Ten Things for Back to School

Do I look ready to go back to school?

This week we return to school after our two week Spring vacation.  I have actually been away from school for three weeks as I spent the last week of last term at the hospital with my dad.  I spent a large amount of the two weeks prior to that, visiting the hospital as well.  Therefore, my desk is a mess and I am not functioning at my best just yet.  But it is essential that my desk is fixed before I leave on Friday afternoon.  If I have to stay the weekend at school I will.

I thought I’d devote today's 10 things to BACK TO SCHOOL ESSENTIALS.  This is a teacher one I'm afraid.  Perhaps a non-teacher back to school list could be for another time.  Anyway, these are the things that I have either purchased or checked that I have ready for this week's inevitably return to the classroom. 

1.     Comfortable shoes: I haven’t worn proper shoes for at least a week and my feet are quite miffed with me when I am pulling on the runners in the morning.  But they are far more comfortable than heels.

My "comfortable" shoe

2.    Chocolate: I had to stock up.  There are some days when I just need a piece of chocolate. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, if you hadn’t already worked it out, I’m a comfort eater. 

3.    Pepsi Max: some people drink coffee, I drink Pepsi Max.

4.    Pens, pencils and other miscellaneous stationery.  It is time to do a check and stock up.  May I also add, if you are a parent or guardian of a kid in school this is a time for you to check that all the supplies are stocked up as well.  Just because we are heading towards the end of the year, does not mean we don’t need pencils any more.  In fact, term 4 is probably the busiest and we will be working right up to the last day!

Check that the stationery will last until the end of the year.

  

5.    Library/ Other book for interest: it might seem crazy that I would be grabbing for some recreational reading when it is getting busy so early in the term, but it is even more important now.  Recreational reading gives me a chance to “not think about it” and just be.

6.     “Healthy” snack food: mostly pre-popped organic popcorn, crackers, cheese and nuts.  Gotta have something to nibble on when the mid-afternoon munchies hit.

7.     Fresh pillowcases/ tea towels: I have a kitchen area in my classroom/ staffroom and while I try to stay on top of the laundry, it doesn’t always happen.  The new term is a perfect opportunity to bring to school freshly laundered tea towels and of course a new pillowcase for my nap area.

8.     Plastic cutlery, cups and plates.  It might not be great for the environment, but in the early weeks of term (and the late weeks for that matter), it helps to know that you don’t have to do the dishes in the staffroom before you go home.

9.     A brand new pair of socks.  You can never have too many pairs of socks in my opinion.

They have to have stripes or polka dots.  

10.   Hair cut, manicure, pedicure, eyebrow wax: essential beauty treatments.  I always try to get on top of these during the holidays and make sure I’m looking quite glamorous by the time I return to school.  Before I know it we will be packing up classrooms, archiving work samples and handing out reports.  When all that is over I will look at myself in the mirror and realise that I haven’t had a chance to go to the hairdressers since my last holidays and it will be next to impossible to get an appointment before Christmas Day.  If I have to endure one more Santa photo with a mono-brow and wolf-like nails, I think I might die!

Oh Dear! It is only day two and I’m already desperate for a day at the spa!  Oh well, only 10 weeks to go!