My daughter starts Prep soon. The school’s supply list has been sitting in her bag for weeks. I finally pulled it out, took a photo of it, put it back in the bag. Didn’t touch it. Went shopping instead. ALDI’s Back to School sale was on. Juice on the Go bottles, $3.99 each. Everywhere else they’re $10+. Buy a big bottle of juice, pour it into these, done. Not buying them would’ve been the dumb move.
Also got the CoolPod yoghurt pouches, pink and purple. Throw them in the freezer, by lunchtime they’re still cold. Doubles as an ice pack. Half the parents there were grabbing the ALDI school shoes. I didn’t. No idea if they’re any good. Watching and waiting on that one.
Honestly, most of what went in the trolley was stuff I decided I needed. Still haven’t figured out the actual lunchbox. The shopping trip was more about feeling like I was doing something.
The Book Pack
School sends an email before Term 4, a link to click through to their book pack supplier — EDSCO for us. Pick up in store or get it delivered. Another mum told me you can take the same list to Officeworks instead. True, and cheaper. Except Targeting Handwriting, which goes out of stock constantly, and the school’s specific crayon brand. Kept those two with EDSCO.
Didn’t need to label every pencil, glue stick, eraser with her name. In public school, Prep, it’s all shared. Teacher and the aides divide it up between the class. Whatever’s left at the end of the year gets split between the kids to take home. Own stuff, own space — that starts Year 1.
Bought the Targeting Writing Prep workbook myself, school didn’t ask for it. Queensland font. Teaches pencil grip, posture, stroke order — clockwise, anticlockwise — upper and lowercase. Curriculum doesn’t actually require writing on the red-and-blue lines, just on the line itself. No need to be a tiger mum about it. Liked that each letter comes with its sound — h for house, c for cat. Good for letter-sound awareness before she starts.
Shoes and Uniform
School doesn’t specify a shoe style, just black. Get velcro, not laces. Teacher’s got a whole class to get through every morning — laces slow it right down. Bought two sets of uniform, formal and sports. Wash often instead of buying more. A mum warned me things go missing in Prep. Constantly.
The Day One Checklist
Once the shopping was done:
- School bag, hat, uniform — logo versions from the official uniform shop; non-logo basics from Kmart, Target or Big W are fine if the colours match
- Black shoes, white socks, black or white leggings
- Hair accessories in uniform colours — forgot these on day one, she looked out of place. Kmart’s Back to School range has them in every colour
- Stationery — school mostly covers this
- Separate list from the school for personal items: headphones, disinfectant wipes, apron, spare clothes — all stays at school
- Lunchbox, snack box, lunch bag, water bottle
- Library bag
- Two boxes of tissues, shared with the class
- Paint smock — forgot this one, didn’t have it day one
Name on everything. Everything.
What Went Wrong
Ran late on day one. Didn’t know where to park, wasted time looking. A bit embarrassing walking in after things had started.
Lunch — should’ve packed something quick to grab and eat fast. She came home and said she didn’t finish, ran out of time, didn’t pace herself.
We were at a private childcare centre before this, no packed lunch required. Public primary, you pack lunch, every day. No way around it.
Not the list that mattered most, in the end. It was: can she carry her own bag, keep track of her own things, get her own cutlery before eating, dress and put her own shoes on, sit and hold a pencil properly, wipe herself after the toilet. None of that’s on any supply list.