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High School Checklist

4.8/5 with 213 votes
Table of Contents

Introduction

Our High School Checklist is designed to help students and parents navigate the essential items needed for a successful school year. From school supplies and uniforms to medical requirements and extracurricular activities, this thorough checklist covers all aspects of high school preparation. Click Save to customize your list using our Checklist App, allowing you to sync tasks across devices and collaborate easily with family members to ensure nothing is overlooked. Stay organized and make the most out of your school experience.
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Toggle School supplies status

School supplies

Toggle Basics status

Basics

You know you will need paper and pencils, binders, folders, a ruler, and a calculator (if your school allows them). Your school should let you know how much of each item to buy.
Toggle Specialty items status

Specialty items

Different teachers will require specific sizes of binders; and map pencils, a compass, and other such supplies will be needed for different classes.
Toggle Backpack status

Backpack

Spend the money to get a good one - wear and tear will take its toll, and buying quality means not having to replace it before the year's end.
Toggle Clothes status

Clothes

If your school requires uniforms, buy early and have a tailor custom fit them to your child. Find out what regulations apply for hair length, jewelry, and footwear. Don't forget clothes for PE.
Toggle Medical status

Medical

Toggle Shots status

Shots

Most schools demand a record of all shots be submitted, or else a signed affidavit attesting to a religious conviction exempting the child because of their parents' beliefs.
Toggle Physicals status

Physicals

A physical is required for most children entering high school - a special physical may be needed for athletes competing in various sports.
Toggle Prescriptions status

Prescriptions

Any medication your child is on that must be administered during school hours must be submitted to the school nurse along with permission to administer and instructions for dosing.
Toggle Medical conditions status

Medical conditions

Any disability, medical condition or allergies should be made known to school officials. If severe conditions exist, a medical bracelet is a good idea.
Toggle Extra expenses status

Extra expenses

Toggle Uniforms status

Uniforms

This applies to students on sports teams, in the band or on the cheer squad.
Toggle Gear, etc status

Gear, etc

Sports players need equipment, band members need instruments, cheerleaders need pompoms.
Toggle PTA, etc status

PTA, etc

Parents are expected to contribute in some way, monetarily or with service.
Toggle Books status

Books

In some districts, textbooks must be purchased.
Toggle Lab fees status

Lab fees

Many high schools have fees for the science lab.
Toggle Special occasions status

Special occasions

Toggle Field trips status

Field trips

Fees for these may be steep, especially for overnight trips. Plan ahead.
Toggle Pictures status

Pictures

Even if you don't buy the whole package, school portraits are nice to have to chronologically track your child through their school years.
Toggle Yearbook status

Yearbook

This is an important commemorative item.
Toggle School dances status

School dances

Be prepared to shell out for dresses and mums, tuxes and corsages - maybe even a limo.
Toggle Fundraisers status

Fundraisers

Every school has them - the necessary evil.
Toggle When school starts status

When school starts

Toggle Meet and greet status

Meet and greet

Make a point of getting to know the principal, vice principal, secretary, school nurse, counselor, and all of the teachers.
Toggle Extracurricular status

Extracurricular

Find out what extra programs are offered to further socialize your child.
Toggle Homework status

Homework

Set strict rules for getting homework done from week one.
Toggle Rules and regulations status

Rules and regulations

Go over the school policy handbook and make sure your child understands what is expected of them, both academically and personally - and consequences for bad behavior.

Download or Print this High School Checklist

Get a printable version of this checklist in your preferred format: PDF, Word, Excel, or print directly from your browser.

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Presented by:

Kimberly French

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Details

If you have a teen entering high school, get ready for a rocky ride! Onset of puberty, peer pressure, stress over continual tests and preparation for college can make everyone in the family a little nuts. Teens have to try and remember everything from classroom locations to schedules to locker combinations, while parents try to make sure that their kid has everything he or she needs. There's not just all the supplies you have to get ahead of time, and the new wardrobe that is sure to be mandatory. There are medical considerations, loads of paperwork, appointments to be made and arrangements for transport, lunches and all the other million and one things so the year gets off to a good start. The following checklist won't cover every single minute detail that may come up, but it can help teens and parents ready themselves for the move to high school and the preparation for adult life.

Tips

Don't forget all the stuff that will pop up midyear - expenses, extra after class activities that must be crammed into the week, and always more money needed for all types of things that somehow get overlooked until the last minute. Planning ahead can ease the shock of transitioning to high school for child and parent alike, and make the entire school year easier on everyone. Some things will be predetermined by the school - what supplies are needed, for instance, and whether or not uniforms are mandatory. You'll also need to find out the school's policy on individuality, and make sure your teen is compliant. This is also the time you need to be paying the most attention, as pressure to engage in behavior that might not be in their best interest. Make sure you schedule time to spend one on one even though their lives are diverging quickly away from your own!

Who it's for

This High School Checklist is for anyone who wants a simple, practical way to get things done without missing steps.

  • Avoid forgetting - keep all your High School essentials in one place (external memory)
  • Save time - start from a proven High School structure instead of a blank page
  • Stay on track - track progress, come back later, and keep momentum
  • Coordinate with others - share the list and divide responsibilities
  • Learn the process - follow the steps in a sensible order, even if it's your first time

How to use it

How to use this High School Checklist

  • Save High School Checklist to your free Checklist account so your progress is saved and synced across devices.
  • Customize it in the app: remove anything that does not apply, then add your own details for High School (dates, sizes, addresses, notes).
  • If others are involved, invite them to collaborate and divide responsibilities.
  • Work through the list: check items off as you go, and set reminders for time-sensitive steps.

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Scores 4.80 with 213 votes

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