Hi Mark,
That’s really thoughtful of you to want to bring supplies with you. I know that many of the schools (especially rural ones) are always happy to receive supplies for the classroom. Pens, pencils, notebooks, crayons, markers, etc. are small and often cheaper in the U.S. so that’s something you could easily bring.
Preschools (again especially in small communities) are often lacking books in Spanish for the kids. Story books and educational books for preschool ages are appreciated. And many of these children come from low-income families so clothing is always nice to have too and the teachers will distribute clothes to the kids at the school if you bring some.
Us expats are all different in what we find important enough to really want from back home, but food items are usually at the top of the list. Spice and seasoning mixes are hard to come by here so things like Old Bay, Jerk Seasoning, and Maple Syrup are usually bought up quickly from anyone who brings some down. Personally I’d give my firstborn for a block of Tillamook aged white Irish cheddar, but that’s not an easy thing to mule down, so I’d stick with small non-perishable items. (And that’s a joke about giving away my son, should anyone take that literally…)
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