[Glenda]

Hi,

With four kids I have amassed about 20kg of white shirts, grey trousers, white PE shirts, tracksuits and shorts in various different colours. I know kiwi secondaries have uniforms, but do kiwi primaries? Should I pack or dump these items at the school PTA? :?

Also have about two dozen pairs of plimsolls and a dozen pairs of kids black school shoes - will these be necessary or is it really bare feet and sandals for my kids? :roll:

Any help appreciated.

[Hannah-NL]

I think if you have any room left (bringing stuff in a container) I might even bring them to swap for bigger sizes... or is that "not done" in NZ with kids school uniforms?

With the rate my kids are growing, they need new stuff every half year at the least, I cannot imagine buying brand new each time.
I would not over here (in Holland where we don't have school uniforms) but I surely would not start buying new when in NZ if I can buy second hand.

We had this with scouting blouses and stuff, we bought second hand)
Maybe I'm lucky, I have two boys, age 15 and 11, so obviously the younger one gets a lot of the stuff oldest won't fit in any more, and it's not a problem to him at all. I buy them new shoes each time tho, expensive over here already, so I might need to stock up?

On another note:
Do kids get teased when other kids see or know they wear second hand school uniforms?

[veronica]

Kiwis on the whole have a much bigger '2nd hand' mentality than in the UK, cant answer for the rest of Europe.
Are you boys still in scouting, our son in law is a scout leader over here and our daughter is a venture scout leader (except in NZ they have a different name) There is a scout 'moot' here in Chch over Easter if you are interested will get a report on it from Trudie and PM you with it.

[Hannah-NL]

Youngest is still in scouting over here, and might well get back in there once we get to NZ.
I think it will be a world of difference compared to our scouting!

Over here scouting is mostly sort of a "play group" more or less, he's a junior scout now.

Once a year they go on camp, usually in a scouting camping ground not too far away
(Like here: http://www.adashoeve.nl/ )

't Will be nothing like in NZ I bet, Holland is pretty much all cultivated these days.
Will be great to read more about scouting in NZ, thanks! :nice1

[A & M]

The primary that our 2 go to has a uniform. So far they don't seem to bother to get changed to do PE - they just go outside in their uniforms. I'd definitely bring shoes as we found the ones in the local shops poor quality. My daughter has very narrow feet and we couldn't find any shoes to fit her at all. She goes to school in trainers or sandals. When the weather gets colder they can wear track suit bottoms to school. The school also suggest vests etc for the winter! All the local primaries round here (rural area north of Christchurch) seem to have uniforms - polo shirts, sweatshirts, fleeces etc. Not formal shirt and tie stuff. Haven't a clue about the rest of the country though.

Hannah - looking at the children at our school quite a lot of them are wearing second hand stuff and I haven't heard of any teasing.

If you've got room, I'd bring the lot if they still fit.

Mandy

[Tanya]

I bought my childrens school white polo shirts with us - sadly, the school they are in has light blue polo shirts :no - if nothing else they can wear them in the weekend at home in the garden :nice1

They don't have PE gear in the school either, just the school clothes and shoes!

Tanya

[Glenda]

Many thanks for your replies ... so it is bring everything but the white shirts and grey trousers. What about my sizeable collection of plimsolls? Should I bother bringing them? Anyone know? :?

[Carol]

Many thanks for your replies ... so it is bring everything but the white shirts and grey trousers. What about my sizeable collection of plimsolls? Should I bother bringing them? Anyone know? :?


no - ditch them Glenda.
Never actually seen one in 9 years here!!


Carol

[Glenda]

Many thanks for your replies ... so it is bring everything but the white shirts and grey trousers. What about my sizeable collection of plimsolls? Should I bother bringing them? Anyone know? :?


no - ditch them Glenda.
Never actually seen one in 9 years here!!


Carol

:eek :? :laugh :laugh :laugh
:cheers

[Hannah-NL]

Being thrifty you could die the white shirts light blue ;)