supplies algebraic calculators to the students when they hit 6th grade, that they will need for the rest of their school career.

Debbie S.

7:30 pm on Saturday, July 28, 2012

Yes, people will complain either way, but the district could post supply lists on the website for those that couldn't keep track of it all summer. As for "...very few items other than the standard that would be required." That's not true at all. Many teachers require specific colors, numbers, and TYPES of folders (with vs without prongs or pockets, for instance or "24 count crayons" versus last year's teacher who was very clearly requesting ONLY the 16 count boxes). Each teacher has different requests like "girls bring Purell Brand Hand Sanitizer and boys bring Clorox Anti-Viral Wipes". One set of teachers requested no hard-sided pencil boxes for the entire grade, only a soft-sided lunch box to be used for that purpose (which was actually very clever since it had a handle and the kids were changing classes often). So no, it's NOT easy to know what to buy and when sales start in mid-July, finding out what is needed at the end of August (or later) is annoying.

No Name, yea!!!!

10:32 pm on Monday, July 30, 2012

Debbie are you not participating in K-12, Ohio Virtual Academy this year? I believe everything will be provided for you. But I enjoy all your conversations.

Debbie S.

10:55 pm on Monday, July 30, 2012

My oldest will attend OHVA again this year, yes. But like SMF, OHVA is a public school so all the usual school supplies are still up to families to provide. My youngest attends Miller South (public) School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Akron. They sent teacher assignments and supply lists in mid-July, which was a welcome and pleasant surprise. However, I experienced 7 years of the situation in Stow when my girls attended Woodland and Lakeview, so unlike many posting (who seem to have no idea how this impacts families), I completely understand the consternation. I imagine the problem is exacerbated when a family has two parents working and needs to make childcare arrangements, too, although that was not my situation.

Kellie Freni

2:24 pm on Saturday, July 28, 2012

When I went to Indian Trail (back in the 70s-80s) it was always noted on the final report card and I really do not understand why they stopped that.

Debbie S.

7:32 pm on Saturday, July 28, 2012

The reasons I've been told are that staffing tends to change over the summer months and - probably more importantly - when parents find out early who the teachers are, they have more time to request changes for their children.

No Name, yea!!!!

10:36 pm on Monday, July 30, 2012

A room number could be put on the final report card. Holy Family, has everything sent home the last day of school, for the next year, correct?

Kim Thomas

10:07 pm on Saturday, July 28, 2012

Other local school districts send home teacher assignments and class lists on the last day of school, and there apparently aren't any problems in doing so. I think it is ridiculous and irrespsonsible for our school distict to wait so late in posting the information. I have purchased supplies in the past based on the generic lists posted by grade, only to make a 2nd trip to the store when the teacher sends home a more specific list. And good luck...by the time that teacher's list comes home, supplies are picked over, and I end up going to store after store and staying out late trying to find everything my children need. (For example, black spiral notebooks are not all that easy to find.) I certainly would appreciate lists posted at least by the 2nd wk of July.

Kim

9:44 pm on Sunday, July 29, 2012

Even this week would be better then 6 days before school

Jason

3:13 am on Monday, July 30, 2012

As one person pointed out, try planning work or daycare for kindergarten with just six days notice. How many employers do you know that are willing to change your work schedule with just 6 days notice because you don't know if your child will be in AM or PM kindergarten. How about the person trying to use daycare for the other half of the day, but wait a minute your child may be transferring to a different school that is outside of your daycare's transportation range. Now try to get your child into a daycare just 6 days before school starts. For those that have not put a child in daycare, they don't always have an opening right away, you may end up on a waiting list. Also not all daycare providers are of equal quality, there are some in our area I wouldn't trust to watch a pet, let alone my child.