Sask. school relieves back-to-school shopping stress for parents

Parents, students—and anyone with a television—have been bombarded by back-to-school ads since late July.

But what if it didn’t have to be that way?

St. Bernard School in Saskatoon is going into their second year of trying a new system that takes the stress of back-to-school shopping away from parents.

The Catholic elementary school creates a list of the supplies each student needs and negotiates a bulk price with their division supplier.

The bill is then divided among parents so kids don’t have to worry about forgetting their protractor on the first day.

“Over the years we’ve heard parents come back and they’re stressed,” said Luisa Giocoli, St. Bernard School vice principal. “They didn’t come back from the lake in time, they didn’t have a chance to get all the school supplies. This was a way to relieve that stress.”

She said the program also helps ensure equality among students, as they all have the same supplies.

Giocoli said after the first year of trying the new system, staff gave it a glowing review.

“It’s been very well received,” she said, adding parents have appreciated the program as well.

Other schools have been taken note of the program, and have asked St. Bernard more about how it works.