School Supplies Advice for New High Schooler..

[Tess'smom]

I usually buy the standard items such as pens, pencils etc before the year begins. I definitely would not buy the calculator until you find out exactly what you need. My child insists on color coded items per subject so she can just grab the notebook, folder and book fast as they have three minutes to change classes. For example she grabs the green binder, notebook and textbook for her Chemistry class. I wouldn't even buy the notebooks yet because some teachers specifically want 3 or 5 subject ones. Its fun to buy some locker magnets and mirror before the year starts to personalize the locker.

 

[hereyago]

OP:thanks for starting this thread. And the posters who have listed items to get thanks to you as well. Dd13 will be starting 9th grade(start of our high school) this September and have no list. I will get the basics now as I hate trying to get everything at the same time along with everyone else.

 

[Chelley00]

I went today and bought DS16 (a junior):

loose leaf paper
a few spiral notebooks
pens
mechanical pencils
index cards
highlighters


He has a trapper keeper type thing he reuses from year to year and keeps a pencil pouch in it to keep extra pens and pencils.

I keep a stash of markers, poster board, highlighters, sharpies etc at home. He has aTI-84 calculator from freshman year that he can reuse if needed.

 

[nicki.momof3]

Buy the basics and wait for the lists.
Some teachers have really stupid, specific requests. Like, you need a purple folder with tabs and pockets for one class, a yellow notebook for another, a 1/2" binder for one class, a 1 1/2" for another.

From your comment I assume you are not in the education field. As a HS teacher I can tell you specific requests are not "stupid". I teach 170 a day. When I call in folders, journals, or notebooks it is very time efficient to have each of the classes color coded. The quicker I can make grading the more time I can spend individualizing my class for each students and creating amazing new lessons that will draw them in.

I require specific colored journals and a 1" binder for each student (any color). I collect the binder at the end of each unit and grade them. Grading them is a long process and requires that I take them home. Taking 170 binders home to grade takes lots of space and anything larger than 1" would be to much to physically manage.

Showing support for your childs teachers will help them in the long run. Telling your child a teachers requests are "stupid" only undermines them and give them a poor opinion of them. They enter the class already having a negative attitude of the class / teacher therefore impacting their performance.

My suggested starter list:
Highlighters
pencils
loose leaf
note cards
erasers
dividers
binder / folders
flash drive
colored pencils
poster board / tri-fold board

Happy shopping

 

[Terry36]

OP:thanks for starting this thread. And the posters who have listed items to get thanks to you as well. Dd13 will be starting 9th grade(start of our high school) this September and have no list. I will get the basics now as I hate trying to get everything at the same time along with everyone else.

You're welcome.

Class starts on August 20th so there should still be a good selection of supplies left to choose from. I'm hoping she gets her lists the first or 2nd day so we can run out and get them.

 

[Terry36]

From your comment I assume you are not in the education field. As a HS teacher I can tell you specific requests are not "stupid". I teach 170 a day. When I call in folders, journals, or notebooks it is very time efficient to have each of the classes color coded. The quicker I can make grading the more time I can spend individualizing my class for each students and creating amazing new lessons that will draw them in.

I require a specific colored journals and a 1" binder for each student (any color). I collect the binder at the end of each unit and grade them. Grading them is a long process and requires that I take them home. Taking 170 binders home to grade takes lots of space and anything larger than 1" would be to much to physically manage.

Showing support for your childs teachers will help them in the long run. Telling your child a teachers requests are "stupid" only undermines them and give them a poor opinion of them. They enter the class already having a negative attitude of the class / teacher therefore impacting their performance.

My suggested starter list:
Highlighters
pencils
loose leaf
note cards
erasers
dividers
binder / folders
flash drive
colored pencils
poster board / tri-fold board

Happy shopping

Thank you; I appreciate a teacher's perspective. It sounds like your system works well for you. Wow 170 students!

 

[goofyredraider]

As a high school teacher, I would say go ahead and buy the basics. Every teacher is going to have a different "list" for the kids.
I would definitely get paper, folders, some spirals (various colors), pens, pencils, dividers, highlighters, note cards, post-it notes, kleenex, and a planner if the school doesn't do a school-wide system.
Keep your receipts and you can return whatever you don't need and get what you do, but those are some basics things I would definitely pick up at the store.

 

[nicki.momof3]

Thank you; I appreciate a teacher's perspective. It sounds like your system works well for you. Wow 170 students!

I know 170 sounds crazy but it is really an average high school class size. I teach 5 classes with 34 students in each.

34 a class does not sound like a ton to grade but when yo uadd them together it is a time killer. If color coding folders helps I think it is worth it.

 

[goofyredraider]

From your comment I assume you are not in the education field. As a HS teacher I can tell you specific requests are not "stupid". I teach 170 a day. When I call in folders, journals, or notebooks it is very time efficient to have each of the classes color coded. The quicker I can make grading the more time I can spend individualizing my class for each students and creating amazing new lessons that will draw them in.

I require a specific colored journals and a 1" binder for each student (any color). I collect the binder at the end of each unit and grade them. Grading them is a long process and requires that I take them home. Taking 170 binders home to grade takes lots of space and anything larger than 1" would be to much to physically manage.

Showing support for your childs teachers will help them in the long run. Telling your child a teachers requests are "stupid" only undermines them and give them a poor opinion of them. They enter the class already having a negative attitude of the class / teacher therefore impacting their performance.

I totally agree with you. I color code by class as well.

 

[reginaastralis]

My kid sister is starting 9th grade this year, but my mom said the most money she's ever spent on school supplies was for 8th grade. We aren't on block here, so the teachers best advice was to buy the more expensive binders, because the cheaper ones would break during the year. Of course, you could buy more than one cheap binder, but the teachers really wanted to prevent that.

I know for high school she won't get a supply list. Heck, my mom can't find out any information on how to pick her classes. They have a new requirement since I've been in school where you have to take at least one online class while in high school, and my mom feels like she is completely out of water. Also, some of her friends in high school have been told no gel ink, because it smears and is hard to read.

 

[jgreco]

I have 3 kids and have to do an all out scavenger hunt for supplies spanning multiple stores. Of course I know there is a purpose for these specific requests. I should not have said requests were "stupid", rather VERY specific. Sorry if you were offended. I do not tell my kids the teachers or their requests are stupid.

For what it's worth, the thread was about "what to buy" I think I got my point across - to wait for the handout from the teacher and not go at it alone beforehand other than the basics.

On another note, the schools here ask you bring tissues, paper towels, cleaning supplies, reams of copy paper, sanitizing wipes, etc. If you are used to the classes asking for these things, get them while they are on sale so you are not running out at the last minute paying full price for Magic Erasers, etc. An ditto on the poster boards, buy 3-5 and keep on hand.

 

[nicki.momof3]

I have 3 kids and have to do an all out scavenger hunt for supplies spanning multiple stores. Of course I know there is a purpose for these specific requests. I should not have said requests were "stupid", rather VERY specific. Sorry if you were offended. I do not tell my kids the teachers or their requests are stupid.

For what it's worth, the thread was about "what to buy" I think I got my point across - to wait for the handout from the teacher and not go at it alone beforehand other than the basics.

On another note, the schools here ask you bring tissues, paper towels, cleaning supplies, reams of copy paper, sanitizing wipes, etc. If you are used to the classes asking for these things, get them while they are on sale so you are not running out at the last minute paying full price for Magic Erasers, etc.

Thank you for the reply

Sometime one word can change the whole meaning of a statement. We are all guilty of it. I agree many classes are very specific. As a teacher I try not to add super specific requirements. I understand sometimes it happens due to the nature of the class (photograpy or CAD or so on).

I also totally agree with stocking up on tissues and such. I wish my school gave me a budget to cover such thing but they don't. I get $50 a year for classroom supplies. I hate asking students for tissues but living in a northern state and cold season make it unavoidable.

Thanks

 

[Terry36]

I have 3 kids and have to do an all out scavenger hunt for supplies spanning multiple stores. Of course I know there is a purpose for these specific requests. I should not have said requests were "stupid", rather VERY specific. Sorry if you were offended. I do not tell my kids the teachers or their requests are stupid.

For what it's worth, the thread was about "what to buy" I think I got my point across - to wait for the handout from the teacher and not go at it alone beforehand other than the basics.

On another note, the schools here ask you bring tissues, paper towels, cleaning supplies, reams of copy paper, sanitizing wipes, etc. If you are used to the classes asking for these things, get them while they are on sale so you are not running out at the last minute paying full price for Magic Erasers, etc. An ditto on the poster boards, buy 3-5 and keep on hand.

Thank you for the reply

Sometime one word can change the whole meaning of a statement. We are all guilty of it. I agree many classes are very specific. As a teacher I try not to add super specific requirements. I understand sometimes it happens due to the nature of the class (photograpy or CAD or so on).

I also totally agree with stocking up on tissues and such. I wish my school gave me a budget to cover such thing but they don't. I get $50 a year for classroom supplies. I hate asking students for tissues but living in a northern state and cold season make it unavoidable.

Thanks

O yes, thanks for the reminder. I'm accustomed to buying copy paper, ziplock bags (gallon), hand sanitizer, Kleenex and paper towels for the class.

 

[DisTrooper]

One thing you may wish to get while they are on sale this summer is book covers. Most teachers require books to be covered right away and this makes it easy. Also, once school starts they can be hard to find.

 

[nicki.momof3]

O yes, thanks for the reminder. I'm accustomed to buying copy paper, ziplock bags (gallon), hand sanitizer, Kleenex and paper towels for the class.

I wish every parent was as helpful with supplies as you sound like you are. It always seems to be the same kids / parents who help out.

Thanks

 

[cornflake]

From your comment I assume you are not in the education field. As a HS teacher I can tell you specific requests are not "stupid". I teach 170 a day. When I call in folders, journals, or notebooks it is very time efficient to have each of the classes color coded. The quicker I can make grading the more time I can spend individualizing my class for each students and creating amazing new lessons that will draw them in.

I require specific colored journals and a 1" binder for each student (any color). I collect the binder at the end of each unit and grade them. Grading them is a long process and requires that I take them home. Taking 170 binders home to grade takes lots of space and anything larger than 1" would be to much to physically manage.

Showing support for your childs teachers will help them in the long run. Telling your child a teachers requests are "stupid" only undermines them and give them a poor opinion of them. They enter the class already having a negative attitude of the class / teacher therefore impacting their performance.

My suggested starter list:
Highlighters
pencils
loose leaf
note cards
erasers
dividers
binder / folders
flash drive
colored pencils
poster board / tri-fold board

Happy shopping

You have logical reasons for what you're requesting and so may other teachers, obviously, but I've seen more than one post saying someone ran all over town looking for like, purple composition books or specifically coloured or sized thing that the teacher had on the lists, only to have the teacher say 'oh, whatever, it doesn't matter,' when they can't find the specific items.

I can understand the frustration on both sides, just saying.

 

[momof1princess]

DD14 is starting high school next month, and i've been wondering what we do as far as supplies go. i've got plenty of notebook paper, 1 subject notebooks, pens, pencils and book covers. i thought i'd just get a few 1" or 1.5" binders for DD to use for her classes. she has a block schedule, with 2 core classes, an elective, a PE and band.
i've always bought hand sanitizer, kleenex, copy paper and whatever else the teachers asked for...not sure if we're supposed to do that for high school. this past school year, by the time march rolled around, DD's teachers were sending notes home begging for copy paper. it was that bad. i gladly sent it, because while i think the school should supply it, the "school" shouldn't be the teacher, buying out of her own pocket, it should be the school district.

 

[Terry36]

I wish every parent was as helpful with supplies as you sound like you are. It always seems to be the same kids / parents who help out.

Thanks

Thank you.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I skimmed through the thread and didn't see this mentioned, I'm sorry if I missed it. When my DD started high school a Diser suggested that I stock up on index cards and posterboard at the beginning of the year, BEST ADVICE EVER! I also go ahead and buy paper, pencils, pens and highlighters, tissues and hand sanitizer because we always need those.

 

[Fire14]

I don't have kids and it's been a few dino years since I was in HS but I'd suggest:
Highlighters in yellow ( more than 1) and another color I liked pink myself
Usb drives (thumb drive)
Loose leaf paper
1-1.5 in binders
2 pocket folders ( I personally reenforced eadges with packing tape)
poster board
Copy paper
Book covers are rave now I guess, I personally hated them and still do.
Printer ink for home printer
Pencils #2 lead
red/blue/black ink pens and a few red ones also ( I usually bought a multipack to get 1 of each color and box of blue/black ink)
a 3 hole punch for home, I had one that went in my notebook( godsend to me) also.