TPS Science Kit Rotation Program

Rules of Care & Consideration

Each rotation period the TPSScienceResourceCenter (SRC) tracks, refurbishes and prepares for shipment over 300 science kits. Many of these are multi-box kits.

Rotation Periods

Middle school kits are rotated each trimester. Elementary schools are on a quarterly rotation. That’s around 400 additional boxes that our drivers have to contend with for each of the two weeks of rotation. The first week all the kits are picked up and returned to the SRC. The next week kits for the upcoming rotation period are delivered to the participating schools. All this work is in addition to their regular duties. So we ask you to please, have your kits properly repacked and delivered to the office on the day before the scheduled pickup. Otherwise it can result in wasted trips to pick up missing or incomplete kits. Some of our kits are in limited supply and must be returned and refurbished in less than one week to be shipped right back out.

All schools pickup and delivery dates are listed in the Rotation Schedule. Click here for the most up to date version of the Rotation Schedule.

Once the rotation is completed, it’s my job to refurbish all the returned kits. Then Istart pulling kits, logging their T numbers and stacking them on palettes for each school’s next rotation. There is barely enough time to get this done when kits are returned in good condition. So when kits come back in a mess, you can see how this creates big problems for me, and possibly result in late deliveries of some kits. Here are some guidelines we ask all teachers who utilize the kits to abide by.

Receiving

Each kit has a tracking number referred to as a “T” number. This number is written on a library card holder and taped to the front of each kit box. It will indicate if the kit is a single, or multiple box kit (box # of #). When delivering to classrooms make sure the multi-box kits are grouped together by the T number.

Unpacking

Every kit box contains a packing slip. You should use this to verify that all the items are present. If any materials are missing, contact Jeffery Allen () and they will be sent to you through school mail. Please save the packing slips for use in repacking the kit boxes. If you need additional packing slips you can print them from the Science web site.

Repacking

Repacking a kit simply requires you to reverse the unpacking process. Make sure all items that were originally in a particular box are returned to that box. Use the packing slip to check off items as you place them in the box. Return all non-consumable items and any unused consumables. Non-functioning non-consumables like batteries and timers should be isolated and labeled, so they may be replaced. All non-consumable containers should be emptied, cleaned and dried before repacking.

Please make sure all kits are returned in the condition you would want to receive it.

  • Do not mix items from different kits.
  • Return items in the correct kit.
  • Return items in the correct box.
  • Return all boxes of multi-box kits.
  • Return all kits issued to your school.
  • Return all non-consumable and unused consumable items.
  • Return kits in the condition you would want to receive them.
  • Have kits ready for return on the scheduled date.
  • Check the Rotation Schedule for your kit(s) pick-up date
  • Have all kits & all boxes ready and in or by the office the day prior to the pick-up date. The driver’s day starts at 7:00 AM. They may not have time for kits to be brought down from the classrooms. They are very busy during rotation.

Videos & CD’s

Videos and CD’s are inventoried at the Fulton Library. You can request them from the Fulton Librarian Betty Schmidt. They must be returned to the Fulton Library when you are finished with them. Do NOT return them in the kit.

SRC Web Page

We have been working on our web site for about a year now. There is a dedicated web pagefor every kit type we have. Some include printable student manuals and teaching aids. All include packing slips. There is a complete set of MSDS sheets you can view or print. If you have a teaching aid in digital form you would like to share, just email it to me and I will post it.

This document is also available online.

Please make sure that all teachers utilizing the science kits have read it.