Prepping for Kindergarten/First Grade

[Anonymous]

Hey everyone

I’m the OP who posted asking about snack time as well as backpacks. I have a kindergartener and also a first grader both going to ATS this fall. I am also due at around the same time school starts :/ I’m trying to think of the things I need to get ready for the school year. Let me know your thoughts and if there is anything I am missing.

-school supply kits: ordered one for first grader and apparently school orders one for kindergartener. This covered pencils, folders, crayons, notebooks etc right? Is there anything else I need? Do kids have pencil cases these days?

- Labels - I heard Mabel labels were good. Any other recommendations?

-backpacks - gonna order them ASAP

-Lunch bags, lunch boxes and snack boxes: they have a lunch bag and a lunch box. Will order something for snacks just in case. Is there anything else I should get? Does it make sense to get a thermos? Also is the food at school any good (this is for Arlington Public Schools)? Would love to not have to pack lunch

- sneakers - for PE? What do kids wear for PE? Just sweatpants or something or just anything comfortable? I went to a private school with a uniform so unfamiliar with what kids in public school generally wear.

- water bottles. Got them new ones. Do they keep these in school or do they bring them home every day?

Is there anything else I’m missing here?

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I prefer Name Bubbles and Oliver's Labels, I found that Mabel's Labels don't stick.

Definitely get a Thermos - the Contigo brand is actually better than Thermos. We like the Bentgo Bento Boxes for K-2, need to find something bigger for our older child now. The food at schools is...average. I let my kids look at the menu and choose what they want. They like pizza day

Sneakers are good for every day, you just have to figure out what works for your kids. They'll wear their regular school clothes on PE days, just put them in something comfortable that day, but PE is not particularly strenuous.

They'll bring their water bottles home daily.

Otherwise you sound good, don't worry, they'll be fine!!!

[Anonymous]

We use Sharpie pens. Sometimes need masking tape too, depending on the container. No idea what people purchase labels for. And when those run out, no Sharpie pen, oh dear. Buy multipack black.

Finding the right water bottles can be tricky. I hated running out of clean ones and hand washing one last minute. Buy several you like.

Buy jackets or coats now so you won't have to later.

Buy extra pairs of sneakers 1 size up for later too.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PPs to get lots of water bottles (my kids usually kept them at school so I had to ask them to bring them home once in a while for washing)

And agree with getting a thermos, and for putting them in athletic clothes for PE days (you will get a schedule), and with buying coats now. Coats have their best prices in October so maybe get a lighter one now and another in October if you feel like you can hack that with a newborn.

APS lunch is generally gross. This last year they wanted people to come pick up free lunches that I think were the same as what they get in school and it was nice to have the APS lunch experience! Nobody wanted the main dish most of the time we got it (I usually ate it anyway because it was edible and some I even liked but my kids never did, even though they gave it their best effort).

I would say get lots of inexpensive gloves. My kids lost those things all the freaking time.

[Anonymous]

We bought thermoses for lunch and DS never used them. Kid likes PB&J, although he is moving to some other foods now that he is in 4th grade. Do you think that you are going to be sending hot food for the kids? If not, don't bother with the thermos.

School food: DS buys 2-3 times a week and enjoys it. I think he is crazy but he claims to eat most of it and some of the fruit and the like that comes with it.

Snacks, just buy things that come packaged or get small Tupperware to put the snack in. We put it in one of the water bottle pockets on the the side for easy reach.

Waterbottles: Buy something with a flip top that is not all that expensive. Buy a few of them.

[Anonymous]

We use sharpies and rewrite names when it wears off. This seems so much easier than labels.

Buy an extra lunchbox/bag if it’s forgotten at school or lost. I buy the cheapest on Amazon.

I send them with Gatorade water bottles. They are less expensive than the other kids and easy to wash. I write our last name on the side in huge letters.

[Anonymous]

And my kids wear sneakers and athletic clothes every day. I can’t keep track of specials and they run during recess anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We use Sharpie pens. Sometimes need masking tape too, depending on the container. No idea what people purchase labels for. And when those run out, no Sharpie pen, oh dear. Buy multipack black.

Finding the right water bottles can be tricky. I hated running out of clean ones and hand washing one last minute. Buy several you like.

Buy jackets or coats now so you won't have to later.

Buy extra pairs of sneakers 1 size up for later too.

Labels are helpful when you have multiple children and re-use, hand down, or sell items because you can remove and replace them. No idea how you can be so dumb as to not understand that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We use sharpies and rewrite names when it wears off. This seems so much easier than labels.

Buy an extra lunchbox/bag if it’s forgotten at school or lost. I buy the cheapest on Amazon.

I send them with Gatorade water bottles. They are less expensive than the other kids and easy to wash. I write our last name on the side in huge letters.

Let me get this straight - you wash out gatorade bottles and send water in them? And you LABEL them because you're worried your child may lose an old gatorade bottle? Am I missing something?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you all for the suggestions. They are super useful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We use sharpies and rewrite names when it wears off. This seems so much easier than labels.

Buy an extra lunchbox/bag if it’s forgotten at school or lost. I buy the cheapest on Amazon.

I send them with Gatorade water bottles. They are less expensive than the other kids and easy to wash. I write our last name on the side in huge letters.

Let me get this straight - you wash out gatorade bottles and send water in them? And you LABEL them because you're worried your child may lose an old gatorade bottle? Am I missing something?

I think PP was probably referring to the reusable Gatorade bottles used by sports teams.

https://www.target.com/p/gatorade-squeeze-32oz-plastic-water-bottle-green/-/A-54548401?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012767052&CPNG=PLA_Sports%2BShopping_Local%7CSports_Ecomm_Hardlines&adgroup=SC_Sports_Local&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=m&location=9008168&targetid=pla-781232437092&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=CjwKCAjwi9-HBhACEiwAPzUhHMHSJyl69WUhO2zDtRWaoi0yTGORdoG22Q7k03cnbT8vQ4O4nWi63BoC-CQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We use sharpies and rewrite names when it wears off. This seems so much easier than labels.

Buy an extra lunchbox/bag if it’s forgotten at school or lost. I buy the cheapest on Amazon.

I send them with Gatorade water bottles. They are less expensive than the other kids and easy to wash. I write our last name on the side in huge letters.

Let me get this straight - you wash out gatorade bottles and send water in them? And you LABEL them because you're worried your child may lose an old gatorade bottle? Am I missing something?

I think PP was probably referring to the reusable Gatorade bottles used by sports teams.

https://www.target.com/p/gatorade-squeeze-32oz-plastic-water-bottle-green/-/A-54548401?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012767052&CPNG=PLA_Sports%2BShopping_Local%7CSports_Ecomm_Hardlines&adgroup=SC_Sports_Local&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=m&location=9008168&targetid=pla-781232437092&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=CjwKCAjwi9-HBhACEiwAPzUhHMHSJyl69WUhO2zDtRWaoi0yTGORdoG22Q7k03cnbT8vQ4O4nWi63BoC-CQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

My kids teacher required water bottles with a straw during covid, as kids weren't allowed to remove their masks in the classroom. A gatorade bottle wasn't permitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We use Sharpie pens. Sometimes need masking tape too, depending on the container. No idea what people purchase labels for. And when those run out, no Sharpie pen, oh dear. Buy multipack black.

Finding the right water bottles can be tricky. I hated running out of clean ones and hand washing one last minute. Buy several you like.

Buy jackets or coats now so you won't have to later.

Buy extra pairs of sneakers 1 size up for later too.

Labels are helpful when you have multiple children and re-use, hand down, or sell items because you can remove and replace them. No idea how you can be so dumb as to not understand that.

Or you can just write the last name and have it work for multiple children. No one is selling a used lunch bag or water bottle.

[Anonymous]

Your kids’ teachers will send home a schedule regarding PE days. You only really need to keep an eye on it if you have kids who like to wear dress/nonsneaker shoes (usually this translates as girls).

Sit down with the calendar now and plug in all the early release days, holidays, teacher work days, etc. Mark off Back to School Night and book your sitter. Join the PTA. Designate a place for library books. Have a folder/clipboard/place in the kitchen for forms and school flyers. Complete as much of the September administrivia as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We use sharpies and rewrite names when it wears off. This seems so much easier than labels.

Buy an extra lunchbox/bag if it’s forgotten at school or lost. I buy the cheapest on Amazon.

I send them with Gatorade water bottles. They are less expensive than the other kids and easy to wash. I write our last name on the side in huge letters.

Let me get this straight - you wash out gatorade bottles and send water in them? And you LABEL them because you're worried your child may lose an old gatorade bottle? Am I missing something?

I think PP was probably referring to the reusable Gatorade bottles used by sports teams.

https://www.target.com/p/gatorade-squeeze-32oz-plastic-water-bottle-green/-/A-54548401?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012767052&CPNG=PLA_Sports%2BShopping_Local%7CSports_Ecomm_Hardlines&adgroup=SC_Sports_Local&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=m&location=9008168&targetid=pla-781232437092&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=CjwKCAjwi9-HBhACEiwAPzUhHMHSJyl69WUhO2zDtRWaoi0yTGORdoG22Q7k03cnbT8vQ4O4nWi63BoC-CQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Yes, these are the bottles I was talking about. Both of my kids used them last year without an issue.