As I sit here to write this article sharing our short list of back to school basic must haves for Junior High students, I still can't believe that my Lil Diva will be in seventh grade this school year. To look at her now, realizing that in a just a few more years she will be in High School then leaving for college makes me want to throw myself on the floor, curl up in the fetus position - and just stay there!
Sounds like someones being a tad dramatic, huh?
I guess you can say I'm getting way ahead of myself , but none the less, she will be in her second year of Junior High as of next Wednesday, August 26.
As a junior high student her school schedule, as well as her classwork will be more structured and detailed from what it was last school year. Although changes to classwork and schedules are to be expected, at least the overall requirements set by her school, Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls, are for the most part, relatively standard.
However, as she gets older, her list of "must haves", has changed drastically as you'll see in our list of back to school basics listed below.
If you happen to be in a similar situation where your student is beginning Junior High (or even High School) this school year, please consider all of the follow recommendations.
1. MOBILE SERVICE
In addition to the standard list of school supplies every student needs, a reliable mobile service is certainly one of our top must haves for our daughter. Now that she is more independent and responsible for getting to her bus stop on time, having a cell phone helps. She can call me from the bus stop in the mornings, stay in contact with me or her dad during the day as well as after school hours while she is busy with her after school activities.
We did some research on several different mobile services before deciding that the Walmart Family Mobile (WFM) 4G LTE service was the best option for her.
For starters, the WFM service is only $29.88/month (for the first line) with unlimited talk, text & data which includes up to 1G of 4G LTE data.
Not only was the service price a great starting point, but the phone she selected - Samsung Grand Prime ($149) - also convinced us (especially her dad, as he is the tech guru of the family) that Walmart Family Mobile was the best option for her.
Disclosure: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to this page or Walmart for current pricing.
On her new phone she is able to set an alarm to wake up in the morning, check what the weather will be like so she can wear the correct uniform, keep track of school closings or delays with the Good Day Columbus app, stay on track with the school bus by following them on Twitter and of course, have all the emergency contact info stored in her phone.
Now that she is getting older and gaining more independence, she can use her cell phone to stay in contact with both myself and her dad at any given time during her day. I like knowing that she is #JustACallAway .
2. PLANNER / AGENDA
A day planner or student agenda is not always included on the school supply list, but in my opinion it is a must have for any junior high student. Last year, she learned what it's like to move from class to class each one having a different teacher and different class rules. Having her agenda with her during the day, she is able to keep track of her class assignments, daily homework, project due dates, and test schedules.
3. EXTERNAL HARD-DRIVE / USP PORT
At first I thought purchasing her a hard-drive was a bit too much, but I have to admit that having one just for her has certainly come in handy. When there is a project due or any extra credit work offered, she can begin working on it during her homeroom or study class using the computers at CCPSG and save her in-progress work onto her device. This way she doesn't have to be bothered with printing her work or loosing her notes - all her work is nicely saved in one convenient place.
4. TRAPPER KEEPER
With all the different classes she'll be attending, walking around school with several books and folders in her arms can be difficult and tiresome. Yes, she does have a locker, but going to her locker to switch out her notebooks will not always be an option. To make it easier for herself, she decided that the trapper keeper she used last school year would come in handy. Inside she has a small pouch that holds her pencils/pens and using the dividers, she keeps her main folders and notes neatly organized inside.
Of course all school supply lists require the essentials like notebooks, folders, pencils, loose leaf paper, binders, etc; but the four listed here today can certainly help your student during this upcoming school year.
Looking at our back to school basic must have list for Junior High students, is there anything you would add?
