School books in Berlin

[admylin]

I arrived in Berlin when the present school year had already started and was told I had to buy all the text books myself for ds and dd which i did, cost under 100euro.
Today I got a letter, to say I could join the school book fund and pay 50 euro giving my child the right to borrow the text books but would have to return them to school at the end of the year. I don't get it, why join? I wrote a note to say I would be buying my own books. A couple of books can be passed down from ds to dd as they are in year 1 and 2 going into 2 and 3. Yet another unlogical happening concerning the school system here in Germany!

[Nightynight]

I bought 3 Scout Rantzens in a Flohmarkt, for 21 euros, the lot. Flohmarkts are great for all the expensive stuff (rollerblades, ice skates, sledges, skis etc)

Pity I wasnt clued up enough to get the Federmappchens at the same time, got stung for 30 euros each for those!

I also joined my children half way through the year,and have spent around 230 euros on school stuff. And thats not counting the fortune at C&A and Kaufhof for smart clothes to keep up with the Germans!

[emkana]

This brings back memories!
In my days you had to have a Scout Ranzen, otherwise you didn't "belong".
Only colours they were available in were blue and red.
What I wouldn't have given for a pink sparkly one!

[SSSandy]

I suppose for year 5 you need a bigger one?

Ours cost 129,- It wasn't one of the most expensive ones, it's from McNeil but it has the sportbag, pencilcase and a (very basic plastic )bottle inside. Scout seem to be around 108,- and you need to buy the pencilcase (around 20,-) and the sportbag, bottle which fits seperate. I noticed at McPaper the other day that Leitner make cheaper bags, look quite nice to0, saw one with little elves dancing all over it.

My first reaction to these schoolbags was that they seem huge and bulky. I've changed my mind now though, have to say I now find them good.
I looked around a bit and then let dd choose the one she wanted. I gave her 3 brands to choose from. They are expensive, aren't they? But I have to say they're beautifully made some of them and so nice and decorative. I just had a plain old brown satchel when I was at school. Dd went for a bright pink one which sparkles a bit and has horses all over it. (Sounds very tasteful I know but I figured she has to like it).

I've noticed older kids with very bulky bags. They're made of softer material and I suppose you need the space to accommodate all the books. I never had as much to carry to school as secondary school kids here seem to have.

[admylin]

How much did the ranzen rob you of? I was shocked at the prices, bet there aren't that many of us with handbags that cost over 100euro! What a price eh? I got ds's on the internet at ranzen discount so cost about 80 euro and dd's was in the sale for 50 butorigional price was 119euro. In year 5 they tell you to buy another...!

[SSSandy]

Got the Schultute and the Schulranzen, so I was feeling well-prepared. More fun ahead then!

[admylin]

Yes 50 for a year but if you buy your own it cost about the same and you get to keep them ! I am dreading th elists we will get at the beginning of the summer hols. You haveto get help buying the writing books because they have to have exactly the style of squares or lines that the teacher wants and each teacher wants different ones! We had some still empty maths books from the south german school but the shape of the squares was wrong for the berlin school (they wanted "long" squares here) and then I had to buy little plastic covers in all different colours to cover the books. I also had to buy A3 size drawing paper so be prepared, they provide absoloutly nothing!

[SSSandy]

I'm presuming this is 50 Euros a year? Big incentive! You'd also have to be careful that the books aren't written on or dog-eared. Think I'll be buying my own too.