Chattanooga Times Free Press

WHAT’S COOL FOR SCHOOL?

Don’t settle for basics when you can have stylish supplies

- BY YOLANDA PUTMAN STAFF WRITER

Most schools require students to have pencil and paper, but having pencils and paper that reflect personalit­y can give students a boost, a bit more motivation to start the school year with enthusiasm.

Here’s a list of five cool school supplies suggested by local teachers and supply-store operators.

1. Notebooks with notable covers.

“Target has a great selection of folders and notebooks with trendy covers,” says Chattanoog­a Christian School kindergart­en teacher Diane Walker. “Right now they have ones with unicorns and cactus and rainbows and llamas and sloths! So fun!”

2. Exceptiona­l erasers.

Chattanoog­a Christian School fifth-grade teacher Alice Sikkema says she found “cute popcorn-shaped erasers in a red and white popcorn box at Merchants on Main.”

3. A smart notebook.

“Rocketbook Everlast notebook is a neat tool,” says CCS’ director of instructio­nal technology and innovation, Julie Davis.

This reusable smart note-

book, which sells for about $30, allows users to electronic­ally store written informatio­n before they wipe a page clean and use it again. It’s about the size of a standard compositio­n book, and it functions much like a whiteboard as you write. If you need to save the informatio­n, you can send scans of your notes to your devices with an app.

4. Planners.

“Girls love agendas,” says Kim Leffew, who operates the school supply store at Girls Preparator­y School. “We carry several different brands. We carry Lilly Pulitzer, Vera Bradley and we also carry a line called ban. do. They have cool stuff.”

5. Grade-specific writing paper.

“A lot of schools require a certain kind of compositio­n that we carry here at the School Box,” says Emily Wilson, a sales associate at the local education supply store. “It’s just the large lined paper. And it’s ruled for each grade.”

The paper allows students in younger grades more space to write. The school box also has “fat” pencils that are easier for younger students to grip for writing.

Contact Yolanda Putman@timesfreep­ress.com or call 423-757-6431.

 ?? STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG STRICKLAND ?? Kids may have to stick to a list of mandatory school supplies, but that doesn’t mean they can’t find pencils, markers and folders with pizzazz.
STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG STRICKLAND Kids may have to stick to a list of mandatory school supplies, but that doesn’t mean they can’t find pencils, markers and folders with pizzazz.
 ??  ?? Diane Walker
Diane Walker

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