I’m in my 50s and still love the feel of back to school. New beginnings? A fresh start? I can’t pinpoint why I feel excitement because I haven’t been in school in 35 years. For many students, the first week has already come and gone. When I went to school, Labor Day signified the beginning of a new school year; thus, I will always choose this week to share my thoughts about it.

My grade-school self at Hilltop Elementary and early years at Canfield Village Middle School would have been setting my sights on the following shiny, new school supplies, which were an important part of a good year…

  1. Pencils. Sharpened to a fine point. Topped with colored erasers or pencil toppers. Remember the Munch Bunch? I think I’ve mentioned in previous posts that math is my least favorite subject. Was it in my head that having a new, #2, sharpened pencil always made the problems less intimidating? And what about the smell of them out of the box? I still love “fresh pencil scent”..lol
  1. With the pencils came the cardboard pencil box. There were no plastic boxes back in the day. I remember school supply shopping at Kmart and getting to choose from a plethora of them..Snoopy, flowers, psychedelic. It was an important decision. I was frustrated after a week or two of use when the lid ended up being pushed into the bottom of the box. Anyone else? And I hated when I accidentally got a rogue magic marker swipe on my box. Neat and clean was, and still is, my thing.
  1. In grade school, the mother of all choices was picking out a lunch box. I had several Snoopy ones, but the one I chose in 4th grade was my favorite. Holly Hobby. Click here to reminisce! Of course, on cold winter days, Mom would put Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup in my thermos. Sitting in the cold cafeteria, eating warm soup would make me feel so cozy. It was the best. Especially dipping saltines into the broth.
  1. In early middle school, a Trapper Keeper was the must-have supply! It was a foldable type of notebook that kept your papers organized. They came in a variety of colors and designs. I chose a red one because we were the Canfield Cardinals, so I felt it was an appropriate choice. I took really good care of that Trapper and never wrote graffiti on it. At the end of the school year, it looked practically new..lol

 My love for a new school year will never waver. It’s something in the air…(or maybe the smell of mac-and-cheese from the cafeteria?) The back-to-school ads, the anticipation of who would be in your class, and what kind of new shoes you would choose..usually Earth shoes or penny loafers.

Back-to-school time always felt like the ultimate clean slate, unlike January 1st or the beginning of spring. It was the right time to be on trend with the latest flared pants and anything terry-cloth, along with those important school supplies to ensure a fantastic school year! Cheers to all the students and parents who are readjusting! 

It feels good to be back behind my laptop again! Thank you for being so patient as we moved into our new home. I can’t wait to tell you all about it next Thursday!