HAVE BINDER, WILL TRAVEL! Absolutely NO trapperkeepers or cloth binders with velcro - they are too cumbersome and leave little room for anything else in our desks. Pencil cases should also be small. Label EVERYTHING. Keep reading and practice your basic addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts - you don't learn them in 5th grade - you need to know them already! NO ROLLING BACKPACKS -- Keep them compact, space is limited.