School Supplies: A Local Shopping Guide

The first day of school is almost here, and if you are one of those parents who is still waiting to buy your children's supplies, no need to panic. There are plenty of places to find those supplies and most of those places have sales going on to make the process a little easier.

There is also no need to make a special trip just to pick up the supplies. You can pick them up while you are running your usual weekly errands. The stores on Route 25A, Route 347, and Pond Path all stock the basic items.

While the cost of supplies may vary from year to year depending on a student's age and grade, the fact that the burden of shopping for the supplies falls to the parents does not.

"The supply lists seem to get longer and longer every year," said Marta Sporanza of Centereach while shopping at Target in Setauket. "I can only imagine how much more stuff I will be buying if my 10-year-old decides to go away to college.

Sporanza was shopping with her sister, Louisa Delriodo of Lake Grove, who was picking up the supplies for her twin girls who are entering second grade.

"With all the money we pay in taxes, the school cannot even supply a pencil sharpener?" Delriodo said.

School officials recognize the burden that some parents face in buying the supplies, but said parents may not fully understand why the student must have the items requested by the teachers.

"While the school district supplies many of the materials necessary for instruction, it is important for students to come fully prepared for class with the supplemental materials requested by the teacher," said Dr. Ken Bossert, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the Three Village Central School District. "Although the volume of materials can sometimes seem overwhelming, the value of being appropriately prepared for class cannot be understated."

Bossert said any parent who has a concern regarding requested materials and/or supplies should not hesitate to contact his or her child's teacher or the building administration.

To make the burden a little easier, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian Foley and Councilwoman Constance Kepert organized a school supply drive this summer. Donations were accepted throughout the month of August at the Town Hall in Brookhaven. For more information about that school supply drive, call 631-451-6955. 

Some individual schools and students are doing their part to help as well.

"Recognizing that some supplies can be reused from year to year, our school organizes an end-of-year relocker project during locker clean-out week," said Dr. Alan Baum, principal at Ward Melville High School.

Baum said students donated new or gently used supplies which were delivered to PRONTO, an organization that assists people in need across Long Island. The initiative was coordinated by Melanie Wilson, a 2010 Ward Melville graduate, for the past two years.

Every class and teacher has a specific list posted online for students, but the following is a general list of supplies needed by each grade in Three Village:

Kindergarten & First Grade

• 1 Primary composition notebook (at least 100 pages)
• Box of tissues
• 1 bottle of antibacterial liquid hand soap
• 1 tub of antibacterial wipes
• 2 boxes of Crayola Crayons (1 set of 8 and 1 set of 24)
• 1 box Crayola Colored Pencils
• 1 box Crayola Classic Color Markers
• 1 watercolor paint set
• 2- 7oz. bottle of Elmers glue (large bottle) and 2- 4oz. bottles
• 6 large Crayola glue sticks
• 1 smock or x-lrg shirt for art (please label it and make sure it is not too big as they may trip)
• A beach towel

Second Grade

• 1 clipboard (with a flat clip)
• 4 marble notebooks (100-150 sheets, no spirals)
• 1 pocket folder with horizontal openings
• 1 orange pocket folder with horizontal openings for Health class
• 1 ruler with inches and centimeters (12" long)
• 4 boxes of 12 yellow #2 pencils with erasers (sharpened)
• 1 box of Crayola washable markers (classic colors)
• 1 box of 24 Crayola crayons
• 1 pair of scissors (preferably Fiskars)
• 2 glue sticks
• 1 bottle of anti-bacterial liquid soap
• 1 box of tissues
• 1 box of Ziploc bags

Third Grade

• 5 solid colored pocket folders (green, purple, yellow, red, and blue)
• 1 extra solid green folder for Health
• $4.50 for school planner (Please make checks out to Three Village CSD)
• 6 boxes of #2 pencils - sharpened please
• 1 box of Crayola washable markers (classic colors)
• 1 box of Crayola colored pencils
• 1 box of Crayola crayons (48 count)
• 1 box of fine tip markers
• 3 packs of square post-its
• 1 pair of scissors
• 8 Elmers Glue Sticks or Avery Clear Glue Sticks
• 3 boxes of tissues
• 1 yellow highlighter
• Black and white marble notebooks
• Sturdy double pocket folders (bottom pockets - not side)

Fourth Grade

• Package of sharpened #2 pencils
• Package of thin markers and colored pencils
• Highlighters
• Dry erase markers and eraser
• Glue sticks
• Pencil sharpener (shaving enclosure)
• Bottom pocket folders (solid colors)
• Marble composition notebooks
• Spiral notebook
• Erasers
• Scissors
• Red and green pens
• Small lined Post-its
• 1 ruler (inches and centimeters)

Fifth Grade

• 100 page composition books: 2 black, 1 blue, 1 green, 1 red, 1 purple
• Spiral 3 subject 120 page wide ruled notebook
• 1 12" plastic ruler, Standard/Metric
• 2 12-packs #2 pencils, sharpened
• 1 pack black erasable pens
• 1 red pen
• 1 roll Scotch tape
• 1 pack classic washable markers broad-tipped
• 1 pack classic washable markers fine-tipped
• 1 pack crayons
• 1 pack colored pencils
• Scissors
• 1 package filler paper wide rule 200/package
• 1-pocket folders in red, teal, blue, green, purple, yellow, white, orange
• 1 clipboard, Letter size
• 2 yellow highlighters
• 1 pack 3x5 ruled index cards
• 1 pack stick-on 3x3 notes
• 2 large boxes of tissues, 120 per box
• 2 large glue sticks, .77 oz. (white, not purple)
• 1 Bottle Of Hand Sanitizer
• 2 Packages Of Baby Wipes
• Check For $4.42 Payable To Time For Kids

Sixth Grade

• Plastic folders in black, red, green, white, and blue
• 2 marble notebooks
• Green 1-inch plastic binder with four dividers
• Red 1-inch plastic binder with four dividers
• 5-subject notebook
• Calculator
• 12" Ruler standard/metric
• Protractor
• Pens in green, blue, black and red
• Markers
• Scissors
• Pencils
• Colored pencils
• Loose leaf paper
• Dry erase markers
• Post-it Notes
• Scotch tape
• Highlighers
• 4 marble notebooks
• Glue sticks
• Case for all of the above
• 1 box of tissues
• Optional: flash drive