School starts Monday, August 25 for most Topsail-area students on the traditional calendar.
As weekend traffic continues to slow US-17 and back up the island bridges, local parents are shifting focus to school prep. To help, our Topsail Guide team pulled together supply lists from each area school – hoping to save you time, reduce extra trips, and helping make the most of what’s left of summer.
Prefer online shopping? We’ve linked hard-to-find items that tend to disappear fast. And with so many local dollar stores, we’ve also added tips for stretching your back-to-school budget.
Quick Links
Essentials for All Students
Before we get into school and grade specific lists, there are a few universal supplies every student will need — no matter which area school they attend. Here’s a quick roundup of the most commonly requested items from teachers across the region.
- Wired headphones / earbuds (Amazon)
- 2 × 24-pack pre-sharpened Ticonderoga pencils (Amazon)
- 8–12 Elmer glue sticks (Amazon)
- Fiskars Kid-safe scissors (Amazon)
- 12-pack colored pencils (Amazon)
- Pack of black dry-erase markers (Amazon)
- Box of tissues
- Container of disinfecting wipes
- Spill-proof water bottle (Owalla, Hydroflask, etc.)
- Fabric zipper pencil pouch (Amazon)
Tips:
- Surf City Walmart restocks Crayolas, loose-leaf ruled paper, and assorted supplies beginning in mid-July. Use their app to check in-store stock before approaching the area with weekend traffic continuing through Labor Day.
- While we’re still not sure why so many wipes are needed, they can get expensive. Shop the seemingly endless string of local dollar stores to load up and still beat big-box prices on wipes, tissues, etc.
North Topsail Elementary • K–5
Kindergarten
- Headphones, large fabric pouch, water bottle, Fiskars scissors
- 4 × 24-ct crayons, colored-pencil 12-pk, Crayola markers
- 4 × Ticonderoga 12-pk pencils, 12 glue sticks
- 2 primary journals, fine-tip dry-erase markers
- Tissues × 2, disinfecting wipes × 2, baby wipes × 2, paper towel roll, gallon Zip-locks
- Labeled change of clothes for the cubby
1st Grade
- Backpack & wired headphones
- 4 × 24-ct crayons, Crayola markers, colored pencils × 2
- 8 glue sticks, kid scissors, zipper pouch
- 2 × Ticonderoga packs, cap & pink erasers, dry-erase markers
- Tissues × 2, baby wipes × 2
2nd Grade
- Headphones, spill-proof bottle, plastic pencil box, 2-pocket folders × 2, composition book
- 2 × 24-ct crayons, Crayola markers, colored pencils × 2, Fiskars scissors
- 2 × Ticonderoga packs, 12 glue sticks, sticky notes
- Thin & thick dry-erase markers, highlighters
- Tissues × 3, hand sanitizer, baby wipes × 2
3rd Grade
- Headphones, pencil pouch, 2-pocket folder, one-subject notebook
- Colored pencils × 2, Ticonderoga × 2, markers & crayons, scissors
- Tissues × 2, disinfecting wipes × 2, thin black dry-erase markers × 4
- Highlighters, paper towel roll, hand soap
4th Grade
- 10-pack thin black dry-erase markers
- 4 × Ticonderoga packs, pencil box, colored pencils
- Math spiral, 2 ELA composition books, 2 pocket folders
- Fiskars scissors, wired headphones, lined paper
- Tissues × 2, wipes paper towel roll
5th Grade
- 12-inch binder + dividers, 8 packs notebook paper
- 6 × Ticonderoga packs, 24-ct crayons, pencil box
- Black dry-erase markers, wired headphones
- 2 three-ring folders, Crayola markers
- Tissues × 2, disinfecting wipes, paper towel roll
- Sticky-note 4-pack, 3 × 5 index cards × 2, personal sharpener
Topsail Annandale Elementary • K–4
Kindergarten
- Child-safe headphones, backpack (no wheels), oversized art T-shirt
- Children’s scissors, hard plastic pencil box
- 6-pack glue sticks, 4 × 24-ct crayons, sticky notes
- 2 boxes tissues; girls → baby wipes │ boys → clear hand soap
1st Grade
- Bookbag, wired headphones, hard pencil box
- Colored pencils, 2 × 24-ct crayons, glue sticks, kid scissors
- Sharpened Ticonderoga pack, thin black Expo markers
- 2 boxes tissues, 2 disinfecting-wipe canisters
- Paper towel roll, primary writing journal, baby wipes, quart Zip-locks, orange folder
2nd Grade
- Quality headphones × 2, zippered pouch (no hard case)
- Blue & red poly folders (prongs), 2 composition books
- Crayola markers, 2 × Crayola crayons, bottle glue
- Fine-tip black Expo markers, erasers, 2 × 30-pack sharpened Ticonderoga
- Scissors, tissues × 2, Clorox wipes, paper towels × 2, band-aids, gallon & quart Zip-locks
3rd Grade
- Pencil pouch (no hard box), ‘big-kid’ scissors, sturdy headphones
- Green 2-pocket folder, colored pencils
- 18 fine-tip black Expo markers, 3 pre-sharpened Ticonderoga packs
- Fine-tip highlighters, tissues × 2, Clorox wipes, paper towel
- Last-name A–M → sandwich Zip-locks │ N–Z → gallon Zip-locks
4th Grade
- Headphones, pencil pouch, colored pencils & highlighter
- Cap erasers, kid scissors, 8 glue sticks
- 4 fine-tip black Expo, 6 composition books, hand-held sharpener
- 2 × Ticonderoga packs, tissues, Clorox wipes × 2, paper towel
- Girls → quart Zip-locks │ boys → gallon Zip-locks
Adaptive Program
- Headphones, crayons, Fiskars scissors, glue sticks, watercolor paints
- Fine-tip Expo markers, large Zip-lock with change of clothes
- Tissues × 2, baby wipes, disinfecting wipes
South Topsail Elementary & Surf City Elementary
District lists have not posted yet. Historically they mirror North Topsail grade-for-grade, with minor tweaks announced at the Aug 22 open houses. Grab from the “Essentials” and you’ll be 90% covered.
Topsail Middle School • Grades 5–8
5th Grade
- 2 composition + 2 spiral notebooks, 2″ view binder + dividers
- Wide-ruled paper, 2 packs Ticonderoga pencils, colored pencils
- Fine-tip Expo markers, handheld sharpener, pencil pouch, wired headphones
- Scissors, glue sticks, highlighters
- Classroom: tissues, wipes, paper towels, Band-Aids, Zip-locks, sticky notes
6th Grade
- Pencil pouch fully stocked (pencils, colored pencils/markers, glue, scissors, sharpener)
- 1½″ binder (ELA) + dividers; composition books for Science & Social Studies
- Spiral notebook / 1″ binder (Math), skinny dry-erase markers, highlighters
- Earbuds, extra pencils to homeroom
- Classroom: tissues, cleaning wipes, paper towels, spare glue sticks & colored pencils
7th Grade
- College-ruled paper, 30-pack pencils, wired earbuds, index cards
- Pencil pouch, scissors, colored pencils, glue sticks, cap erasers, sharpener
- 5 composition books, two 1″ binders, 4 binder tabs, black Expo markers, highlighter
- Classroom: paper towels, wipes, tissues, allergy-free candy
8th Grade
- Backpack, reusable water bottle, daily peanut-free snack
- Choose one 2–3″ binder or three 1″ binders (ELA, SS, Sci)
- Science notebook, loose-leaf, sharpened pencils, wired earbuds
- Pencil pouch stocked with colored pencils, 5-color highlighters, pens, scissors, glue, tape
- Classroom: Clorox wipes, 2 paper towels, 2 boxes tissues, extra pencils, AAA batteries, dry-erase markers
Surf City Middle School • Grade 6
- 5 composition notebooks, 1″ binder, 5 pocket folders
- Large zipper pouch, lined paper × 2, 10 glue sticks, 2 packs pencils, cap erasers
- Colored pencils, handheld sharpener, scissors, highlighters, skinny dry-erase markers
- Earbuds, tissues, sanitizing wipes, gallon Zip-locks, water bottle, bag of individually wrapped candy
- Teacher wish-list: extra wipes & sanitizer, paper towels, dry-erase markers, copy paper
Encore / Electives (Art, Band, Drama, etc.)
- Art: daily pencil, glue stick, colored pencils & markers, handheld sharpener, scissors, poster board. Bonus donations: watercolors, drawing pencils, brushes, Clorox wipes.
- Band: instrument (or rental), folder, reeds / valve oil, Essential Elements Book 1, tissues.
- Drama: pencil, composition notebook, 2-pocket folder, duct tape (black/white/gray), glue sticks, basic paint & brushes.
- PE: sneakers, change-of-clothes, water bottle.
Topsail High School
No official list yet. Based on our own high schoolers’ experiences – we think you’ll need:
- Either one 2–3″ binder for everything or a 1″ binder per core class
- College-ruled paper & composition books
- Wired earbuds/headphones (Chromebook-friendly)
- Graphing or scientific calculator for Math II & higher
Electives (CTE, Art, AP, etc.) hand out their own add-ons the first week.
