School Supplies for 2021-2022

Bulk Supply Purchasing

School Supplies for 2021-2022

The Alameda PTA is excited to continue bulk school supply purchasing at Alameda for the 2021-2022 school year! Bulk school supply purchasing differs from traditional school supply ordering in that instead of families ordering individual school supply kits or receiving lists of supplies to provide on the first day of school, every family is asked to make a financial contribution/donation and all monies collected will go into a fund to purchase the needed supplies for every classroom.

There are many benefits to this method for the parent, child, and classroom teacher. It saves parents money because we are able to buy in bulk, allowing us to purchase a larger variety and better quality of supplies. Students feel more equality because all supplies are the same color, style, size, etc. Students also learn many social skills from sharing supplies. By purchasing supplies over the summer, our classrooms are set up and ready for the first day of school with the supplies that are needed.

• 
  We fully transitioned to this model in 2018. The Alameda PTA works with teachers to continue to reduce the number of items needed/find cost savings through bulk purchasing, reusing durable items, allowing us to have one low amount for all grade levels. The requested contribution/ donation for 2021-2022 is $45.00/student by August 31st, which includes all beginning of year school supplies, classroom supplies or refreshed supplies as needed, and other classroom items as needed once school is back in person. This also includes a small donation (approximately $5.00) for reimbursement to teachers for items they purchase for the classroom out-of-pocket, in addition to covering any families that may be unable to contribute.
• 
  We will plan to have supplies ready to be delivered to classrooms the week prior to the start of school, so teachers can get organized prior to students' arrivals. If you would like to help in the sorting and distribution process, please email us at PTA@alamedaschool.org.
  
  PAYMENT OPTIONS:
1. Pay Online. Check out the Alameda store at or…. https://alamedapps.memberhub.com/store or with QR code

1. Pay by Check. Please make checks payable to Alameda PTA, and drop them or mail them to the school (2732 NE Fremont St. Portland, OR 97212 Attn: PTA) 

• 
  If there are circumstances that create a hardship in paying the requested contribution, the Alameda PTA, through parent donations, will help cover costs for supplies for any families that could use financial assistance. Please choose the "Reduced Fee" school supplies product in the online store and enter the amount you feel comfortable paying; the PTA will cover the rest of the costs, even up to 100% where requested.
• 
  Questions? Answers to frequently asked questions are available below. If you can’t find an answer you’re looking for or need more information, please email the Alameda PTA school supply coordinator (and Treasurer) Katherine Hart.
  
  
• Concerns or Complaints? For complaints or concerns about the program, please contact your Alameda PTA President Monica Kearsley.

School Supplies FAQ

• Why the new approach?

• In past years, the school sent supply lists home to families at the end of the school year.  Families had to provide supplies by the first day of school.  An external company offered Alameda families the option to purchase supplies through them.  Their program fulfilled just over half of the items on the list, but families had to procure the rest.  Informal feedback from families and teachers indicated several issues with the program: expensive, late delivery, inconsistent quality/quantity, and extensive packaging waste.
• The PTA responded by creating an easy, lower cost school supplies program for all Alameda families, while helping teachers customize classroom supplies for students.  The new program was created based on the one used by David Douglas School District, with a few noticeable differences. One, our fees are not mandatory, but are optional. (However, in order to continue, we need a high rate of participation). Second, instead of burdening our teachers with the task of purchasing supplies, we have opted to take that task on for them.  This frees up some of their summer, and allows us to tap into bulk purchasing discounts.

• How does this program benefit our students?

• Every student has all of the supplies needed for the year, and all students receive the same supplies. Students also learn many important social skills from sharing supplies.

• How does this program help Alameda families?

• Fulfilling the total supply list used to cost Alameda families as much as $60-$100 per student. Together we leverage our group size for collective buying power saving each family money.
• In addition, our program saves families time by streamlining what you need to provide in preparation for going back to school. Families will still need to provide a few personal items for their student(s) like a backpack, water bottle, lunchbox, and possibly headphones. The PTA will handle the rest.

• How does this program help Alameda teachers?

• Supplies are shipped directly to the school over the summer so that teachers have time to organize their classroom before the first day of school. Additionally, teachers have more control over the supplies coming into the classroom in terms of quantity and quality. And the fundraising portion of the fees collected allows the Alameda PTA to further support our teachers’ classroom needs through direct reimbursement for items purchased out-of-pocket or through grants to teachers.

• Why has the PTA included fundraising in the fee?

• The Alameda PTA has opted to round-up and incorporate a modest fundraising amount to the fees. This fundraising allows us to provide financial support to families in need and to provide each teacher with a small fund to purchase any additional, specialized classroom supplies they might need.   
• Each year, teachers across our country dip into their own pockets to buy materials and supplies for our children's classrooms. Tax code gives educators a $250 deduction for this, but many teachers spend well beyond that. On average, teachers spend on average $500 a year.
• The Alameda PTA does not believe it is the responsibility of our communities’ educators to subsidize one of the costs resulting from the underfunding of public schools in America.

• How will this program help reduce waste?

• The Alameda PTA has designed the program so that all school supplies purchased for classrooms will be communal to the classroom.  As such, teachers will no longer send any supplies home at the end of the school year.  Instead, durable items like scissors, rulers, and calculators will remain in the classrooms for use year-after-year and the PTA will work with teachers to replace damaged or worn-out goods as needed. 
• Moreover, PTA will be purchasing supplies in bulk so you will no longer have individually packaged sets of supplies shipped to you for each student. These efforts will reduce packaging waste and reduce overall consumption of supplies over time, so classrooms use only what they need.