It’s officially back-to-school season, a $72.5 billion* celebration for retailers. CCC sponsored two kids through the United Way, a 1st grade girl and 5th grade boy. It was interesting to hit the stores for back-to-school shopping this weekend and see how much the supplies had changed, if at all.
Surprisingly little… While the smartphone cases were amusing, kids still need notebooks, crayons, rulers, etc. I was a little surprised by school lists being divided into two sections: bring to school and need at home. For example, the fifth grade student needed a protractor, but only for use at home. Are they considered safety hazards now? Or don’t they actually do in-class work anymore?
I realize that I was shopping for younger kids, but I was actually a little surprised at the lack of technology. There were no USB drives or electronic notepads, tablets or time machines (kidding on the last one). The only real additions to school lists of the past that I noticed were (low odor) dry erase markers and erasers. Schools must be replacing chalk boards with white boards. Otherwise, they were pretty straight forward.
One thing made me laugh: one school list specifically said, No Trapper Keepers allowed. They don’t fit in the desks. As a child of the 80s, Trapper Keepers were the coolest thing in school! I had no idea they were still around, so I had to look them up before writing this post. I may have to pick one up… for my kid, of course. 😉
Reader Participation
What was your favorite subject in school?
What was your favorite school supply?
Who was a teacher who made a difference in your life?
What did you learn in school that you remember today?
*statistic courtesy of the National Retail Federation
Cheers,
Jaime
p.s. Going back to school yourself? Don’t forget that CCC can help with resumes, cover letters, personal essays and more! Learn more.
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