Area students stick to basics when shopping for supplies

Photo courtesy of The Mirror

Danny Robert, left and Valerie LeGrand, right, held candles and looked over a prayer book during a vigil at World Youth Day in Canada. The Cape Girardeau teenagers were among a group of 48 from Southeast Missouri who attended the events in Ontario.

Students getting ready to head back to class.

By Laura Johnston ~ Southeast Missourian

They know they're just putting off the inevitable, but few area teenagers have begun to think about the supplies they'll need for the upcoming school year.

And their classes begin soon. Dates for the first day of classes in area districts:

Sept. 3 in Cape Girardeau.

in Scott City.

Aug. 21 in Jackson.

Aug. 21in Oak Ridge

Aug. 15 Nell Holcomb

Aug. 15 in Oran

Aug. 15 in Chaffee

Aug. 15 in Perryville

Aug. 15 in Benton (Kelly school)

Aug. 15 in Delta

Aug. 14 in Marble Hill

Cape Girardeau schools are the last in the area to start the 2002-2003 year, partly due to construction of a new high school.

Regardless of when they head back to class, there are a few essentials that students need.

"I just buy paper and pencils," said Natalie Followell, 17, a senior at Central High School. "That's about all I use."

An art student, Followell said she will have to buy some specific supplies for her ceramics class, however. That list usually doesn't come until after school has started.

Monica Jordan's only required supply is an agenda book to organize her assignments. The 16-year-old Central student also says a good backpack is necessary, but not one that has wheels (those aren't cool).

Though electronic devices like laptops, palm pilots, cellular phones and pagers aren't allowed in the classroom, many area students wish that their supply list could include those gadgets -- they think it would simplify things.

Students can't really use any electronic gadgets in the classroom, except a calculator. "They don't let you use any anything that makes noise or could be a distraction," Jordan said.

And she probably wouldn't use it anyway. She sticks to the plain and simple. You won't even find gel pens among her list of supplies. "Those don't write very well," she said.

Jenny McClure would like to use some electronic equipment at school. She thinks that a laptop would be useful. But for now, her school supplies shopping list includes notebooks, pens and some folders. "I'll probably use last year's backpack," she said.

Mechanical pencils and pens --both blue and black ink -- are a must for Amanda Flesher, 16.

Matt Hellrich, 15, thinks CD players should be allowed; that would top his list for school supplies.

But he'll do his shopping for pens, notebooks and a couple of folders in the last remaining days of summer break.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126