By: Madeleine Johnson
With the first day of school just around the corner, parents and students are rushing to round up the back-to-school essentials.
For some, back-to-school shopping has become a tradition. Dara Valiant, of Jamesburg, has three school-age sons: Michael and Massimo will be attending Monroe Township High School as a sophomore and freshman, respectively, and 12-year-old Genare attends the Academy Learning Center, in Monroe.
"I think shopping for them is easier now. I pretty much know what they like and they don’t necessarily have to come with me," she said.
Ms. Valiant started shopping early so she could collect her sons’ basic academic tools.
"During the summer, I’ve been picking up things they might need," she said. "I know that once they go to school, they’ll come home with a new list."
Other parents will be experiencing their children’s transition from middle school to high school for the first time.
Cathleen Panconi, of Cranbury, will be watching her two daughters head back to school: Taylor will be a seventh-grader at Cranbury School while Jenna will be a freshman at Princeton High School. Bonnie Anacker, of Monroe, will be sending her triplets Kyle, Keri and Keith off to their first year at Monroe Township High School.
"I think I’m more nervous than they are," Ms. Anacker said with a laugh. "In previous years, we’ve gotten supply lists early on and we haven’t gotten one yet, so I said the other day ‘Let’s run to Staples and at least get paper and pens.’ Well, $200 later, they needed a wireless mouse for their laptops, a pencil sharpener for their rooms."
Ms. Anacker is relieved that her triplets understand that they have to be a little frugal.
"Since there are three of them, they’re usually like ‘Oh, we can share this,’" she said.
And what’s the biggest change when buying supplies for a high-schooler?
"This is the first year Jenna doesn’t need a lunch box," Ms. Panconi said.
Preparing her oldest daughter for high school is an emotional experience for Ms. Panconi, though she thinks it will make it easier for Taylor’s first day at PHS.
"It makes me a little nervous to know that Jenna’s not right around the corner," she said. "I think it will be easier to send Taylor off because Taylor is more independent and I’ll know what to expect by then."
But back-to-school preparation goes beyond bracing for changes and buying school supplies: It’s also about getting school-age children back into the school year’s routine.
Lisa Eldridge, of Jamesburg, is preparing her two boys fifth-grader James and second-grader Shawne, who both attend John F. Kennedy School for the upcoming school year.
"I’m just making sure we have all of our supplies, getting them back on a regular schedule and making sure their summer reading is done," Ms. Eldridge said.
While some boys might not be terribly interested in shopping for new school clothes, Ms. Eldridge knows that her sons have very distinctive tastes when it comes to their attire.
"With two boys, we did have to pay extra for the name-brand Tony Hawk sneakers. My youngest one is a fashion plate. He’ll scrutinize every outfit," she said.
Some parents have found that school shopping is easiest when the kids stay home.
"I go when they’re sleeping and I get everything," said Sonny Czarneski, of Jamesburg, who has three children: fifth-grader Lex, third-grader Paige and first-garder Kayla.
Buying school clothes is another story.
"We usually all go out together. It’s a little challenging, but I’d rather go out once than go out three different times," she said.
Since her children have been in the Jamesburg school system for a while, Ms. Czarneski has perfected the art of deciding what her kids need for school.
"You find out what works and what doesn’t. Because the desks are so small, you find out what fits. We had a lot of wasted stuff in the beginning for Lex," she said.
Many parents have become masters of the back-to-school scene, while others are just beginning.
Laura Kunukkasseril, of Cranbury, has two daughters, Kirin, who will be a kindergartner at Cranbury School, and Kallie, who will be attending preschool at Cranbury Presbyterian Nursery School.
"It’s exciting for Kirin because she’s never gone school shopping before," Ms. Kunukkasseril said.
After buying new clothes, a personalized knapsack and school supplies, Ms. Kunukkasseril and her daughter are preparing themselves for the rapidly approaching school year.
"It’s bittersweet. I think the hardest time for parents is to put their kids on that bus for the first time," she said. "She likes the idea that she’s going to be in the big kids’ school with kids who are older and she can look up to, but she’s not really thrilled that it’s not going to be playtime all the time anymore."

