I see thousands of school supply lists every year and I’ve noticed a few things, on most school supply lists, that are very important in this new post Covid-19 world we are living in and felt I should compile them in this post to make it easy for all to see.

For Elementary students, the biggest thing I’ve noticed, other than masks, is that school supplies this year are not going to be shared for obvious reasons. For decades, supplies for younger kids, crayons, pens, glue sticks, glue bottles, pens, markers, colored pencils, etc. have usually been shared, placed in a large box and used throughout the year.

I’ve noticed that most of the teachers, this year, are asking that all supplies be labeled with the Child’s name and that all of them are to be kept in a large Ziploc bag, the bag with the slider feature, to open and close the bag easily.

Being able to quickly get to these supplies in a clean and safe way will be crucial as well, so the Gallon size bag is usually the best choice for this, something that can be kept in the student’s desk or locker. The Quart Size bags are also on most lists, in fact most teachers usually ask for the boys to bring Gallon Size Bags and the girls to bring the Quart Size Bags. The Ziploc brand is also usually asked for as they are the best quality bag on the market. The bags should be labeled as well.

Teachers and schools have also asked for students to wear masks throughout the day. I know this is a hot topic, however, it’s up to the school district to decide if they want to insist that kids wear masks. I’m not going to get involved in a debate on the topic here but my goal is to make my users aware that if masks are needed, it would be wise to purchase enough to use a fresh mask on a daily basis. I’ve seen many suppliers, for example Crayola, that are making masks in sets of 5 to be worn during the week and cleaned on the weekends.

Another obvious addition to the supply lists this year are all of the cleaning and disinfectant supplies, the wipes, paper towels, hand sanitizers, hand soaps etc. I have seen schools asking for multiple rolls of paper towels up front, 2 to 3 rolls per student. Usually, teachers ask for 1 container of wipes, this year I’ve noticed 2 to 3 containers of wipes on most lists, especially for the younger kids. Hand Sanitizers and Hand Soaps are also on most lists for Elementary kids. I would imagine the hand sanitizer bottles will be kept on the student’s desk and the soaps will be nearby. Most newer schools have sinks inside the classroom, especially for early childhood rooms, pre-k and Kindergarten. Smaller, 2 oz hand sanitizers are also encouraged on most lists, so students will be carrying around their own personal sanitizers.

Also, early childhood teachers are asking for all change of clothing to be kept in Ziploc bags and labeled. Blankets and sleeping mats will also be labeled and cleaned on a regular basis. I wouldn’t be surprised if the schools ask that sleeping mats be purchased by the parents and taken home on a regular basis to be cleaned.

For the older kids, middle school and high school, the thing I’ve seen most is the sanitizers, soaps and wipes but on a more personal scale, smaller sizes that can be carried around in a student’s pocket or backpack. The older kids are more responsible, so therefore, they can be expected to keep and use these items regularly. They will also not be sharing any supplies, so labeling their pens, pencils, markers etc. will be expected by most schools. They will probably need to keep these items in plastic Ziploc bags. They will also be responsible for wearing a mask, so it’s up to the school to decide how this will be accomplished, either by wearing a specific mask or allowing the students to wear bandanas or buffs.

I’ve also seen a number of lists that have earbuds and headphones. Teachers usually ask for small cheap headsets you can find at the dollar store, no blue tooth. Basically, a pair that can easily be labeled and stored in a Ziploc bag and replaced if necessary.

I found this item on a list today and thought I would share it with you:

1 Bright Smile & Positive Attitude

So, the bottom line is that we are living in a new world, post Covid-19, and there is a new way that school supplies will be used and treated in the classrooms. Supplies will be more personal, labeled and cleaned on a regular basis, no sharing. All of these cleaning supplies, paper towels, wipes, sanitizers, soaps etc. will need to be replenished throughout the year. Please check in with your child’s teacher throughout the year to see if there is anything that is needed. A quick post on the class social media page will help keep these items fully stocked for the entire school year.

Clean, Label and Store – No Sharing and Mask Up! That’s the new Supply List motto for a Post Covid-19 World.