Essential Back-To-School Supplies for the High School Student Grades 10-12

You've finally reached that point...your child can do some of his/her own back-to-school shopping. First you should print this list. Then you can share it with your child and decide which items you need to purchase this year. By sharing this list with your child he or she will probably give you some necessary feedback. While your child may not need every item on the list, hopefully it will be a good reminder to prevent that last minute trip to the store.

This is my third back-to-school article, each being designed for specific grades. However, one theme runs true-from now through mid September-school supplies are going to be at their lowest prices until this time next year. Some parents buy half the supplies now and wait for the return sales in January after the Christmas break, to buy the other half. However, this is not encouraged as the sales in January will not be so deeply discounted as right now. Additionally, the supply, variety and quantity of school items will be quite abbreviated in January.

So the message? Stock up now for the entire school year while everything is dirt cheap! Just a reminder, monies saved now can be better appropriated to a college fund, a savings vehicle or even a non-IRA retirement account. Many investment professionals note that it is never too early to stock money away for a child's retirement. Enthusiastically, my articles promote saving for retirement-from birth! Even one year of extra saving early in the game can yield thousands of dollars or more over the course of a child's working lifetime. Set the stage as your teen begins to embark on his or her career in college and the workforce. So to get back on course..it's foolish to waste money that could be better spent preparing for a child's future. For September 2010, here is the list of supplies to guide you. It may be helpful to take a pen and clipboard and cross off the items as you get them.

1 Cell Phone (if permitted by your child's school)
1 Battery for Backup and/or extra charger cord (can be purchased from manufacturer)
1 Heavy Duty Book Bag
1 Heavy Duty Loose Leaf Binder
3 Packs Loose Leaf Paper (also called Filler Paper)
5 Single Subject Spiral Notebooks
1 Pack Graph Paper
1 Composition Book
24 #2 Pencils (mechanical pencils are popular with the kids)
1 Pack Ink Pens (blue or black)
1 Package of Colored Pens (red, green, black)
2 Yellow Highlighters
4 Colored Highlighters (red, green, blue)
1 Three-hole Plastic Zipper Pencil Case
1 Pack Tabbed Dividers
2 Pocket Folders
1 Pack Reinforcement Rings
1 Post Note Pad
1 Box Tissues
1 12" Ruler
3 Bulldog Clips (for big stacks of loose papers)
12 Paper Clips
1 Small Stapler
1 Pack Staples
1 Scientific Calculator (Check with teacher for model)
1 Flash Drive, 8-16 gigabytes (for storing computer work)
1 Pair of Earphones (for computer work)
1 Pocket Poncho
1 small folding umbrella
1 English Dictionary
1 English Thesaurus
1 Foreign Language Dictionary (respective to language studied)
1 Combination Lock
1 Parking Permit (obtain from high school)
1 First Aid Kit for car

A Word To Teens Who May Read This...
Drive safely...Stay out of trouble...Live a good life!