Given the fact that I have known since I was twelve that I would become a French teacher, it is no surprise that I love school and pretty much everything about school. (I'll give you one guess what I like the least.) On the top of my list of things I love about Back to School season, aside from a regular pay cheque, is shopping for school supplies. Even if it's something I don't really need, I can't help but pick up a fresh pack of markers or a new set of pens. One of my favourite brand of colours is Crayola. They have become a yearly must-have not just for my kids but for me as a teacher. I love colouring and providing examples of art work for my students so a personal set of Crayola colours always comes in handy. This year, Target sent us a lovely selection of school supplies that included the Crayola colours and scissors as seen above, just in time for Back to School!

Also included in our Back to School package were several highlighters, markers, erasers, rulers and 2-pocket portfolios by Up&Up brand. Look at all the pretty colours!

Dictionaries, craft glue, and Hilroy school essentials, Target seems to carry it all. Even Marvel branded pencils - only $1 for a 4-pack! And if it's savings you enjoy, their current flyer shows 50% off select school supplies. 

If you're looking for new fashion items for the kids, Target has all that and more. Not only did they send over a pair of new jeans for my son and a pretty dress for my daughter, they totally made my son's day by sending over a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hoodie. Cowabunga, dude!

Over the next week, many of my colleagues will be heading back to school to get ready for another academic year. They will be busy making long range plans, decorating bulletin boards and organizing classroom supplies. Each year, the aim is to provide a welcoming environment for students that is cozy yet conducive to learning and collaborating with their peers. One of the key ingredients in doing so is organization. Students must be able to find what they need and have easy access to these supplies. This September, Hilroy brings you a variety of classroom organization supplies to help create additional storage space and keep everything in its place, just like the Activity Hives trio featured above.

Hilroy's Activity Hives come in a 3-pack that can be used separately or linked together. They each have an overhang that clips onto other hives, allowing you to be creative by linking them in a honeycomb formation or in a straight line. They have ample room to store several pencil crayons, markers, scissors, glue and much more. Each pack comes with a teal, blue and purple container that match Hilroy's collection of classroom organization supplies, such as their Class Supplies Wall Storage.

Running out of table top space to store everyday supplies? Hang them on the wall using this handy wall storage solution. Apply some Command damage-free hanging hooks to the wall or use heavy-duty magnet hooks on your blackboard or whiteboard. The class supplies wall storage has nine gusseted see-through mesh pockets so students can easily see where to return supplies. It also has heavy-duty grommets and durable fabric which means you can use it year after year.

You can easily customize it with labels using half an index card. I chose to design my own classroom supplies labels in French and printed them on cover stock. I have uploaded the file I created should you wish to print off a set or edit the labels. Just click on the thumbnail below to access the file via Google Drive.

Looking for additional storage solutions? Hilroy has a set of supply pouches in mesh that all you to see the contents. My daughter is planning on using the large supply pouch since it will lie conveniently flat inside her desk. I plan on using the small supply pouch for my whiteboard markers.

For more classroom organization supplies from Hilroy, head to your nearest Walmart or Target and check out their Classroom Wall Pockets with five gusseted see-through mesh pockets which you can customize by weekday, subject or period with an index card folded in half. Also, their Classroom Wall Scheduler is a great solution for keeping students on task. It comes with ten pockets and double-sided dry erase cards for you to record the daily schedule and a mesh storage pocket at the bottom to hold extra cards and supplies.

This contest is now closed.

A winner has been selected.

Have you heard about VerveGirl.com? It's a place where young women share their thoughts about the latest in hot topics such as fashion, health and fitness and a place where they go to for advice and tips. They are currently hosting a contest where you can vote for your favorite fall trends and Hilroy needs your votes. So, if you love the look of their products such as this Five Star Notebook or this really cute bag, you're in luck! Every vote you cast for their products will gain you an entry on Toronto Teacher Mom to win $100 in some really awesome Hilroy products. Plus, if you vote for the following two products, you can enter twice for each vote!

There's this 100% Recycled Notebook with butterfly design:

I really love that Hilroy has started their Hilroy Spread the Word in School program to help teachers like me educate students about the importance of thinking "green." By teaching them how to protect the Earth's precious resources, we can help change a way of thinking into a way of living - sustainable living. The school where I work has been an active eco-friendly school for a few years now and is even listed as a participating school on the Spread the Word site. Neat!

If you would like to show your support for Hilroy's initiative, vote for their products and be sure to let me know by leaving a comment at the end of this post (click on the word "comments") and be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you are selected to win $100 worth of Hilroy school supplies. Here's a breakdown of possible entries:

Once you have completed any or all of the above, you can do the following for extra entries:

This giveaway will end on May 24 at 11pm and is open to Canadian and US residents. Winner will be selected using Random.org and will have three days to reply upon receiving notification via email.