Highschool Supplies - Whats "In" ?

As to supplies, oftentimes schools or individual teachers have rules about what specific type of notebooks or folders they would like students to use. I'd just send him with a single spiral bound notebook for the first day then get what he needs later.

I'm handing this one over to my daughter, who will be a senior this year.

Regarding lunch, you should figure out when he has it and what he will be bringing most of the time. If he has a late lunch and has food that doesnt need to stay cold, brown paper bags are the best ways to go. If he has something like yogurt or cheese that would be best kept cold, an insulated lunch bag is appropriate, as long as the design is age-appropriate (i.e camoflauge, solid colors). Binders are your best friends during high school. I suggest one for each subject. Each binder should have filler paper, a paper folder for handouts and a set of Post-it notes for reminders. The post it notes should be different for every subject to keep better organization. High school students rarely use pencils so I suggest ballpoint pens or liquid ink pens. Highlighters are a must because you cover a lot of information the first day.

from mom - make sure you have #2 pencils for tests

My kids would die if i sent a trapper keeper or a lunch pail!! DON'T DO IT!!!
Since he is in high school, send him with some spiral notebooks, loose paper, a few binders, pens and pencils, and then the teachers should let him know what else to bring, if that is not enough. That will be sufficient for the first few days. And let him buy his lunch until he figures it out.

My son is a Junior this year. He carries a mesh backpack (opaque ones are banned in schools here), to stash his stuff in. This semester, supplies are light - I got him a flexible three ring binder with pocket dividers, loose leaf paper, and mechanical pencils. Voila, he is done for this semester. One textbook he will keep at home, the other he will stash in his band locker - there are no other lockers in the school - with his trumpet case.

Mine mostly eats lunch at school. When he does carry his lunch he just shoves it in a bag, and shoves that in his backpack.

My biggest recommendation is send him with a notebook and pen the first day and let him observe what the other kids carry. He will get supply lists from his classes that will guide you on what to buy. As for lunch containers, etc. - see what the other kids are carrying.

What grade of high school are you talking about. Around here we have high school which is grades 9-10 (about 1400/school/6 or so schools I think) ) and Senior High School which is grades 11-12 (about 2500/ the 3 schools)

9-10 cannot leave campus and have lunch at school, they either bring it or buy it. Lunch "pails" ( Ive not heard that term in YEARS) are a no no... a brown paper sack is sufficient. Most boys have some sort of basic backpack, backpacks are not allowed in the classroom and must stay in the locker. You plan when you stop by your locker to switch out supplies/books, etc. Most kids have a basic binder and the school sells an agenda for them to keep up with assignments,etc.

11-12 is open campus, most driver to school and they are allowed to leave campus for lunch. The option of the cafeteria and brown bag is still available. Most boys have a dark colored basic backpack. Girls usually have a large bag of somesort. My daughter prefers the accordion type folder with several sections and she has all of her classes labeled, keeps papers organized, etc.

My suggestion on day 1 would be to have a basic spiral with pencils and a folder of some type. Each teacher sends home a lost of supplies and the curriculum layout for the semester. Most of the time, there is a good grade involved if you bring supplies in to the teacher's recommended time.

Let your son be the guide and purchase the main things AFTER he has been at school a day or 2 so he gets a feel for what is "in" and he makes the choices.

NO cartoons, etc.

Have you checked with the school for a supply list? A lot of schools put it on their website.

My son will be a Senior this year and he uses one of those big cloth binders that has the three rings in the center and pockets on each side. It has like a strap that closes it; he loves it. Then of course there are the usual folders and notebooks. For lunch, he uses a brown paper bag - I buy them in bulk which saves money; plus, that way he doesn't have to worry about bringing it home to reuse it like I did back in the stone-age!! lol!!

My daugher is a Sophomore this year - she uses an insulated lunch bag. Also all the usual folders, notebooks and different sized binders; depending on the class requirements.

They both have backpacks - their Grandparents bought them and invested almost $100 in each one but worth every penny!!! They've lasted several years and don't show much use at all. They're the "Swiss Army" brand.

If I were him, I would just see what everyone else is using the first couple days.

Also, don't forget to check the dress-code! A lot of schools are getting very strict with them.

Good luck to your son!!

i did the three ring bidners (one for each class, each a different color) two 2 pocket folders per class, (put into the binders, each class a different color) 1/4 pack of loose leaf paper per class in the three ring binder, a 3 subject notebook per class each a different color, a pencil, pen, high lighter for each class hooked onto the binder for each class. also a graphing calculator, extra pens and highlighter, and also a book of graphing paper, and an agenda from school. also a 1 subject for each class for notes. that will all last almost the whole year

My oldest is 17. High schoolers don't use lunch pouches. If they don't buy at the cafeteria, they bring brown paper bags. The individual teachers will tell you what type of notebook they require - my daughter has had teachers who wanted spiral notebooks, some who wanted individual binders (usually softcover), typically a separate notebook for each class. That zippered trapper type binder is more for middle school. My daughter just shows up the first day with pens, pencils, highlighters, a notebook and then each teacher can tell her what notebooks, folders, etc they want the students to have for their class.

I would imagine he needs to buy his lunch instead of taking it. I don't know any high school students who actually take their own lunch. Most make friends with drivers and go off campus to McDonald's or somewhere once they get to be sophomores or juniors.

I think he will stand out more if he takes a lunch. That's all.

If it is like our schools, the first day of high school, he will need a spiral and a pen and pencil. He should take a folder for all of the hand outs. And a backpack to carry all of this in.

Each teacher/subject will have their own individual needs. Be prepared to go to the office supply store the first and possibly the next day after school.

He may even get his locker assignment, but some schools have rules about the types of locks, thay can use.

His lunch on a paper bag in his back pack.

I say bring back the 'peachie'...one for each subject, they come in all different colors these days!

Brown bagging it is way better than a lunch box.

Just my opinions of course.

~My SS is gonna be a senior and is a nerd & his mom buys all his nerdy binders and my nephew is gonna be a junior and is too cool for school, he is a pencil in his pocket kinda guy! I say let your kid pick whatever stuff he thinks is cool b/c that's all that matters!

In high school it's really helpful to have a smaller notebook and folder for each class so that you're not bringing everything home when you might only have homework in one or two classes.

I think it's a really good idea to have one notebook, one folder and a couple of pens and pencils for the first day. Many teachers don't care what you have as long as you do the work for their class. Some teachers will have specifics, but you won't know that until the first day.

When I taught high school math, there was a department requirement that the students have binders and that we check them during each exam to make sure they had their notes, homework and quizzes in them. Not really my style, but there will be some departments that do something like that. You just never know.

And I agree that most high school students probably use paper bags if they bring their lunch, but you never know.

I bought my sons "ful" brand backpacks from Costco, the larger size with space for a laptop. Those bags are still good after 2 years! My boys take insulated lunch bags and hang them off their packs with a carabiner. They like having a separate notebook for each class so I buy a dozen spiral notebooks from Walmart for 17 cents each when they have the back to schooll sale.

Hi W.,

My kids had to make the transition from Waldorf to public school in high school as well. Here's what we learned.

You're probably safe buying a backpack ahead of time. It would be best to buy one in a plain color, NOT on wheels. For some reason, the "in" backpack at our local high school is made by Jansport (and sold at Tilly's), but I think any solid color will do.

Different schools, and different "cliques" have different ideas as to what's cool around lunch. A lot of the kids at our local school wouldn't be caught dead bringing their lunch. Others bring food, but make sure they can carry it inside their backpack. It would probably be good for him to bring his food inside his backpack and then figure out how/what/when/where to eat from there. Or send money the first couple of days so he can buy his lunch until he figures out what will be comfortable for him.

I'm with everybody else about just sending him with some basic supplies - pens, pencils, wire notebook, notebook paper - for the first day. Once he's had all of his classes he'll know more about what he'll need and you can purchase any more necessities over the weekend.

Good luck!