Back to School

Ahh!  It’s that magical time of year- back to school!  The smell of freshly sharpened pencils permeates the air bringing to mind all of the excitement and anxieties of the first day of school!  I have spent weeks in preparation.  The school supply lists have been available since the end of the previous school year.  I carried the list with me pretty much all summer, just in case I came across the deal of the century.  

Elementary School Supplies for Back to School

My children are spread pretty far apart in age.  I’ve seen how much things have changed through the years.  I’ve noticed a couple of trends with school supplies.  First, they never send any back at the end of the year.  My oldest child used to bring home a backpack full of half used glue bottles, crayons, pencils, erasers, and perfectly reusable scissors.  My youngest doesn’t bring home anything at the end of her school year.  Maybe this is because she’s young enough that most school supplies are considered community property.
If you’re not familiar with this concept, let me explain.  The youngest children do not usually have desks of their own, but rather use tables.  There’s no storage space for their belongings, but it offers much more work surface.  Enough that there’s usually room to place small baskets of things, like crayons and pencils, that your child shares with the other children in their cluster.

However, with no supplies being specifically designated as hers, nothing is returned to her.  If the teacher has 20 students and 10 leftover boxes of crayons, then who should get the leftover crayons?  Do you ever wonder what the teachers do with the leftover supplies?  Indulge me for a moment… Imagine teachers just after the last day of school, sitting around a table in the teacher’s lounge, playing poker.  The ante?  School supplies.  One says, “I’ll raise you two Expo markers.”  Another says, “Too rich for my blood. I’m out!”

The second trend I’ve noticed is that at back to school time they request much higher quantities of certain items.  Ten glue sticks?  Forty-eight pencils?   Does each student really need to bring 48 pencils?  Yes!  You see, every classroom has a few little Johnny’s.  Little Johnny is able to karate chop pencils, chew them like a beaver, and sharpen them to nubs in one fell swoop!  See little Johnny’s mom probably knows that little Johnny will destroy all the pencils, so she doesn’t send more than two at a time.  Little Jenny’s mom can only afford one twelve pack of pencils.  Now imagine there are half a dozen little Johnny’s and Jenny’s.  Now figure in that half of the remaining students can’t afford any pencils at all, and that the other half provide the requested pencils.  That works out to be about eighteen pencils per student for the year.  A much more realistic number! Your teachers are pretty good at statistics and probabilities!  (Which also makes them good at poker! Ha, ha, ha!)

High School Supplies for Back to School

Every year a freshman parent will ask, in a panic, “What does my child need on the first day of school?”  And I think to myself, “Rookie!”  All joking aside, they just need a pencil and something to write on.  We usually use a spiral notebook from the previous year that still has several blank pages.  A few items you can count on furnishing are college ruled notebook paper, 3 ring binders, dividers, highlighters, and pens (blue, black, and red ink).  
The teachers will let your student know on the first day of school what they will be needing and usually allow a week or so to get the needed items.  What you really need to know is that you will be paying for things all year long, not just at the beginning.  Does your child play sports, or is he/she active in any of the performing arts?  If not, don’t worry, there are a plethora of clubs in which to belong!  Each one having dues or fees, t-shirts (must have the t-shirt) and… drumroll please… fundraisers!  You didn’t think you left that behind with elementary school did you?! Oh no!  You see, each organization gets to have their own fundraiser.  You should also brace yourself, possibly start a Go Fund Me page, because each year of high school gets more expensive than the last.  From student fees to parking fees, proms, graduation fees, pictures, yearbooks, cap and gown, there are countless fees involved throughout the high school years!

Teachers: Ready for Back to School?

So even though we may not always understand their reasoning, our children couldn’t be in better hands.  Teachers are a special breed.  I think it’s a calling that some people have for their life.  They are patient and consistent.  Some of them are essentially, “child whisperers”! 0Have you ever seen a teacher calm a classroom with a single gesture?  It really happens!  I think it should be mandatory for parents, to substitute teach at least one day.  The moment you have to step into the shoes of a teacher is when you realize how big those shoes really are!  They don’t just create lesson plans and teach curricula.  It goes so far beyond that. They go above and beyond for your children, providing school supplies to some if necessary (what they really do with the leftovers), and snacks.  They will listen to problems, provide encouragement, and advice.  They are extremely forgiving, letting each one start with a clean slate, no matter the transgressions of the previous day. They will attend your child’s games, competitions, and performances.  To your child they carry celebrity status.  I mean, have you ever seen a child chase their teacher down in the grocery store to give them hugs?!  The most important thing to know, across all grade levels, they truly do love your children, and want to bring the best out in them everyday!

The Week Before the First Day of returning back to School

The tasks and activities already begin.  Schedule pick up for high school, and open house night for elementary school, are the days that my children look forward to the most.  This of course, is when they find out who their teachers will be and which friends are in their classes. They can’t wait for this day!  It’s anticipation is only rivaled by Christmas morning!  However, it always sneaks up on me!  I mark calendars and set reminders.  There’s always the Facebook reminders as well.  Maybe it sneaks up because I’m never quite ready to let them go.  It means another milestone.  It means that the year will fly by as we move frantically from one activity to another.  I’m not ready.  However, this emotional process I go through every year sets me up for the following scenario:  It’s 4:50 p.m. on Open House night, I look at the time and shriek!  Immediately I turn into an Army drill sergeant, yelling “Move! Move! Move!” Next comes the very skillful driving on the way to the school.  Followed by creative parking at said school.  I speed walk with armfuls of school supplies in tow, and begin to break a sweat under the summer heat.  I think to myself, “Did I remember to apply deodorant?”  No matter now!  I’m in, and I just ran into someone from church, followed by neighbor upon neighbor, and an old friend or two.  I find my child’s classroom, shake the teacher’s hand and introduce myself (very self-consciously because I’m sweaty and possibly smelly). We carefully sort all the supplies, putting them into the appropriate bins.  I find my child’s seat, read and fill out paperwork, sign every sign up sheet, while she explores the classroom.  Next, we must visit all of her previous teachers. This is a must!  Finally, we begin to make our way out of the school.  I pause for a moment just to take it all in, but I’m just kidding myself!  I dislike crowds, and I can’t wait to get out of there!  

The First Day.  Back to School is now really here!

At last, the first day of school comes.  Pictures are taken and posted across social media.  The drop off line is conquered, and not a tear shed.  Although, every year, I do get a lump in my throat as I drive away.  I arrive back home and console myself with a cup of coffee.  I realize that for some reason this particular cup of coffee tastes especially good, as I drink it in silence, while it’s still hot!  And I think to myself, “This is going to be a wonderful year!”

From my nest to yours,

Jo

P.S.  Write a comment below with your funniest or most heartwarming memory from the first day of school.