[doydie]

My oldest grand daughter starts middle school this week Things sure are different than when my girls were there. The lockers are those half lockers, you no the ones where you wonder where they are going to have any room after the back pack and coat gets in there. I know they decorate the doors but kids put carpeting and a chandelier in now! This chandelier is magnetic, battery powered with LED lights. She has an aunt that loves to provide all those things her parent doesn't have money to do it. So she bought all the cute things like magnetic photo frames and mirror. But so far she hasn't convinced any one that she needs the carpet and chandelier.

[karousel]

It's amazing to see what the girls put in their lockers! The first year of middle school my DD put up the wallpaper look. She found that taking everything back out of her locker at the end of the year was too much work! So last year she didn't put anything in her locker except for the shelves, mirror, white board, picture of her pet. This year she did buy a stuffed bear with her school logo on the shirt. So it looks like she'll have a locker pet. I saw those chandeliers in the store and had to laugh. They were pretty cool though. What I found amazing was how darn small those lockers are. After they put in their backpack and coat there's no room to pull out their books!

[aussiemom]

They don't use books any more. It's all computers and iPads. I drove school bus for way too many years, the last few I never could get over the kids didn't carry real books. Not even for pleasure reading.

[doydie]

Originally Posted by aussiemom

They don't use books any more. It's all computers and iPads. I drove school bus for way too many years, the last few I never could get over the kids didn't carry real books. Not even for pleasure reading.

In my grand daughters small Kentucky county there is no money for I pads or net books. Where I live in southern Indiana all middle school kids are funrished with an I pad and high schoolers have a net book. I don't know what the rental fee is and I'm sure not all homes have internet so I'm not sure how they get around that. I'm with you though. i wish they all had to carry those books. It made them appreciate learning. Of course that was the main reason my youngest didn't bring books home, she hated to carry all of them home. So she just didn't do her home work!

[Dejibo]

I remember seeing my child go off with so many books I feared for his spinal health. I got him a rolling suitcase and they made fun of him. I found a back pack meant to haul a big laptop and it had a handle and roller skate wheels. That made it easier on his back and his pride. Funny, those kids that made fun of him must have said something in front of their moms because a month later most of them had either a rolling suitcase or a rolling backpack. He could easily attach it to the bar on his bike and zip home. We weighed that thing once and it was 36 pounds of books on his back! Thats insane!

I am glad they are going to Ipads. Those homes that dont have internet will have to send their kids to the library or even McDonalds has free WiFi nowadays. Many coffee style stores offer it too. My nephew has dial up at home, and that is as good as its going to get. They cant afford that, but are stretching because they live so far in the boonies, and the library is next to the tatoo parlor and the pool hall. They dont want to leave a 16 y/o who looks 20 alone there. he will come home with a tatoo and some pool cue marks.

[Jules A]

Lol, I love this! I was thinking deodorant, tampons, maybe makeup.

Can she earn some money by doing extra chores etc.? This sounds fun. I would probably get her whatever you can afford or someone in the family is willing to provide even if it seems pointless.

[jprinz99]

mine was full of sweaty gym clothing, winter boots, coat and books...(and the odd nasty lunchbag I forgot)

[karousel]

Originally Posted by aussiemom

They don't use books any more. It's all computers and iPads. I drove school bus for way too many years, the last few I never could get over the kids didn't carry real books. Not even for pleasure reading.

My DD rarely brings an actual book home. If she needs a book for a class, she can find it online or they give them a book to keep at home. No ipads in her school (yet). All her math homework is handed in via computer. She brings her Kindle to school for book reading and it cracks me up because if she finishes a book at school she can just use the wi-fi to download a new book.

What really makes me laugh is that they still use paper agendas. IMO they should be using a palm pliot (still around?) or some other electronic form for their agenda.

[aussiemom]

All of the 115 schools in my county have computer labs at least. One high school got a grant from somewhere, all the kids, about 1,500, received Kindles. No fees. There are restrictions of course, and are school property an must be treated as such.

Not to make you feel badly, but the B of E isn't looking or trying very hard to keep those kids current.