Schools
Your Guide to Back-to-School Shopping for Supplies and Clothes
Here is a helpful list of school supplies that appear on most 'must-have' lists for local schools, plus local stores with sales on supplies and clothes.
It may be hard to believe, but the first day of school is just around the corner—already!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed thinking about all the back-to-school shopping you need to do, then just breathe easy—Patch is here to help.
Here is a handy checklist of school supplies that most commonly appear on local schools’ lists for the new year. Following that, you’ll find a list of local stores that carry many of the supplies on the list, including which ones are holding great back-to-school sales so you can find the best deals on what you’re looking for.
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You’ll also find tips on local shops that are carrying great deals on back-to-school clothes.
Happy shopping!
Find out what's happening in Milpitaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
What School Supplies Does My Child Need this Year?
Here is a handy checklist of the items most commonly listed on local schools’ supply lists by teachers in each grade for this year:
- Sharpened pencils, or mechanical pencils with plenty of extra lead refills
- Large erasers
- Red pens for correcting homework or in-class assignments
- Colored pencils
- Highlighters
- Binders with subject dividers
- Glue stick
- Ruler
- Protractor
- Calculator – check to see if you need just a basic calculator, or a scientific calculator
- Mini stapler
- Mini tape dispenser
- Post-it notes
- Plenty of binder paper and graphing paper
- A thumb drive that can hold at least 1GB of material
Where to Shop for the Best Deals on These School Supplies
Stores nearby at 2155 Morrill Ave. in San Jose and North First Street and SR-237 in San Jose.
- 4GB thumb drives: $7.99-12.99
- Children’s jeans, sizes 4-16: $16
- Crewneck and v-neck t-shirts: $7.99
- Scientific calculators by Texas Instruments: $9.39-124.99
- Notebooks: $2-4
- Dictionaries and thesauruses: $2-5
- Backpacks: $29.99-39.99
- Insulated lunch bags: $4.99-13.99
- 10-pack of Papermate pens: $1
- Crayola washable markers: 8 for $1.99
- Protractors and rulers: under $1
At McCarthy Ranch Shopping Center in Milpitas
- Scientific calculators by Texas Instruments: $8.50-80
- Binders: $2.50-4
- Mini staplers: under $1
- Pack of 8 Sharpies: $4
- Children’s athletic shoes: $11-16
- Children’s separates (shorts, pants, tops): $3-10
Where Are Good Places to Shop for Back-to-School Clothes?
If you want to get the most shopping done, all in one location, is a great destination that features several children’s clothing stores. Here are just three that are holding big back-to-school sales currently.
Susan Lee, who has one daughter and another on the way, says she loves stocking up on basics at Gymboree whenever she is at the mall. Her daughter will be starting preschool in just a few weeks.
“I’m just looking for any good deals, basically,” she said. “I like to come to Gymboree for the basics, like playclothes, leggings, and anything in cotton that she can move around in.”
Though it may be hard to wrap your brain around shopping for warm jackets or rain clothes with the sunny temperatures we’re still having these days, Gymboree employee Melissa Herandez said, “Parents have already been shopping for things like coats, rain jackets, boots and umbrellas, for the past month.”
Nearly the entire store is currently on sale for 25 percent off, for back-to-school shopping. T-shirts are $5.99-12.99, jeans are $19.99, and all rain supplies like jackets, umbrellas and boots are also 25 percent off.
Hernandez says the store is also in the middle of its “Super Accessories Sale,” featuring five pairs of socks for $10, four pairs of underwear for $15, and three pairs of girls’ basic tights for $15. All hair accessories like barrettes and hair bows are on sale as well.
If you have a child entering preschool through the second grade, Carrter’s may be the best place for you to hit to nab deals on your back-to-school clothing shopping.
Currently, Carter’s is advertising a 50-percent-off sale on all back-to-school clothing fashions, for newborns through size 7. For boys, t-shirts and long-sleeve, rugby-style shirts are 50 percent off, bringing them down to $9-14 each. For girls, tunics, leggings and graphic tees are 25-50 percent off, bringing them down to $9-18 each.
Plus, Carter’s is a great place to “complete the look,” and grab matching jackets, socks, hair accessories, shoes and even sunglasses and keychains for any outfit.
is also home to several other stores with clothes for children, like The Children's Place, Sprocket's, Osh Kosh B'Gosh, Gap, Old Navy and more.
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