Just wondering how much time you give parents to look over a book order before having money due. I don't want to give too much time, but also don't want to rush anyone! Thanks!
I send it out Monday, due back on Friday. The sooner it's due back, the more orders I get! It gets lost and forgotten if it sits at home too long.
About 8 days - a full school week plus the weekend??? Then I remind them on Monday to bring it in! Did you all take advantage of the September Scholastic Lucky? 6000 bonus points for $225 order. I spent some of my own money to get the total up so I could get the points!!
I give about 8 days. I didn't know about the extra 6000 points until I placed my October order. I only had to add $3.00 of my own money. I am somewhat upset with Scholastic because no one in my school received the Sept. catalogues. I had quite a few coupons to use, too. When I questioned the customer service at Scholastic about this they told me it was not their fault that no one received anything. I am especially mad because I lost out on the monthly $10 coupons.
I send them home on Monday's and ask for them to be back on Friday however, I do wait till Monday in case any late ones come in.
I put my Lucky order in on Monday online and was only at about $125 so I was going to miss out on the points. But I didn't get a confirmation email so I figured they didn't get it and then took a few late kids orders which took me up to about $175. I decided the 6000 points was worth spending $50 so I called in the rest of the order today. They said my original was being processed and they didn't want to add this on for the points but when I asked to speak to a supervisor they gave it to me...:up: Cool.
I give a week..... Like Erin said, the longer they have to look over it, the more likely they will forger about it. I usually wait a day or 2 incase other orders straggle in.
I think I am going to start giving a week as well... Going to wait until next Friday to send the forms home, or should I wait until after fall break? I was hoping to get the 6000 points too it was like pulling teeth to get my first set this year. Parents kept on sending in notes saying that they would send in the $$ the next day etc. I ended up using one of my free picks to get that free book coupon kit from the September Arrow (I think). Also ended up getting the free coupons too. My school didn't pass out the September ones either- I saw them sitting in the mail room (thankfully!)
I send them home on a Monday and have them due back by Friday. I send an 2 orders home every 2 weeks. One upper level and one lower level. I also set up where the parents can order online and have had several take advantage of that ability. Yeah Czacza, I have 3rd graders and so I have from 1st to 6th grade Reading levels. I ended up sending home all of them for September (SeeSaw, Lucky, Arrow, and Click), 2 during the first send of the month and 2 during the last send, and my class ended up spending the $225 for each catalog with just a slight contribution (under $40) from me. I have then been using the bonus points to build up my chapter books since I had very few due to always teaching K-2 except for 1 year of 3/4 split in a private christian school.
I send it out on Wed, then it is due back on thursday of the next week (8 days). I do not put the orders in until friday, in case there were any last minute forgetful ones. my first order was about $200!! Biggest order ever for me!
I usually give them about 10 days. For Sept, I send it home the 2nd day of school and waited to place the order until after Back to School Nite to explain the on-line ordering. I got about 5 more orders after Back to Schoo Nite....
I send them home on Friday, and they are due the following Friday. I am going to use the online set up this year for the first time so we'll see how it goes. I didn't get the Arrow or Lucky this month at all, and am a little peeved. I got click, the k-6 science, teachers picks and TAB (for middle school for some reason) but no regular book orders. I hope I don't miss out on something important in terms of those points. Sounds like I did.
I am loving Tab-I've never seen it before. My kids love it also-lots of books they've never seen before. I have sixth grade, so they can handle it. Do you all do the online ordering? I am trying it for the first time this year. My daughter's teacher does it, but I haven't ordered online yet. Also, just a suggestion-for many people, payday is Friday. If you are sending home on Monday and expecting it back on Friday, you might not get it 'cause parents haven't gotten paid yet. I like Monday to Monday.
I send it home on a Monday and have orders due the following Wednesday (so 10 days). I figure it has a likelihood of covering more pay periods that way. I do send a reminder home the Monday before it is due.
I have found the same! Mine are sent Monday and due back on Thursday and then I send a reminder out and usually get some on Friday. I don't enter the order until the next Monday just in case!
I usually give about 2 weeks and remind them in each newsletter of the due date. I have them return them at the end of the month...pay day for most. I usually have a ton of orders. I just got my orders in on Friday but haven't ordered them through Scholastic yet. Glad I checked this thread...6000 points in a lot. Thanks!
I usually give them 5-8 days. I just read online that because this is no longer my first year teaching, the 3.00 service fee for orders under 20.00 no longer applies to me. So if a kid gives me money for books after I already placed the order, I suppose I will still accept it. I need those points!!!
My group ordered so much last year that I gained "red apple status" where I can use bonus points to cover express shipping costs. I love it.
I have had parents take advantage of the online ordering as well. I am thinking about sending home my order forms Monday the 15th, and have them due the following Monday. I want to send them home tomorrow, but our school's book fair is this week, and I do not want to anger my librarian.
As a parent: If I have too much time, I'll inevitably forget all about it. A week, including a weekend (say, Tuesday to Tuesday) should be enough for anyone.
I give a week, but I make it due on a Monday through Thursday so that I can give one extra day for late orders. When do people send the form home during the month? I get the order forms so far before the month even starts, but there are often holiday books in an order that the kids would want to get and read before a holiday.
I usually send them home pretty soon after I get them. For example I have already ordered from the October Lucky, Arrow and Click. I would have done SeeSaw also but I didn't get the September one until late. I got notice that their orders arrived at school today. So when I go back in from break I will sort them out and have them ready for when the kids come back on the 9th.
I have a question: To get the 6000 bonus points, I assume that your order has to equal $225 from ONE order. (for example LUCKY) OR Can it equal $225 from all of the orders you put in through Scholastic??
You have to have $225 in the September order. It isn't a combination of all your orders. I send my order forms on Monday and usaully have them due on Friday.
I already got my November order in the mail! I just sent home the October ones today. What kind of break do you have in October, MelissainGA?
Here we have a week long fall break, and I know some schools have a few weeks off for year around school.
Wow...I think I'll start giving only a week! I usually send them home the begining of the month and have them due the last friday of the month. I also send home weekly reminders and put on there when the scholastic orders are due. I only gave about 2 weeks on the October one and have only received $25 in orders. I don't know how you guys get so much!!! The biggest order I've ever had was my September one that was $111.10 and that was because ONE parent ordered $89 worth!! I was overjoyed just to get the 600 points extra!! I think I'll start sending home SeaSaw the begining of the month and giving a week, then sending FireFly later in the month with another week. Sound ok to you guys???
I've adopted the one week idea. Send it home on Monday and make the money due on Friday. I also took another poster's advice on here and changed the time of the month that the order are sent home. From now on I'll send it home at the end of the month like on the 28th or 29th and have it due 5 days later. A lot of the parents get paid around this time.
You guys that get off for a week or more in the fall must start earlier than us then. We have only had about 6 weeks of school so far, so I couldn't imagine getting a break yet.
I send mine home on a Monday and it is due on a Friday. I usually don't order until Saturday morning so parents who forget (even with the reminders) can order online until then. My first order of the year was almost $200.
