The Notebooks

Why, you might wonder, would I be stopping by this dear little bungalow in Etobicoke on my way to school this morning to continue with classroom set up?

Well, dear reader, it's an interesting tale, really...

A few weeks ago, see, while still on PEI, I happened across a fantastic deal: a 4-pack of notebooks for 20 cents.  As a teacher, I was entitled to buy up to 40 packs, AND because of the date I was there, I got an additional 10% off.

Unsure of whether I'd be able to find the same deal back in Ontario, I nabbed a case of these darn things, and not until after they were paid for and sitting in the trunk of my rental car did I realise I now had to figure out how to get them back home and to my classroom!!!  (I was flying home the next day, with one small, already-packed, very full, carry-on suitcase.)

As it happened, a neighbour in Morell was heading out on a road trip the next morning, a trip that would take her through Ontario to visit friends in Etobicoke, not far from my home and school!  I quickly convinced her to make space in the trunk for my treasured carton, and prayed a quick prayer of thanks for the God who had arranged such an expeditious solution to my dilemma.

So, this morning on the way to work, the kind soul who gave me a ride to school willingly swung by the aforementioned bungalow with me enroute, and I snooped around the front porch and found the table under which my prize was hidden.  It had been neatly labeled with my name, lest some thief come and try to make off with my teacher package.

Into the trunk it went, and was unpacked and sorted by Alex, who came with me today to help out in my classroom.

And now, a little math:

1. How much for each notebook for the regular public, before taxes?
   
2. How much did Ms. Teschow pay per notebook?  What did she pay for the whole case?
   
3. How many notebooks of each colour were likely in the case?  (Justify your answer.)
   
4. Would it have been cheaper to just buy the notebooks in Ontario, assuming the same deal could have been found?  Explain your thinking.
   
5. If Ms. Teschow gives each student in her five math classes one notebook to start the year, how many will she have left over?
   
6. As a convenience to students who lose their notebook or need a new one, Ms. Teschow makes additional notebooks available to her students for 25 cents each.  What percent mark up is this?  How many notebooks would she need to sell at this price in order to cover her original costs?

What other math problems can you come up with?