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Some of you lucky ducks are still enjoying summer break!  In our part of northeast Tennessee, the first day for most students fell during the first full week of August.  Tennessee Tax Free Weekend occurred at the end of July, but lots of parents wait to buy supplies until their kids meet the new teachers.  Either way, it’s nice to get the supplies they actually need!

My own kids are in 4th and 9th grade, plus I’m a National Board Certified teacher with 22 years of experience in the 6th grade.  Here are the supplies I always make sure my personal children have on the first day!

Paper

Even in digitally-savvy districts where 1-to-1 devices have been implemented, there are still times when a person just needs to jot something down.  A simple supply of paper is appropriate for kids in middle elementary and up.  Whether you purchase filler paper to keep in a 3-ring binder, or you get a spiral bound notebook, make sure your child has some type of paper to write on for the first day.  I like the kind that has reinforced holes, but it’s definitely more expensive and not essential for the first day!  It is helpful, though, for kids who are rough on their homework papers.

Pencils or Pens

It makes sense that kids need something to write with, right?  I buy mechanical pencils for my kids to keep in a small pencil pouch.  We like these because they don’t require sharpening, and the tip won’t break in a bustling backpack.  They do need to be refilled with lead, but not on the first day.  However!!!  If you have a child who will be taking the pencil apart to play with the lead constantly, I do not recommend these.  It can turn into a toy, which is a distraction and possibly drive everyone crazy.  When buying regular #2 wooden pencils, I look for Ticonderoga brand.  They’re expensive but they sharpen and erase so well!  

Tissues

It doesn’t matter what grade or age your child is in — the teacher needs tissues!  I don’t buy the antiviral kind or even the brands with lotion.  Instead, I just go for quantity.

It doesn’t matter how many boxes of tissues I stockpile for the year, I will run out right in the middle of flu season. 

Be a dear and send in a box or two on the first day.  You can be sure that it will be appreciated by the teacher!

What not to send…at least, not right away

Many school districts send a generic supply list, but the teacher might not have input on the items needed.  You might think something was omitted by accident — for example, hand sanitizer — but there could be a good reason that it was excluded from the list.  In our school, for example, classrooms are not allowed to exceed a certain amount of hand sanitizer containers in each room.

If you really want to be helpful, ask your child’s teacher to send a wishlist of items that are needed beyond the supply list.  This can be done on Open House night, or in an email during teacher inservice week.  You could also send a basic Walmart or Target gift card with a sweet note asking the teacher to purchase something for the classroom.

On behalf of teachers everywhere, I suggest that toys and other distracting items should stay home.  You can tell your child to leave the Pokemon cards in his backpack, but he might implode from overwhelming urge to show them off!  If you’re worried that your child might become homesick, you could try tucking a small family photo into his pocket.  Set your child up for success by sending only school-needed items.

These guidelines should get you through the first day!  We did our big back-to-school shopping trip for my high schooler after she went to her first classes, and it worked out beautifully.  You just have to do what works for your family!

What’s your go-to purchase for back to school?