Yes, this is how high school works.
You do need to buy a calculator. The TI84-Silver Edition Plus is the big boy on the block, and although it'll be expensive now, you won't have to buy another calculator . . . ever. Unless he becomes a statistician or something rather unusual, this calculator should see him through college.
You do need to buy a bookbag, though if the student has one leftover from a previous year, it's probably still pefectly usable.
Beyond that, you need binders (my girls prefer the lightweight plastic style that sells for about .99 when not on sale, and they like one per class). You need several packs of loose leaf paper, plenty of pens and pencils, two packs of index cards . . . and that's probably it. A flashdrive is a great way to avoid losing your work on the school's computer; put it on a lanyard so it won't be lost. It's not a bad idea to pick up 1-2 of those cardboard-covered, usually-black-and-white-covered composition notebooks when they're on sale for fifty cents; it's possible that he'd need one of those for an English journal. If he's taking Geometry, add graph paper and a protractor set. You can buy all these things when they're on sale in the summer; if you buy a .99 notebook that isn't used this year, it isn't really a big loss -- it's better than being surprised and needing to buy it later when it's five dollars. Most years I spend $25-30 to cover ALL of my two girls' back-to-school supplies, and we always have a great deal left over.
You will not need report covers, glue sticks, scissors, etc.
Some special items may be required if he's taking Drafting, Art or similar. And some classes may require workbooks or may have fees -- they won't be much.
The only other thing I get for my girls is a small calendar. When they were in elementary /middle school, they were required to buy one from the school, and they were required to use it to keep up with their homework assigments /have parents sign every so often. It helped them learn good study habits, and although they're not required in high school, my girls still like having that organizational tool.
The two pieces of advice I give to all incoming high school students:
- Keep up with your classwork. You know the old saying: By the inch, it's a cinch; by the yard, it's hard. The average student needs to work on his time management skills. Master this early, and classwork will be a breeze.
- Become involved. Students who just show up to classes and do their academics see high school as boring and can't wait to finish. In contrast, students who are part of the clubs and activities tend to enjoy their four years.
You do need to buy a calculator. The TI84-Silver Edition Plus is the big boy on the block, and although it'll be expensive now, you won't have to buy another calculator . . . ever. Unless he becomes a statistician or something rather unusual, this calculator should see him through college.
You do need to buy a bookbag, though if the student has one leftover from a previous year, it's probably still pefectly usable.
Beyond that, you need binders (my girls prefer the lightweight plastic style that sells for about .99 when not on sale, and they like one per class). You need several packs of loose leaf paper, plenty of pens and pencils, two packs of index cards . . . and that's probably it. A flashdrive is a great way to avoid losing your work on the school's computer; put it on a lanyard so it won't be lost. It's not a bad idea to pick up 1-2 of those cardboard-covered, usually-black-and-white-covered composition notebooks when they're on sale for fifty cents; it's possible that he'd need one of those for an English journal. If he's taking Geometry, add graph paper and a protractor set. You can buy all these things when they're on sale in the summer; if you buy a .99 notebook that isn't used this year, it isn't really a big loss -- it's better than being surprised and needing to buy it later when it's five dollars. Most years I spend $25-30 to cover ALL of my two girls' back-to-school supplies, and we always have a great deal left over.
You will not need report covers, glue sticks, scissors, etc.
Some special items may be required if he's taking Drafting, Art or similar. And some classes may require workbooks or may have fees -- they won't be much.
The only other thing I get for my girls is a small calendar. When they were in elementary /middle school, they were required to buy one from the school, and they were required to use it to keep up with their homework assigments /have parents sign every so often. It helped them learn good study habits, and although they're not required in high school, my girls still like having that organizational tool.
The two pieces of advice I give to all incoming high school students:
- Keep up with your classwork. You know the old saying: By the inch, it's a cinch; by the yard, it's hard. The average student needs to work on his time management skills. Master this early, and classwork will be a breeze.
- Become involved. Students who just show up to classes and do their academics see high school as boring and can't wait to finish. In contrast, students who are part of the clubs and activities tend to enjoy their four years.
