Parents note long lists of needed school supplies

QUANTICO, Md. – Pencils, pens, and glue sticks are just the start of what parents need to prepare their children for school this year. But teachers in Wicomico County say that it’s a collaborative effort to get those students ready.

“I don’t remember even school shopping,” one parent, Kevin Beauchamp, said. “I think my mom used to hand me a couple of folders, some paper, and a pencil and that’s what we went to school with.”

But time have changed, and it seems back to school lists are getting longer and longer each year.

“It seems like every year there is something more added that our teachers need to teach our children,” Beauchamp said.

On top of the basics like pencils, pens, and papers, parents are now asked to get extra supplies that they might not have even thought of.

“There’s always been that added suggestion of four boxes Kleenex, dry erase markers, hand sanitizer, boxes of crayons, and stuff like that,” Beauchamp said.

And teachers have their own growing list of supplies.

“A lot of aspects of it do come personally because we love to add personal touches to our classrooms to make them unique to ourselves,” Jennifer Bails, a kindergarten teacher at Westside Primary School said.

But teachers in Wicomico County say it’s their job to work alongside families to make sure every student is prepared.

“Certainly if there are families that are in need of any sort, then I will find the resources needed to really be able to give the students what they need because we want all students to have access to the same materials,” Bails said.