So, what kinds of things do my kids need for school?

[oceanbaby]

(Have y'all noticed my posts in this forum becoming quite numerous? As the date draws nearer, I have a lot of questions!)

So, they'll have a backpack, a lunchbox, whatever is on the school supply list and some new clothes.

Is there anything else that a 4th grader and 1st grader who have never been to school would need?

[alegna]

The clothes may be uniforms - most public schools around here have gone to uniforms.

Expect to have $$ requested and required often (class fees, supplies, field trips, year books, pictures, etc)

-Angela

[velochic]

And to go along with Angela's post, if they do have to wear uniforms, think about what they will need throughout the school year. The stores will have the uniform clothing at the beginning of the school year, but they don't carry them throughout the year. At least not here. So, if I don't get something that dd might need in January, for example, then my only choice is to get it from Land's End... which is not much of a problem because we get most of dd's stuff there, anyway (AmEx reward points) but it *is* more expensive. Just saying to think about the whole school year and not just the start of school.

And that goes for anything needed for school. We buy a TON of glue sticks because they are very inexpensive now and I know that dd will need more as the year goes on. If you just think about the whole year and not just "what do I need for August and September", you'll come out ahead.

Good luck on the new adventure! I hope your kids love school as much as my dd loves hers.

[Geofizz]

You seem really anxious about starting school. Know that it'll be ok. And you don't have to get it perfect. Actually, count on not getting it perfect.

You seem to have the basics - clothes, backpack, lunchbox, know you might get a school supplies list, warn the kids there will be rules surrounding how to get permission to pee, etc. Besides that, all the details are specific to the school. Schools get new students all the time at every grade. They are used to communicating the details to families as needed. Our school publishes an "information for new families" packet with a lot of the info you ask about. You get it two days before school starts.

If I were you? Plan to spend the few days before school starts dealing with details. For now, cover the basics that are easily predictable - universal for most schools - and enjoy the rest of summer.

No school kicked a kid out for not having the right folder or glue stick on day one.

[ollyoxenfree]

Helpful, but not obligatory, school supplies:

1. If the school doesn't provide an agenda/calendar/daytimer scheduler, I would buy one for each child to take back and forth to school.

They are great for helping to organize, note upcoming events, write down homework assignments and deadlines, and classmates' phone numbers and addresses (due to privacy laws, some schools won't give you a class list with this information). I used them frequently if I had a short note to send to the teacher, and s/he could write a quick reply too.

2. I liked using a simple 8x10 plastic folder/envelope with a velcro closure to put loose homework sheets, field trip permission forms, pizza order forms, newsletters and any other communications that had to travel back and forth to school. It can stay in the backpack, but it prevents single sheets and smaller envelopes from getting lost at the bottom of the pack.

Good luck!

[annethcz]

Wait until you get the supply list from the school. Not all schools ask kids to bring in supplies- our school has shared supplies and ask each student for a supply fee. The only thing my kids bring to school are a backpack, folder, lunchbox, and gym shoes. Everything else is covered by the supply fee.

[domesticidyll]

On teaching your child to ask to pee during class: Some teachers are sticklers for not letting kids go except during break. Especially for the 4th grader, let them know to go during breaks as much as possible as a courtesy to not disrupt the class, but also teach them to say, "I need to go RIGHT NOW" if they do indeed have an emergency.

Unless there is a uniform, personally I wouldn't buy much more than needed the first month or so, clothes-wise, to give your children a chance to see what they want to wear in the context of what other children have.

And you'll also want to clear a space in your home for all the papers they will bring home--space to hang a lunch menu, schedule, etc., place for the backpacks to live, place to put pending work for each child, place to hang the homework chart, place to put completed work, place for the school library book. I was unprepared for the massive amounts of paper that got sent home.

Heather

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by domesticidyll

Unless there is a uniform, personally I wouldn't buy much more than needed the first month or so, clothes-wise, to give your children a chance to see what they want to wear in the context of what other children have.

agreed. In elementary school where we lived last year, the kids had PE every day but didn't dress out for it, which really effected how my DD dressed for school! Also check the school dress code. Different schools have VERY different rules.

And you'll also want to clear a space in your home for all the papers they will bring home--space to hang a lunch menu, schedule, etc., place for the backpacks to live, place to put pending work for each child, place to hang the homework chart, place to put completed work, place for the school library book. I was unprepared for the massive amounts of paper that got sent home.

yep. There is a ton of paper involved in attending school!

[sunnmama]

Originally Posted by Geofizz

No school kicked a kid out for not having the right folder or glue stick on day one.

Yep! It's going to be just fine

When shopping for shoes, get some sneakers with non-marking soles for PE.

Our supply lists are always requests, not demands. Some people send more than they ask for, and some send less. It's public school, and they can't require anything.

[oceanbaby]

Thanks everyone. It is going to be a huge transition for all of us, so I was just wanting to make sure there wasn't something obvious I was forgetting.

I am pretty nervous, but more than anything I'm a sad thinking that our leisurely, snuggly mornings and playful days are coming to a screeching halt pretty soon. But, if they like school, then I'm happy to support them in that. I want to give them to have a positive experience, even if they end up deciding to homeschool again.

[sunnmama]

Originally Posted by oceanbaby

I am pretty nervous, but more than anything I'm a sad thinking that our leisurely, snuggly mornings and playful days are coming to a screeching halt pretty soon.

Just wait until you rediscover the joys of a leisurely cup of coffee in the morning quiet, followed by uninterrupted reading