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Back To School Means Busy Shopping Days
By Jo Ann La Russo
September 5 will signal a day when beaches are deserted, vacationers have packed up and gone home and boardwalk stands are empty.
That's the day school is in.
In anticipation, area stores are busy with back to school sales for shoppers. Aisles are crowded with parents and children deciding on clothes and stationary supplies for the new school year. The first day of school will bring together students whose accessories are as important to them as what they intend to study.
A Spiderman backpack brought a smile to the face of 5-year-old Christian, of Toms River, and his mom, Angela, at Kmart on Route 37. For Donna Meader of Toms River, with 7-year-old Sarah, it was a pair of pink and white sneakers.
Lori Sibilia, of Beachwood, and her 13-yearold son, Aldi, who will enter seventh grade at Toms River Intermediate South, said thankfully their shopping was finished.
"We thought the weather might be cool for the first day," said Regina Perez, of Toms River, while her 6-year-old twins, Abigail and Gianna, danced playfully around racks. The girls, who were checking out matching pink tops, said that they are eager to enter first grade sessions at Hooper Avenue Elementary School.
"We're going to school," they announced happily.
Ejay, who was stationed by the store's front entrance, said that the store was busy throughout the day with a steady stream of customers buying school supplies. Colored pencils and pens, notebooks and binders, glue and pencil boxes were moving fast, he said. Binders decorated with flowers, puppies and kittens were on display. Glitter pink spiral notebooks beckoned.
Nine-year-old Nicole, who was shopping with her family at the Toms River WalMart Store, maneuvered through the aisles to keep up with her brothers and sisters, their cart piled high with items.
Vincenza Servitella of Toms River chose large packages of everything with her kids, Jenna, 12, will enter seventh grade at Intermediate East, and son, Frank, 10, a fifth grader at Cedar Grove Elementary. Jenna was checking items from the school list. "It's not too bad," said her mom.
"Pens and more pens," is what consumers are buying, said Staples sales associate Kathy. "You'd think that these kids never had a pen," she laughed.
Popular big tag items for college bound students are lap top computers, "and locks for them," she said. "Printers are selling well," she said, "and ink. Lots and lots of ink."
Teachers have kept the copy area in the Staples store busy, reported Jen, who assisted them with their choices. "Teachers are laminating schoolroom decorations," she said, "with holiday and event type sayings."
Electronic items were going quickly, said Joe, sales associate at Wal-Mart.
"People are buying lot of calculators," he said, and dorm size TV's and DVD combo's."
Schools in Dover Township are ready for the students. Classrooms have been aired out and cleaned up, and been made ready for a new school year.
When that school bell rings, next week, the students in Dover Township will be ready to make their way to prepare for their future, and they will begin that process for another year with the school supplies that they love.
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