Since my daughter is a teacher of 5th grade, she does the Back to School specials and I go with her. She buys the composition books, the spiral note books, erasers, pens, pencils, high lighters, white board markers, crayons, regular markers, and glue for all her students. Then asks for a $7.00 per student donation. The parents love it - most say they easily spend 2 to 3 times that when they but them - this way all the students start out with everything they need. The school does supply the lined paper - but little else. I go along because I have always loved back to school shopping - I even miss the back to school clothes shopping.