Ah, the summer holidays. A time for hanging out with friends and family, enjoying fun in the sun… and getting excited about the Back to School countdown. So, when it comes to preparing for the start of the new school year, what are the best ways to get organised as a family and what is the essential school equipment that’s needed? We asked three families for their top tips and the kids’ school supplies and accessories they can’t live without.  

Meet the Ellis Family: High-School Aged Kids‍

A family portrait of Scott and Clementine Ellis with their two sons standing in front of a large bushy tree.
Scott and Clementine Ellis with their sons Tom (second from left) and Jack (third from left) who are sharing their Back to School supplies tips.

“Chaos” and “fun” are words Scott and Clementine Ellis would use to describe the first term of the year. They have two sons in high school: Jack, 14, who is heading into Year 9, and 12-year-old Year 8 student Tom. 

“It’s all so fresh and new again – who will be in your class? Where will your locker be? What’s it going to be like?” says Scott, a Melbourne-based TV producer. “Also, the house gets very quiet and you can actually hear yourself think again.”

‍Meet the Kukucka Family: Primary and Secondary‍

A family portrait of Daniel and Maria with their three children taken with a beach in the background. 
(from left) Kids Sebastian, Eva and Luke, with parents Daniel and teacher Maria Kukucka who are sharing their Back to School supplies tips.

For primary school teacher and mum-of-three Maria Kukucka, it’s mixed emotions in their household. “I love seeing them start the new school year a little older but miss how cute they were when they were little and would hold my hand as we walked in the school gates,” she says. 

With her children Sebastian, 15, and Eva, 13, starting Year 10 and Year 8 respectively, and son 11-year-old Luke beginning his last year of primary school, they live by one motto going into the school year. “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail,” she says. “As parents, we always encourage our kids to prepare themselves, whether that be in packing their school bag the night before so they don’t forget anything, to preparing for tests or assignments and ensuring they aren’t leaving things until the last minute. This promotes a less stressful environment for all of us.”

Meet the Myles Family: Primary-Aged ‍

Two young siblings, Matilda and Felix, are smiling while standing in front of a tree in a garden. 
Steve and Kymberley Myles’ school-aged children, Matilda and Felix, are excited to be going back to school. 

“Excitement from everyone!” is how Melbourne-based mum of three Kymberley Myles describes their buzzing household on the first day of the school year. Her eight-year-old son Felix is ready to tackle Year 4, while daughter Matilda, six, is bouncing into Year 2. “We always go into the new school year excited for what’s to come and in a positive mindset. The kids are always happy to go back and see their friends.”

Here, we ask members of all three families to share their must-have school supplies for students of all ages and their handy hacks going into the 2024 school year.

How Far Out Should I Buy Back to School Supplies?

Planning ahead can help lighten the load when it comes to easing back into the school year, instead of dashing out to buy things at the last minute, says Clementine. “The buying starts as soon as the school list comes out so there’s no rush at the last moment and you can check through last year’s supplies to see what can carry through,” she says. Upcycling school items that weren’t used the year before saves time, money and the environment. “It’s amazing how many A4 workbooks don’t get used at all and can be relabelled for the new year.”

Purchasing school accessories as Christmas presents works for the Kubucka family.

“Usually I purchase a few items before Christmas to fill their stockings,” Maria says. “The rest of their items are purchased in the first week of January before we go away and while there is still a lot of stock to choose from.”

Hot Tip: Officeworks’ School List Service makes it easy to get organised for the year ahead. Either search for your child’s school list (if someone from the same school and year level has already uploaded it, it will be saved in the system) or upload your own copy in less than three minutes. Officeworks will then match the required items, finding you the best price – parents save 20 per cent on average on their school list prices through the School List Service.

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SEE ALSO: Back To School Tips (and Savings) for Making Life Easier

What Are the Essential School Supplies?

When it comes to her three children and her work as a teacher, Maria says a good printer and back-up paper reams are a must throughout the school year. “We are constantly printing assignments and posters. Our home printer is something we have all used for years.” 

With two primary school-aged children, Kymberley’s absolute must for school equipment is durability. Top of her list? “A really good school bag, shoes, lunch box and a drink bottle that is leak-proof,” she says. “These are all items that are used five days a week. All of them need to last a long time and often get thrown around, kicked or dropped. And a raincoat is always something that’s needed when you least expect it, so I always keep one in their bags for those times.”

School equipment can be expensive, but Kymberley says if you have the money to invest upfront it will save you in the long run. “If you can afford it, my main tip is to buy good quality products for durability,” she says, sharing that she’s happy to spend a bit more on products that go the distance and are used every day

Clementine agrees. “Absolutely essential is a good water bottle to survive the inevitable knocks and drops, and a good laptop sleeve to protect [their laptop] from everything else in their bag!”

Of course, stationery such as pens, pencils, highlighters and glue are also essential school accessories to complete homework and day-to-day schoolwork, as are exercise books and pencil cases and erasers.

What the Kids Say…

For visual-arts lover Jack, there is one thing that is top of his essential school supply list.

“A new pencil case,” he says. “Mine’s broken … I might have shoved too much in it! Oh, and pencils. Lots of pencils. Everyone’s always losing them so they’re constantly borrowing them from everyone else.” His brother Tom has other ideas, with a device top of mind. “My laptop – it’s great for schoolwork and you can play games!” says the teen, whose favourite subject is physical education. “And a big lunch box for lots of food!”

Heading into Year 8, colour coding is on Eva’s mind, with highlighters her must-have school supply. “We always use them in class and they make your notes look pretty,” she says. “Folders, because we get a lot of loose papers that we need to keep and it makes it easier to be organised and access them whenever you need. The last thing is sticky notes, as they are great for reminders.”

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SEE ALSO: Find The Right Device For Your Child

Top Tips for Saving on Back to School Essentials?

Sustainability is something all of the families consider when heading back to school, as there are always school supplies from the previous year that can be used. “We keep all the stuff the kids come home with at the end of the year – workbooks can be used for scrap paper,” Kymberley says. “If drink bottles, lunch boxes and school bags are in good condition, we keep using them. We don’t buy new ones each year, only as required.” 

Scott says his family is on the same page, and uses “every item possible” again. “Books, pens, pencils, pencil cases – you name it, we keep it,” he says. “Having two kids in consecutive years helps, too. There’s often a lot of double-up on school lists, so check through what comes back at the end of one year to see if it can be used again. Often, you’ll find a dozen notebooks that haven’t been touched at all. A new sticker over the top with a new class number and you’re in business!”

Maria agrees, both for her kids and herself. “For my personal work items, I reuse my stationery organisers that sit on my desk, posters that hang in my classroom, workbooks, coloured push pins and magnets that are on my whiteboard,” she says. “I also reuse a self-inking date stamp that I use when marking student work.”

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Make Back to School Time a Breeze 

As the year gets underway, with more extracurricular activities coming into play and parents juggling it all with their workloads, Clementine says family organisation is a necessity. “The desktop diary is the best – it’s vital,” she shares. “We note down casual days, curriculum days, test dates – so we’re not caught out. Honestly, how we survived without one before is beyond me!”

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‍ Finally, Top Back to School Tips From a Teacher

“As a teacher, where do I start?” laughs Maria. “Buy multiple packs of pens, pencils, glues, scissors and sharpeners and then check your child’s pencil case every now and again – you wouldn’t believe how many kids come to school without the basic supplies. Another tip is to put your child’s name on everything and either buy sticker labels with their names printed on them or invest in a labelling machine that you can reuse.” 

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SEE ALSO: The Best Routines for Back To School Stress Relief

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