School Supply Fee Notification Letter

Dear Highland Park Husky Families,

We have an exciting update about how school supplies will be provided for students at HPE beginning in September 2026 – 2027 school year.

After careful review and consultation with staff and PAC, our school will be moving from families purchasing individual school supplies to a board approved school-based supply fee of $45 that covers all consumable classroom learning materials used during the school day.

This approach offers important benefits for students, families, and our school community:

1. Lower overall cost for families
Currently, families spend approximately $70–$85 per child on school supplies purchased through PAC. By purchasing supplies in bulk at the school level, we can obtain higher-quality materials at significantly lower prices. These savings are passed directly on to families.

2. Higher quality supplies
Bulk purchasing allows us to select durable, classroom-appropriate materials that last longer and better support student learning. Teachers will have access to what they need when they need it—without waiting for replacements or substitutions.

3. Greater consistency and organization for students
When all students are using the same types of supplies, this helps with the development of students’ executive functioning skills and overall classroom organizational efficiency. This consistency in supplies helps students focus on learning while developing important organizational skills. Also, every student has what they need when they need it.

4. More flexibility for teachers
Instead of relying on a fixed grade-level supply list, teachers can acquire the materials that best match their students’ learning needs and teaching style. This allows us to better support hands-on learning, creativity, and differentiated instruction.

The school supply fee will cover all classroom consumable supplies used during the school day, including notebooks, lined paper, plain paper, colour paper, pencils, white board markers for student use, art materials (markers, pencil crayons, crayons) and other supplies deemed necessary by the teacher for high quality learning opportunities. 

Items used throughout the year (such as used notebooks or folders, markers, etc.) will be sent home with students at the end of the school year in June.  Non-consumables such as scissors, rulers, calculators, clip boards, individual white boards, math tools, etc. are things that will be purchased outside of the school supply fee and used year after year.   

Families are still welcome to purchase supplemental or personal items for their child (such as special pencil cases, decorative folders, etc.) if they wish. These items are optional and meant to allow for individual expression.

We believe this change will make school more affordable, equitable, and supportive of high-quality learning for all students. Most importantly, it allows teachers and students to have what they need when they need it in order to focus on learning.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we take this positive step forward for our school community.

Warm regards,
Shelly Cull