Supplies Important To Budding Scholars
For everyone about to return to school, here’s a word of advice: Bring supplies.
Pencils, paper and erasers - the staples of school life - are just the beginning.
How about a pocket fan for that long, hot bus ride home ($6)? Or some metallic, self-adhesive removable book covers (about $6 for a pack of five)?
Maybe your locker needs some help. What about a locker organizer (adjustable shelving) with a magnetic locker box and mirror (about $13)?
A whiteboard complete with sticky notes, marker and eraser ($8)? A magnetic calendar with a set of reusable stickers to get control of your day ($3)? Or an electronic organizer to get control of your life ($19.99-$99.99 and up)?
The possibilities are limited only by Mom’s or Dad’s wallet and patience.
Parents set the tone for the buying, says Ken Williamson, assistant manager at downtown’s Office Depot.
If parents are into electronics, says Williamson, their kids will be too. So instead of buying a daily planner, they will get an electronic organizer. If a parent likes gadgets, they will be more likely to buy them for their kids. Of course, a lot of it depends on age.
“I want Barbie,” gushed a 6-yearold backpack shopper. “She’s so beautiful.”
Little kids really go for the characters, says Ryan Spencer, sales associate at Northpointe’s Target. They want the latest cartoon movie star on all their stuff.
This year, backpacks, pencil pouches and accessories are all splashed with the images of Disney’s Mulan and Universal Studios’ Small Soldiers. Other strong contenders are Rugrats and Arthur. Longstanding favorites include Winnie the Pooh, Barbie and Looney Tunes.
Colors are primaries, neons or pastel. Teens, says Spencer, go more for the generic-looking stuff in black, navy and green. You don’t want to stick out in middle school and high school. You want to be cool. Of course, there are styles and brand names that have stronger appeal than others.
Everybody who’s anybody has a Jansport, says Melanie Piperek, 13, referring to a top-selling, understated-looking backpack.
In her second year at Sacajawea Middle School, Piperek’s supply list also includes the requisite three-ring binder. Canvas-covered binders, an old standby, compete with hologram and zipper binders with built-in storage compartments. Plain white binders with clear pocket covers are also popular. Photos and other mementos can be slipped into the pocket to personalize the binder.
Metal lunch boxes and paper bags have been replaced by soft insulated lunch bags with canvas covers. Multiple storage compartments separate hot and cold items. The bags, which can easily be carried in a backpack, cut down on food spoilage. And as manufacturers and moms agree, the bags are environmentally responsible.
Although standard ballpoint pens with blue and black ink are often all that’s allowed for school work, pens with streamlined bodies and metallic and neon inks are hugely popular for personal correspondence.
Planners, popular with high schoolers, are available in every color and style. Surprisingly, according to ShopKo sales associate Robert Harding, most of the planners are bought by guys juggling part-time jobs, sports and life.
Chris Kittilstved, 17, a Shadle Park High School junior, has that kind of busy schedule. But he’s not likely to buy a planner or anything else trendy for fall.
“Last year,” says Kittilstved, “the backpack I got in sixth grade finally fell apart so I got a new one. Things that don’t work really make me mad. So, with supplies, all I’m looking for is stuff that works.”