School supply lists

By Laurie Gordon

Parents from local schools had a new tool in their backpacks this year with school supply lists this year posted on TeacherLists.com.

“There are a variety of ways that lists are uploaded to us including from Walmart or Target store managers as well as directly from individual teachers and also principals, school secretaries, and webmasters at the schools,” said John Driscoll, president of School Family Media/Teacherlists. “Some schools do more than that and actually promote it on their website.

With just one or two clicks, parents can find their child’s exact supply list and then click right over to pre-filled shopping carts on Target, Walmart, Office Depot, Amazon, or Staples to purchase their list and have it shipped right to their home. Target, Walmart, Office Depot and Staples also offer in store pick-up making the process easy and convenient.

“Instead of having to download and print a word doc from the school website they can access the list from their desktop or mobile phone and either shop in store or shop online and they can do ship to home or pick up in store or curbside pick up,” Driscoll said. “It is so much easier for parents vs.walking up and down the store aisles and trying to find 15 items like a red folder for math, blue folder for science, 1.5” three ring binder with inside pockets etc.”

For teachers and schools, Driscoll said it makes it easier for them to communicate with parents as to what their kids will need for the first day of school for the classroom.

“They can email the list to parents or share it via Facebook or even send it out over Twitter,” he said.

There is no fee at all for parents or schools to use TeacherLists.com.

“The primary business model is the retailers paying us to digitize the lists,” Driscoll said. “Schools and teachers just upload their lists in word doc format and we do the rest. The retailers pay a licensing fee to Teacherlists. They do that because they want to make back to school shopping as easy as possible for parents/families.”Teacherlists is part of School Family Media – www.schoolfamilymedia.com. It is a company that, for 20 years, has been working with K-8 schools primarily through PTO and PTA groups but also now with teachers and principals etc.

Some local schools already involved with TeacherLists.com include: Marian McKeown Elementary School, in Hampton, Fredon Township Elementary School, in Fredon, Ellen T. Briggs Elementery School, in Lake Hopatcong, Hardyston Township Elementary School in Franklin, Lafayette Township Elementary, in Lafayette, and the Tulsa Trail Elementary School in Hopatcong.

“For decades, the supply list process has been a frustration for parents,” said TeacherLists CEO,Charles Field. “Where to find the lists? When are they available? Forgetting the list on the counter at home. Hunting the aisles for the specific items their teacher has requested. All of those issues are solved with TeacherLists.”

Complete details and all the lists are available at www.teacherlists.com/parents