Upper School students should choose either Option A or B.
Option A: Three-Ring Binders
1. Purchase two 1.5” binders. (Binders should have pockets.)
2. Select different colors.
3. Plan on two or three subjects per binder.
a. mathematics and science in one
b. social studies, English, and foreign language in the other
Option B: Spiral Notebooks and Folders
1. Buy one 5-subject spiral notebook OR five single subject spiral notebooks.
2. Buy one accordion folder OR five sturdy pocket folders.
3. If buying separate notebooks and folders, please be sure to choose five different colors.
4. Buy spiral notebooks with pages that are perforated and can tear out easily.
II. School Supplies
The following items should be purchased and brought to school on the first day.
1. Three-holed, lined paper
2. Pencils, pens, a highlighter, and erasers
3. Slim, three-hole paper punch
4. Post-It notes in varying sizes
5. Index cards (4” x 6”)
6. Pencil/Pen case
7. Small package of colored pencils
8. Small package of colored magic markers (thin)
9. Calculator (see math sectioning letter for the recommended model)
(*A dated assignment notebook will be distributed to all students at school.)
III. Organization at Home-including a Home Filing System
It is our expectation that Upper School students will, with guidance from their parents, create a quiet work space at home and establish a home filing system. All students should be easily able to organize past work and retrieve it for studying. This is especially true for students in Grades VII-IX who take cumulative final examinations in June.
There are many ways to set up a home filing system (i.e. filing cabinets, milk crates with hanging files); each student needs to decide what will work best for him or her.
Preparing for Success!
1. Post a blank wall calendar at home, and record any important events, dates, or deadlines which you already know. (During the school year, you will be able to access the Upper School Test and Project calendar using Park’s website to check on due dates.)
2. Create your home file (which can be reused each year)
a. Designate five sections, one for each academic subject
b. Subdivide each academic section into three parts:
Homework
Notes/Handouts
Quizzes/Tests
c. As the school year progresses, transfer past work to your home file. Periodically, advisors and teachers will help students check and clean out the contents of their school notebooks and folders.
IV. Backpacks
We strongly urge parents and caregivers to monitor the weight of their children’s backpacks as they depart for school each morning. Students prefer to carry heavy backpacks rather than leaving something important behind; the faculty prefers that students protect their spines and learn to organize themselves! It is neither necessary nor safe to walk around school with a fully loaded backpack; furthermore, students are not required to carry all of their notebooks and textbooks back and forth between home and school each day.
We ask that parents purchase a medium-sized backpack with wide shoulder straps for back support, appropriate in weight capacity and size for their child. Each student’s name/initials should be visible on the outside of his/her backpack.
