Tips
and Products for Back to School
Almost every kid is a little
apprehensive about going back to school. No matter who they are or
what their circumstances, the idea of trading the lazy summer days
for early mornings, heavy backpacks and homework is sure to create a
certain amount of anxiety. And to make matters even worse, retailers
start to put up the Back-to-School Sale signs in August! This is
sure to make even the most chipper youth a little down. As parents,
we may have a little different attitude. We have all seen the
commercial where the jubilant dad skips through the isles of a major
retail store, singing happily and tossing back-to-school supplies in
the cart while his sullen children shuffle along behind him. While
we may not have quite the same level of exuberance for the
back-to-school routine as that happy dad, we do know that the key to
a successful school year for our kids is organization and a positive
attitude. Office has provided a few tips to help kids get ready for
the new school year:
· Get Ahead Before You Get Behind:
Start the year off with great organizational habits from day one.
According to a recent survey, 52% of parents feel disorganized. Get
the year off to a smooth start with a PDA or planner. PDA’s are
great for both moms and kids. Office Depot offers PDA bundles under
$200 that act as an address book, calendar, appointment book,
calendar and notepad all in one little gadget. Office Depot also
offers an array of planners by At-A-Glance and Carolina Pad, which
will get kids excited and organized for school.
· Prepare for Finals the First Day of
School: It’s no secret that teachers prepare final exams based on
the previous test and quiz questions. Start planning for the final
exam file with an accordion file like the Wilson Jonesâ
Big Mouth Filler ($7). Each color tab can represent a different
subject where tests and quizzes can be stored as soon as your
children bring them home. When it's time for midterms and finals,
you will have a study guide already prepared – without the last
minute crisis. And, you won’t need to dig through drawers or the
bottom of backpacks looking for old exams.
· Double the Task and Eliminate Half
the Work: Planning ahead is often the most difficult part of getting
organized. While shopping for back to school supplies, buy two of
everything. You can take advantage of low seasonal prices and be
prepared when your child’s backpack needs to be replenished. It’s
also a great way to avoid the inevitable late night emergency need
for printer paper. Your school will also benefit from your bulk
purchases because at Office Depot, 5% of your school supply
purchases go back to your school of choice.
· Create a Mobile Homework Station:
For moms and kids who are on the go, a mobile study station is
essential. You can create one perfectly suited to the needs of your
child with the variety of “mini” products Office Depot offers the
Pick up a Smart Lap Desk ($15) you can stash in the car and fill
with items your child needs for homework assignments. The durable
lap desk has a compartment for storing markers, calculators,
staplers and more.
· Call a Family Meeting: Even the
most organized parents cannot do it alone. Sit down with your family
and identify the two or three organizational issues that could use
some improvement. Brainstorm ideas for processes that can help
eliminate the chaos and reduce the clutter. For example, install
family IN and OUT boxes in a high traffic area of the home to ensure
that children’s permission slips and important school papers are
signed quickly by Mom or Dad. Don’t set out to do everything,
implementing just one or two ideas can make a big difference.
Hottest Products for Back-to-School 2005
Pre-K
through 6th Grade
Here they are- some top picks
younger kids will want, and need, to go back to school and succeed
this year. Not only are these items “cool,” but they’re also
necessities for heading back to the classroom.
1. Scholastic Crayons, Colored Pencils and
Markers: Offered exclusively at Office Depot, Scholastic – the
leader in educational products – has created its own line of
crayons, colored pencils and markers. Packaged specifically for
kids, Scholastic's new line offers 12-count and 24-count colored
pencil sets, thick and fine tipped crayons and markers, and an
assortment of colors. Priced at just $.25 for a set of crayons. $.79
for colored pencils and $2.29 for markers.
2. Mead Scholastic Subject Specific
Notebook: Gone are the days of sloppily labeling spiral notebooks
with a black magic marker. At under $3.00, these great notebooks are
color-coded (one color for each subject) and labeled by subject.
Available for Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts, the
notebooks also have subject-specific reference information inside.
Office Depot is the only office supply store to carry them!
3. Liquid Expresso Porous-Point Pen: The
Expresso pens by Paper Mate have exceptional ink flow, are
economically porous, but have the feeling of a fountain pen. Some of
the pen’s attributes include: medium point/extra fine point option,
reinforced tip and a translucent barrel, all of which add up to less
mess, sure strokes, precise lines and a visible ink supply. This
fine pen is $1.74
4. Miss O & Friends Notebook, Personal
Book and Memo Pad: Made for girls, by girls. Miss O & Friends is all
about girls developing into strong, smart and independent teens.
More than just a product line, Miss O & Friends is a brand parents
can be proud to have written on their children’s notebooks. The Miss
O products are decorated with the four tweens that represent the
product. Priced between $1.00 and $3.30.
5. Elmer’s Fun No Run Glue: Elmer’s has
once again created the coolest of glue products. Offered in blue and
red, this washable glue also has a no-run formula. Offered in a 5 oz
container, the glue also includes a convenient glue stick. And just
remember, no run means no mess! Priced perfectly for back-to-school
at just under $1.00.
6. It’s Academic 12” Metallic Flexi Ruler:
Every student needs a ruler for going back to school, but who says
rulers have to be boring? It’s Academic has pushed the ruler even
further with this new flexible yet metallic colorful ruler. It still
does everything the typical ruler does, but looks that much cooler!
Priced at under $2.00.
7. Grab-and-Go Study Aids: Nothing feels
better than doing well in school, and now parents can prepare their
kids with Office Depot’s exclusive grab-and-go CD-ROM study aids.
They are easy to store and available in a variety of subjects,
including geometry, algebra and English. Parents can be ready for
any question their kid may ask. Classroom confidence can now be
bought for under $5.00.
8. Pop-Up Lunch Tote: A collapsible and
convenient lunch bag that every kid will want. After lunchtime, when
your kid's bag is empty – why have it take up so much space? The
pop-up lunch tote can be crushed down flat to the size of a CD. With
its sleek design and Micro ban protection, this tote is ideal for
back to school. Priced at $8.00.
9. Fiskars 4” Control Tip Scissors: Made
especially for little hands, these scissors have 3 finger holes for
extra control and are priced at around $2.50. Available in blunted
and pointed, these special scissors work for righties and lefties,
and of course come in all the colors for back-to-school.
10.
Stretchable Book Covers: Book covers no
longer have to be boring with stretchable book covers now available.
A guaranteed hit item for kids, these stretchy book covers come in
solid colors and fashion patterns, in regular sizes and jumbo sized.
Depending on the style and size, the stretchable book cover ranges
in price from $2.00 to $3.00.
Hottest Products for Back-to-School 2005
7th
through 12th Grade
Older kids have different tastes
than their little brothers and sisters do. This group likes to find
ways to express personal style in all that they do. Here are some
top picks for middle and high school students to head back to
school. These products are functional and fun.
1. Extreme Sling Cross Over Backpack: It’s
the new style for kids – in between a messenger bag and a typical
backpack. The Cross Over is available in hot colors and made
especially for the tech-minded kid: compartment for a CD player and
a rear headphone wire eyelet. The padded cross over strap includes a
cell phone holder, and there are tons of additional pockets for
organization. This modern backpack is priced under $20.00.
2. Student Planners: Kids like to be
organized, so provide them with the newest and coolest of student
planners – Sweet & Sassy, Nike, Pattern Play and Max & Mini themes.
At-A-Glance and Carolina Pad have created a place for assignments,
notes and thoughts to be written – all in one place! The Sweet &
Sassy Day Runner includes an internal wheel with a t-shirt, and
stickers for kids to identify how they are feeling and what is going
on in their lives, such as “relax,” “test,” and “happy birthday.”
Priced from under $5.00 to $9.00.
3. TI-84 Plus Silver Edition Graphic
Calculator: With 2x the speed of the TI-83 Plus and 9x more memory,
this calculator is ideal for the serious student. Its features
include interactive geometry software and periodic table chemistry,
along with personal study tools and applications like the organizer,
study cards, algebra topics, area formulas, cell sheet, fundamental
topics in science, and AP biology review questions. $130.00.
4. Franklin MWD-450 Electronic Dictionary:
Electronic is what’s in and that means dictionaries as well. Why
carry the big and heavy book around when Franklin has created a
database with a calculator, crossword solver and matchmakers,
currency/metric converter, databank, seven games, as well as
learning exercises using My Word List, SAT words and more. Batteries
are included. Priced at under $30.00.
5. Dual 300 Ring Filled Zipper Binder:
Finally, the binder that fits everything! Case It has created a
binder, complete with 1.25” rings, CD-storage compartments, mesh
pockets, a pen/pencil plastic holder, and more. At $17.00, this
binder is perfect for the kids who want to keep everything in one
place. It’s like having their very own briefcase.
6. Mead Five Star Folder: Every student
going back to school needs a set of folders they can depend on all
year long. That’s why parents and kids trust Mead for the sturdiest
of folders. These basic folders come in a variety of colors and can
help hold piles of important papers! Priced at under $2.00.
7. Polycarbonate Bottle with Refreezable
Stick: Students need to drink when they are at school, and Access
knows the last thing kids want is warm water. That’s why they have
created a bottle with a refreezable stick. It’s like having ice in
your drink all day – it never melts and never waters down your
drink. Priced at $6.00.
8. Big Mouth Filer: The Big Mouth Filer is
an unparalleled organizational system that offers students easier
access to papers, homework and more. It's designed to fit easily
into backpacks but vertically formatted to prevent kids from having
to strain their necks sideways to locate documents. It holds five
removable color-coordinated folders and has a reinforced gusset that
can expand to support more that 200 sheets of paper. Under $7.00.
9. Nike Notebook, Binder and Bookcover:
All kids love Nike, so what better way to bring the excitement of
athletics into the classroom than creating Nike school supplies? The
cool one-subject notebook has the Nike logo, as do the stretchy
binder and zippered binder. All items are priced between $2.00 and
$15.00 (binder).
10. Index Card Sheets: Index cards are
great for studying, but difficult to store – until now. Mead has
created an 8.5” x 11” sheet with perforated 3” x 5” white ruled
index cards that easily fits into any binder. Students can now keep
their study aids with their notes for just $2.00.
11.
Sphero Lock with Key, Lockerboxx,
Magnet Clips, Wipe-off Board: Lock your belongings up with the
modern sphero lock by Masterlock. Forgot your combination? Not to
worry – use the handy key! Lockermate has once again created the
coolest of locker accessories – all magnetized! The Lockerboxx is a
large, multi-compartment magnetic box; the Locker Friends Magnet
Clips have fun faces and strong, neo-dymium magnets; the wipe-off
board is magnetized and includes a dry-erase pen for notes and
messages. Priced between $3.00 and $5.00.
Information provided courtesy of
Office Depot. All products listed are available at Office Depot
Stores nationwide or online at
www.officedepot.com or at
www.school.com .
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