Two Teacher Friends

It is a month into school and we are still loving the way we pass out pencils. In past school years there has been a problem with students' pencils always breaking, or being los,t or not having any sharp pencils---at all!! (We are still trying to figure out how there are just no pencils in a desk...really, guys?!)

Over the summer, Memaw, Mrs. Patterson's Grandma, helped us sew 68 pencils bags. All the bags were made out of a thick fabric~we used duck cloth. It was very inexpensive at Jo-Anne's Fabric. We even got it on sale! We used ribbon from Walmart to keep the pencils from falling out, and to make it look a little cuter! Students simply tuck the top into the ribbon to shut the bag. No buttons, no snaps, easy to use!

Memaw sewing the bags!

Each child received their own bag with their cubby number on it (we used a black paint pen to paint the numbers on). Each bag holds 8 sharpened pencils. On Friday students turn in their pencil bags. The dull/broken pencils get replaced with new, freshly sharpened pencils. On Monday the bags are returned to students ready to go.

(Don't worry, this is no more 'extra' for the teacher! We have students sharpen pencils all week long, in the morning, and after school before they head to the bus. Student helpers fill and replace the pencils in the bag too.)

Sharp pencils, ready to be bagged!

Our student helpers can easily grab pencils that need to be sharpened

Students are not allowed to take these bags home. They stay at school All. The. Time. When our student helpers check pencils Friday afternoon they are making sure each bag has 8 pencils. If it does not, the owner of the bag gets an X by their name. If it does have all 8 pencils (even if it is just a small bit or broken) the owner gets a check mark by their name. After one month of checking pencils all students with all check marks will get a pencil/piece of candy/free time at computer lab/stickers/homework pass or anything the teachers want to pass out!






Here is how our bags look. We love them. Our students love them. It's a beautiful thing. In all, we spent $33 on fabric and ribbon. Since there are 2 of us that means $16.50 each!  #thrifty

Pencil bags in use