Cell Phones, Tennis Balls, Positive Attitude Top School Supply List

Tennis balls, stickers, cell phones and the right attitude top the back to school shopping lists of many Westfield students this year.

As students flocked back to school last Thursday, what was in their backpacks varied based on grade level and age. While stickers were in for one year, cell phones were the must have in another.

Intermediate school students wanted to keep in touch with their friends, checking in regularly as the day progressed. This group reported a new cell phone – with the latest apps – at the top of their list.

"Cell phones for texting... most kids have cell phones," said Adrian Lam, a sixth grader at Roosevelt.

While Lam can't wait to text with his friends on his latest phone, his older sister was a bit more practical in what she needs for the first day of school. Cynthia Lam, a senior at Westfield High School, said she has made a couple of runs to Staples for pens, paper and other supplies. She also said she tries to recycle supplies from year to year.

But Cynthia Lam said one thing tops her list most of all and it's not for sale at Staples.

"But the most important thing of all - and please excuse me for being cheesy, but I think this is totally true - is a positive attitude," she said. "Everyone needs that to succeed! A good attitude means everything, especially going into senior year, where I'll be bogged down with piles of homework and college applications and will be needing every ounce of optimism I can get."

That's not to say Cynthia Lam doesn't also have her eye on something fun like her brother.

"I've been trying to convince my parents to get me a laptop, but that probably won't be happening anytime soon," she said.

Lam's practical nature of back to school shopping is shared by Matthew Gates, a high school sophomore. Gates said his back to school wish list included Pilot G2 pens, because the ink doesn't run and mechanical pencils.

At the elementary school level, the list of supplies varied, with students saying the more unusual topped their personal wish list or what the school was forcing on them. Nathan Lam, a third grader at Franklin, was on the hunt for "smelly stickers" to trade with his friends, while Maddie Katz, a fellow third grader at Franklin, had her parents hunting down eight tennis balls that she could use at noise mufflers at the bottom of her chair.

Of course, Katz' request, which was first passed down from school officials, caused some work for her father, Ross. Someone had to put two-inch silts in the tennis balls so they'd fit on the chair the first day of school.

"I managed to cut the balls without severing any fingers," Ross Katz said.