Back to School Series: Back to School Shopping

Can't believe you're back for day 4 of the Back to School Series! 

Today we are talking about...back to school shopping!!!

Can I share a secret?

I actually love back to school shopping!

My bank account doesn't of course. 

But it's just a once a year event (yea, right!) so it can handle it. ;)

I just wanted to share some of the things I usually buy every year during back to school shopping. 

I will include prices in red if I happen to know them off the top of my head.

[Disclaimer: all links to Amazon are affliate links.]

Composition Books

Last year, I decided to try using interactive notebooks for Math. 

Boy, were they a hit! The kids absolutely loved having a math notebook so I'm definitely going to do it again this year. Some people use spiral notebooks for interactive notebooks, but I liked using composition books. Composition books are just sturdier and you don't have to worry about a metal spiral coming undone.

I bought my composition books from Staples for 50 cents each. (limit 30)

You can also get them from Target or Walmart for the same price.

Poly Folders

I buy these every year for my homework/communication folder, which I talked about in yesterday's post. Poly folders last way longer than paper folders.

I usually get mine at Office Depot. They are currently on sale for 60 cents each (in store only, not sure about limit). 

I've seen them at Target for 50 cents each but the Office Depot ones seem a little sturdier so I'm okay with paying the extra 10 cents for each.

**I usually also go buy a box of sheet protectors from Costco to put in the folders. Don't have to buy them this year since my new school has already ordered them for me.**

Writing Supplies

(click on image to purchase on Amazon)

For anchor charts....

For the planner...

For writing on papers projected by the document camera...

These are some of the things I always find myself buying every year. 

One last thing...

Plastic Folder w/ Clasp

This is not an every year buy. Just a one time buy that can last for many years.

I use these as my "first week" folders. 

Since my homework folders are personalized during the first week of school, they aren't ready to start going home yet. 

However, the first week of school is one of the busiest in terms of things getting sent home and coming back to school so I use these "homework" folders from Really Good Stuff as a substitute. Each folder is labeled "first week" and with a number (written on with Sharpie). 

My students are all assigned a student number on the first day of school so they get whichever folder corresponds with that number. After the first week is over and homework folders are ready to go to their owners, the first week folders are returned to me. Having the numbers on the folders definitely help because if you find yourself missing any you know exactly who to go ask. I've used the same set of folders for the past three years and they are still going strong!

What are some things you find yourself buying every year during Back to School shopping?