The first supply run as a QISS family can feel strange. A parent new to Qingdao, or new to a US-curriculum school, often arrives at the stationery aisle holding a list that mentions composition notebooks, three-ring binders, and a Texas Instruments graphing calculator. None of these are standard in a local Chinese shop. Few are universal in international shops either.
That gap is exactly what this page is for: a QISS-specific international school supply list, explained.
At Qingdao No. 1 International School of Shandong Province (QISS), our school supply lists reflect how our students learn: through inquiry, through hands-on projects, through structured preparation for AP exams and university abroad. The back to school supplies we ask for are practical. They are also a quiet signal of the curriculum behind them.
Why Supply Lists Look Different at an International School
A US curriculum international school asks students to do things that a rote-note classroom does not. In a Grade 4 inquiry unit, children might sketch a prototype in a composition notebook, annotate a nonfiction text with coloured highlighters, and glue a lab reflection into a science journal. In Grade 11 AP Calculus, students work with a graphing calculator the College Board explicitly approves for the exam.
These are not accessories. They are the tools that make the pedagogy possible.
Inquiry-based learning is at the heart of QISS academics, and our school supply lists reflect that. Our dual accreditation through WASC and CIS, along with our membership in EARCOS and ACAMIS, sets external expectations for classroom resources and learning environments. The international school supply list is the small, visible edge of a much larger standard. It also varies by division. A Pre-K child and a Grade 12 AP student do not pack the same bag, and they should not.
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Some items appear on every school supply list we send home, from Early Childhood up through High School. Think of this as the shared baseline across our four divisions.
Stationery and Writing Tools
Pencils are the quiet workhorse of the school day. We ask families to send a steady supply of #2 pencils, a few blue or black ballpoint pens from Grade 3 onward, and highlighters in at least three colours for annotation work. A good eraser and a small pencil sharpener round out the kit.
Coloured pencils travel across subjects. Our students use them in maps, in diagrams, in reading responses, and in the margins of a Mindful Hearts reflection.
Notebooks and Organisation
Composition notebooks (the sewn-binding kind with the marbled cover) show up in nearly every classroom. Spiral notebooks work for drafts and quick notes. Pocket folders keep loose papers from vanishing into the bottom of a backpack.
By Lower School, students begin carrying a thin ruler and a glue stick as part of their daily kit. These stay in the pencil case, not in a locker.
Wellbeing and Daily Comfort Items
Every student should bring a reusable water bottle, a labelled snack container, and a small pack of tissues. These are not extras. They are part of how we live our Mindful Hearts philosophy, which treats a child’s physical comfort as the ground floor of learning. We also draw on CASEL social-emotional learning frameworks to shape how we support focus, friendship, and self-regulation across the school day.
One more thing: label everything with your child’s full name. In a community of over forty nationalities, a lost pencil case with no name is a small puzzle no one can solve.
Grade-by-Grade Breakdown: What Changes as Students Move Up
School supplies by grade level shift as learning shifts. The list below mirrors the pathway our students walk from Pre-K through Grade 12.
Early Childhood and Lower School
Our youngest learners in the Early Childhood division (Pre-K to Kindergarten) need tactile, forgiving tools. Washable markers. Large crayons that fit a small hand. Play-safe scissors with rounded tips. A full change of clothes, in a labelled bag, that stays in their cubby.
By Grades 1 to 5, the elementary school supply list expands. Students begin using a three-ring binder with subject dividers, a basic ruler and protractor for maths, and a reading log for chapter books. A take-home folder travels between school and family. By Grade 5, most Lower School students carry a modest planner to track homework, a first taste of the independence that Middle School will ask of them.
Middle School
Grades 6 through 8 bring real organisational demands. Students rotate between subject teachers, so a middle school supply list typically includes a dedicated binder per subject (or a sturdy accordion folder) and a set of dry-erase markers for the SmartBoard collaboration our classrooms are built around.
Wired headphones become essential around Grade 6. We use them for language practice, listening comprehension, and digital citizenship work aligned with the ISTE standards for student technology use. A simple USB drive still earns its place for file transfers.
High School and AP Courses
A high school supply list gets specific, because AP coursework gets specific. Our students sitting AP Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Physics, or AP Chemistry need a Texas Instruments graphing calculator, typically the TI-84 Plus CE, which is on the College Board’s approved list. Families new to AP courses in China can find a full subject-by-subject breakdown in our dedicated guide.
College-ruled looseleaf paper replaces the primary-ruled version from earlier grades. A dedicated college counselling folder (yes, a physical one) holds transcripts, recommendation drafts, and university brochures. Many Grade 11 and 12 students also carry a laptop sleeve, a planner, and a reading book for the ten free minutes that always appear somewhere in the day.
We run around 100 AP exams per year on our on-campus test centre, with an average AP score of 4.0. The supply list is one small part of that preparation.
Technology Items: What the School Provides vs. What Families Supply
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QISS provides the infrastructure. Every classroom has a SmartBoard or SmartTV. We run four IT labs on our 48, 000 m² Laoshan campus, two libraries with research terminals, and all school-licensed software students need for coursework. Government-approved VPN access supports research tools that families would otherwise find blocked.
Families typically supply the personal device. For Grades 6 through 12, a personal laptop or tablet is standard; younger students generally do not need one. Wired headphones, a USB drive, and a protective sleeve round out the technology kit.
We treat devices the way we treat any other tool: a means to think more clearly, not a replacement for thinking.
Digital citizenship is taught, not assumed. From Grade 3 upward, our students learn responsible search, source evaluation, and respectful online conduct. The device your child brings should support that work.
A Week-One Morning at QISS: What Actually Ends Up in the Bag
Take a Grade 7 student on the first Tuesday of September. This is what actually comes out of the bag, in order, and it doubles as a first day of school checklist for returning families.
Arrival is 8:00 for homeroom check-in. Out of the backpack comes a student planner from our Leader in Me at QISS programme, opened to today’s date. Everyone can be a leader, and the planner is where that habit starts. First period is humanities, so a composition notebook and a blue pen appear on the desk. By second period (science), the lab notebook is out, and the pencil case has migrated to a shared table.
At break, our student drinks from a labelled water bottle and eats fruit from a small container. Mindful Hearts habits are not posters on a wall; they are the slow repetition of healthy choices.
After school, the backpack reorganises itself. Football boots, swim kit, or an art portfolio shift to the top layer, depending on the day’s After School Activity Program commitment. A library book, chosen on Monday, rides along for independent reading on the bus home.
The bag at pickup is lighter, messier, and more interesting than the bag at drop-off, which is exactly how a full school day of Learn, Lead and Live should feel.
Common Questions Parents Ask About School Supplies
School supply list questions we hear most often from new and returning QISS families:
What are the 10 school bag essentials that should always be in a school bag? Our shortlist of school bag essentials: a pencil case with #2 pencils and pens, a composition notebook, a planner or agenda, a reusable water bottle, a labelled snack container, a reading book, wired headphones (Grade 6 and up), a small pack of tissues, a folder for take-home papers, and a jacket or jumper. Label everything with your child’s full name.
What are basic school supplies every student needs regardless of grade? Pencils, pens, erasers, a notebook, a folder, a water bottle, and something to carry it all in. These are universal. The specifics (binder sizes, calculator models, art supplies) scale with age and subject.
Where can families buy school supplies in Qingdao that meet international-school standards? For school supplies Qingdao families often rely on, Laoshan district has several stationery shops that stock imported items, and larger supermarkets near our campus carry most basics. For specialist items like a TI-84 calculator or composition notebooks, try JD.com, Taobao, or ask returning expat families through our parent community. Our admissions team is happy to share current suggestions.
Does QISS send a printed supply list before the school year starts? Yes. Once enrolment is confirmed through our admissions process, each division sends a current-year school supply list by email, usually in June. New families also receive a welcome packet with sourcing tips.
Are there supplies families should avoid bringing? Please skip adult scissors, permanent markers (in Lower School and below), personal items of high value, and oversized binders that will not fit in a desk. Our school supply lists specify age-appropriate alternatives for each.
Do ELL students need anything extra? Students supported through our English Language Learner support, known on campus as the ELL Program, sometimes benefit from a bilingual dictionary and a dedicated vocabulary notebook. Teachers share a short add-on list once the student’s language profile is assessed in the first week.
Choosing a School Where the Supply List Reflects the Curriculum
School supply lists are small documents. They also tell you a surprising amount about the school behind them.
When a list names specific tools (calculator models, composition notebooks for lab journals, headphones for digital citizenship work), it comes from a school that knows what its students will actually do each day. Vague lists, or no list at all, often reflect something else entirely.
Our dual WASC accreditation and CIS accreditation, along with EARCOS and ACAMIS membership, means the curriculum behind our school supply lists is externally reviewed. The destination that list prepares students for is also measurable: 100% of QISS graduates have been admitted to university, every year, with an average SAT of 1300 and an average AP score of 4.0.
If you would like the current year’s official school supply list for your child’s grade, we can send it over. Email our admissions team at admissions@qiss.org.cn or book a campus visit. Our admissions team, led by Mr. David Lindberg, can walk you through a classroom and show you where that composition notebook will actually be used.
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Start your application →Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good list of school supplies?
Our core supplies include pencils, pens, erasers, highlighters, composition notebooks, spiral notebooks, pocket folders, a ruler, glue stick, reusable water bottle, labelled snack container, and tissues. Everything should be labelled with your child’s full name, especially in our community of over 40 nationalities.
What are 10 things that should be in a school bag?
We recommend a pencil case with #2 pencils and pens, a composition notebook, a planner, a reusable water bottle, a labelled snack container, a reading book, wired headphones (Grade 6 and up), tissues, a folder for take-home papers, and a jacket or jumper.
What are basic school supplies every student needs?
Pencils, pens, erasers, a notebook, a folder, and a water bottle are universal across all grades. The specifics like binder sizes, calculator models, and art supplies scale with age and subject.
How does a supply list at an international school differ from a local school?
Our supply lists reflect inquiry-based learning, hands-on projects, and preparation for AP exams, so we ask for specific tools like composition notebooks for lab journals, coloured highlighters for annotation, and graphing calculators for AP coursework. These are not accessories but the tools that make our pedagogy possible.
Do supply lists change by grade level at QISS?
Yes, our lists shift as learning shifts. Early Childhood students need washable markers and rounded scissors, Lower School adds binders and rulers, Middle School requires subject-specific binders and headphones, and High School includes college-ruled paper and graphing calculators for AP courses.
What technology items do students need at an international school?
We provide SmartBoards, IT labs, libraries with research terminals, and school-licensed software. Families typically supply a personal laptop or tablet for Grades 6 through 12, along with wired headphones, a USB drive, and a protective sleeve.
Where can families in Qingdao buy international-standard school supplies?
Laoshan district has several stationery shops stocking imported items, and larger supermarkets near our campus carry basics. For specialist items like TI-84 calculators or composition notebooks, try JD.com, Taobao, or ask returning expat families through our parent community.
What should new-to-China families know before shopping for school supplies?
Once enrolment is confirmed, each division sends a current-year supply list by email in June, usually with sourcing tips included. Our admissions team is happy to share current suggestions, and you can email admissions@qiss.org.cn or book a campus visit to ask questions before purchasing.
