Middle school - school supplies

[Anonymous]

I was just browsing our school supply list and this is what it says:

3-ring binder
Loose leaf paper
4 x 4-pocket folders
8 dividers
Blue and black pens
#2 pencils

Optional:
Color pencils
Highlighters
Headphones

What exactly does your kid take to middle school? Mine wants to take a 5-subject book instead of a binder. I am curious as to how the kids take books from one room to another and if it matters whether they have a binder or not.

[Anonymous]

At our school they are not allowed to take backpacks into class. Therefore, they get those huge 3-ring binders with a strap that holds a ton of stuff. I don’t think a notebook would work as well for this.

Does your MS allow kids to use backpacks? I think that is the key question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our school they are not allowed to take backpacks into class. Therefore, they get those huge 3-ring binders with a strap that holds a ton of stuff. I don’t think a notebook would work as well for this.

Does your MS allow kids to use backpacks? I think that is the key question.

Backpack is also mentioned in school supplies. Does it matter whether they take binders or books for each course?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our school they are not allowed to take backpacks into class. Therefore, they get those huge 3-ring binders with a strap that holds a ton of stuff. I don’t think a notebook would work as well for this.

Does your MS allow kids to use backpacks? I think that is the key question.

Backpack is also mentioned in school supplies. Does it matter whether they take binders or books for each course?

Our MS would put up a generic supply list online over the summer, but once school started each teacher usually had their own recommended or required supplies (note cards, spiral or composition notebook, etc.). Half the time the stuff on the generic list didn’t end up being needed for any of their classes.

We always found it was better to start out with the bare basics, then shop for specifics once classes had started and they knew what their individual classes would require. Sonon the first day, they’d take some loose-leaf paper paper, a couple of folders, and a pouch with pencils, pens, eraser, maybe a ruler. Stuff they’d eventually need anyway, no matter what.

Their MS magnet program pretty much required the giant zipper binder, and I think most kids did find it pretty convenient. Mine hated it, but didn’t really see any other good options. They weren’t allowed to carry their backpacks all day, and didn’t have time to go to their locker in between classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our school they are not allowed to take backpacks into class. Therefore, they get those huge 3-ring binders with a strap that holds a ton of stuff. I don’t think a notebook would work as well for this.

Does your MS allow kids to use backpacks? I think that is the key question.

Backpack is also mentioned in school supplies. Does it matter whether they take binders or books for each course?

That doesn’t mean they will allow the kids to bring backpacks to class. You bring everything in a backpack and stash it in your locker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our school they are not allowed to take backpacks into class. Therefore, they get those huge 3-ring binders with a strap that holds a ton of stuff. I don’t think a notebook would work as well for this.

Does your MS allow kids to use backpacks? I think that is the key question.

Backpack is also mentioned in school supplies. Does it matter whether they take binders or books for each course?

That doesn’t mean they will allow the kids to bring backpacks to class. You bring everything in a backpack and stash it in your locker.

our MS allows backpacks but there is no time to go to and from the locker during the day. We find the binders to be very handy because it provides a place for handouts/permission slips etc.

[Anonymous]

My kid carried everything of significance in his MCPS Chromebook case. No binder, no folders, no notebooks, and no work ever came home. Grades were fine so I think they must be doing most things digitally. Or my kid is going all secret agent on me. One or the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid carried everything of significance in his MCPS Chromebook case. No binder, no folders, no notebooks, and no work ever came home. Grades were fine so I think they must be doing most things digitally. Or my kid is going all secret agent on me. One or the other.

Or a little of both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid carried everything of significance in his MCPS Chromebook case. No binder, no folders, no notebooks, and no work ever came home. Grades were fine so I think they must be doing most things digitally. Or my kid is going all secret agent on me. One or the other.

We got a chromebook in ES and still have it. Are we supposed to turn that in to the elementary school and get a new one from the MS? We never got a case for it though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our school they are not allowed to take backpacks into class. Therefore, they get those huge 3-ring binders with a strap that holds a ton of stuff. I don’t think a notebook would work as well for this.

Does your MS allow kids to use backpacks? I think that is the key question.

Backpack is also mentioned in school supplies. Does it matter whether they take binders or books for each course?

Our MS would put up a generic supply list online over the summer, but once school started each teacher usually had their own recommended or required supplies (note cards, spiral or composition notebook, etc.). Half the time the stuff on the generic list didn’t end up being needed for any of their classes.

We always found it was better to start out with the bare basics, then shop for specifics once classes had started and they knew what their individual classes would require. Sonon the first day, they’d take some loose-leaf paper paper, a couple of folders, and a pouch with pencils, pens, eraser, maybe a ruler. Stuff they’d eventually need anyway, no matter what.

Their MS magnet program pretty much required the giant zipper binder, and I think most kids did find it pretty convenient. Mine hated it, but didn’t really see any other good options. They weren’t allowed to carry their backpacks all day, and didn’t have time to go to their locker in between classes.

Thank you, this is good to know. We were planning on going on Saturday to pick up supplies. I guess we will wait till end of week.

Which magnet program was this? My kid is also going to a magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our school they are not allowed to take backpacks into class. Therefore, they get those huge 3-ring binders with a strap that holds a ton of stuff. I don’t think a notebook would work as well for this.

Does your MS allow kids to use backpacks? I think that is the key question.

What about their lunch from home? Where do they store it if not in a backpack? Those brown lunch bags don't hold up well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our school they are not allowed to take backpacks into class. Therefore, they get those huge 3-ring binders with a strap that holds a ton of stuff. I don’t think a notebook would work as well for this.

Does your MS allow kids to use backpacks? I think that is the key question.

What about their lunch from home? Where do they store it if not in a backpack? Those brown lunch bags don't hold up well.

In their locker.

[Anonymous]

Our MS insists backpacks stay in lockers all day. Kids can carry a zipper binder (but nothing larger) and a chromebook case. They let the kids go to their lockers before school, before and after their lunch, and after school. That's it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our school they are not allowed to take backpacks into class. Therefore, they get those huge 3-ring binders with a strap that holds a ton of stuff. I don’t think a notebook would work as well for this.

Does your MS allow kids to use backpacks? I think that is the key question.

What about their lunch from home? Where do they store it if not in a backpack? Those brown lunch bags don't hold up well.

They go to their locker before and after lunch to pick the lunch bag up/drop it off. They can have a backpack to get stuff into and out of the school, but it is stored in he locker. It is a weird system.

[Anonymous]

My kid (with the same supplies list as yours, so likely the same school) definitely used his binder a lot last year. Some teachers gave quite a few handouts and the binder helped with his organization.