Back to School Supplies

It's too bad laptops don't box lunch.

For back to school this fall, backpacks and loose-leaf binders have taken a backseat to iPads, flash-drives, blinged-out headphones, digital cameras and laptops.

And cell phones are the number one conversation piece – from the iPhone 4.0 to the Blackberry Curve. Having a Jets-engraved phone case is way cooler than a Jets-engraved lunchbox. To see the latest models, stop in at Verizon Wireless, which is offering back-to-school deals (less than $20, plus data package) on the BlackBerry Curve, Samsung Reality and LG Cosmos.

Still, most students – especially in today's economic recession – can only dream of one day having hi-tech instruments that replace their school supplies.

So for the required necessities of days of yore, head to stores like Rite Aid, King Kullen and Stop & Shop. There, you'll find the standard composition notebooks  (two for $2 at Rite Aid) and spiral notebooks (one-subjects, 4 for $2, also at Rite Aid).

For last-minute needs, you can also shop at Beacon Pharmacy at 103 Main Street in Port Washington, where everything is deeply discounted.

A neat and innovative item was just released by Pentel of America called the Jolt mechanical pencil, which features "sliding sleeve technology that distributes the lead with two simple shakes of the pencil. "Shaking the lead out is a creative addition to mechanical pencils, and as we've recently discovered, an excellent way to avoid the pencil sharpener," noted Mindy Dollberg, marketing manager for Pentel of America.

It's also a good remedy for the standard pencil, which tends to collect germs after heavy use.

"Not only does it prevent children from exposure to the classroom's worst germs, but the refillable capability of mechanical pencils is environmentally friendly," according to Dollberg.

And although it may not be a material item, a major must-have for students these days is home wireless. A survey released by Cisco's Consumer Products revealed that 89 percent of teens (ages 12-17) said they'd find it easier to complete their schoolwork with a wireless router or Internet access at home.

"For today's student to succeed, education must go beyond the traditional classroom and provide a 24/7 learning environment," stated Moustafa Mourad, interim president of One Economy, a global nonprofit that delivers the power of technology and information to low income people.

In order to monitor children, Cisco launched Valet, a line of wireless routers (worth only about $100) that give parents complete control over their teen's Internet access through Cisco Connect software.

Before setting out on your shopping spree, take a quick inventory of items you currently have. There is a good chance that you are already well-stocked with pencils, crayons, Post-Its and more.

And you'll provide your children lessons in cost-savings they may not otherwise get in school.