Back to School aka “C’est La Rentrée!”

Back to School in France, or La Rentrée as it is known, is a national yearly event in September! Of course, it symbolizes the end of the summer vacation, but it’s more than that for school-aged children, young adults, and their parents. The relaxing summer days are almost behind us, along with their easygoing lifestyle, and now we get ready for the return of structure and routine. It is time to get into gear for a new season; it’s back to business! For school-age children and parents alike, this comes with an elaborate back-to-school supply list or la “liste des fournitures scolaires” issued by the French Ministry of Education.

Growing up in France, we all remember the iconic items that filled our school briefcase or “cartable“ or the modern backpack “sac à dos” made by the French brand Tann’s. The indispensable “trousse” or pencil case, high-quality Made in France Clairefontaine notebooks in various sizes depending on the subject, the legendary “Cahier de texte” a homework agenda notebook with different color tabs for each day of the week, “le stylo BIC”, as well as the traditional fountain pen of days gone replacing the ink & quill, “le stylo plume” by Waterman.