What makes a KOOL Pencil Case??

 

Once upon a time, there was a pencil case… but it wasn’t just any Pencil Case it was a Kool Pencil Case that had not only functional but funky stuff inside of it & the students and Teacher’s all lived happily ever after!  The End.

Here at 2Kool4Skool we feel that having a cool pencil case is important, not to be ‘trendy’ or ‘fit in’ but in order to express oneself in an environment that can sometimes be quite uniform.  The Pencil Case really is one area that kids can individualise and make their own, particularly with so many cool stationary choices out there these days!  Gone are the days when Pencil Cases were better hidden in desks, todays pencil cases are out there and proud!  And their contents are even cooler!   Pencils, pens, erasers, scissors, rulers, sharpeners and coloured pens/pencils, need not be boring!  Show off your style by choosing from a wide variety of designs, colours and even scents!  Yes, smelly stationary, it is AWESOME!!  Have you ever smelled a pen that smelled just like popcorn? , I have, why would I ever go back to a basic blue ball point?  It just doesn’t make sense!  And neither does a boring pencil case, not when 2Kool4Skool makes it so easy to have a Pencil Case that ROCKS!

We have a wide range of Pencil Cases that are not only funky but functional, with plenty of room for lots of accessories, starting at just a low $4.95 for our Mr Moustache Pencil Case there is bound to be something for everyone’s taste.  Once you have picked the perfect Pencil Case for your outer expression you have to focus on filling it with the cool goodies, something kids are all too good at! Choose products that the kids will love, it will help them take ownership of their belongings and they will be less likely to lose it… I know I wouldn’t be letting my Smart phone eraser or my Scented ruler out of my sight!  Choose products that reflect your child’s personality and overall choose products that are great quality (wink wink, nudge nudge 2Kool4Skool.com.au!)

So we know it’s cool to have a KOOL pencil case, so we took to the word on the street by interviewing  kids closest to the source a 12 and an 8 year old to see what they thought made up a COOL pencil case! Here is what they had to say.

Miss 12 – Grade 8 2014

“I love having a cool pencil case because all of my friends ask me where I bought my stuff & I like to look at it on my desk.  It’s not boring.  If I made up a pencil case from 2kool4skool I would definitely want some super cool rainbow gel pens and the neon bright’s markers, they would brighten up my pencil case with their cool colours.  I love the smart phone sharpeners and the lipstick pen.  The grape ruler catches my eye and the bubble gum scented pen is definitely my style.  The carnival wheel eraser with its 6 scented rubbers would be one of my first choices and the love charm pencil set is very unique with the dangly love hearts.  The erasable mechanical crayons and the sweeteez scented highlighters are an awesome stationary product.  The pencil case I would put all of these cute things in would be a floral gym boot pencil case and the lips and vinyl satchel pencil case which would give me lots of room for plenty more cool stuff!"

 Mr 8 – Grade 4 2014

"Yeah I like having a cool pencil case because I get to use the things in it for school and for drawing. In my pencil case I would like things from 2Kool4Skool like yummy scented markers, I think they are awesome because I like using scented things so all of my pictures are scented too. I would also like the popcorn scented pen because I could smell popcorn when I was writing.  I would also like the happy vitamin pens because I think they are very cool.  I also like all of the Mr Moustache things.  The pencil case I would put all of this in is the red gym boot pencil case!  "

 So there you have it, it’s cool to have a KOOL pencil case and what’s more 2Kool4Skool makes it easy to put the cool in school so check out our website today!

http://www.2kool4skool.com.au

 

Why Cover School Books?

 

I was reading one of my favourite blogs Mamamia in late January this year when to my horror I was confronted with this headline: “FACT: There is no need to cover school books”.  I was mortified. “What do you mean?  Has the woman writing this ridiculous blog never had children? Strangely there were women agreeing with her.  I had so many reasons why we should cover school book that I wanted to set them out in dot points in a comment on the blog. But owning a school book cover business.....  this would look a little obvious.

Now of course I wasn’t the first one to invent school book covering. We have been covering our books for decades with newspaper, brown paper, wrapping paper then covered in clear plastic, posters, kitchen contact and now finally the brilliant invention of PVC slip-on school book covers. So why cover school books? 2 real reasons: Protection & Individuality.

Covering your school books keeps them safe from the old apple or banana which has made its way to the corner of your child’s school bag and is now squishing itself against the contents of the school bag. It won’t protect them completely but at least the book will still be salvageable from the drink bottle or chocolate milk spill. My  own children’s books have returned home from a year of “hard labour” with books relatively intact and with covers that, with a wipe down with a baby wipe,  will be ready to use again next year. I wonder how the uncovered exercise books held up and I wonder at what point during the year they were needed to be replaced.

The other reason to cover your books is for self-expression, showing your style, having your books look different to others so that they are easily identifiable as yours.  I have had mothers ring me before school last year telling me that their sons (yes sons) kept going to get their newly covered school books just to look at them and then put them back in their bag. If covering your books can get your kids excited about school then I’m all for it!

So let’s make it known, and we’ll shout it from the roof tops - that we believe that

FACT: There are many great reasons to cover school books – and how great when you can do it with fun and easy slip on school book covers from 2 Kool 4 Skool.

Kathy's Journey.

 

Today I opened the doors to my online store and invited the world in. 2kool4skool is open for business. 10 months of production, 10 years of preparation.

 

There isn't one Mum (Or Dad as the case may be Damien) out there who hasn't held their head in their hands, sitting at the kitchen table surrounding by wrapping paper, contact, clear covers, sticky tape, labels, glittery stickers, and who knows what else in the mid January heat cursing the fact that "there has got to be an easier way to do this!".  For 10 years (my eldest now in year 10) this was me.  Then with 3 at school the task became mammoth and I was forced to take drastic measures and call on the help of well meaning neighbours and a bottle or 2 of wine. Each year I would scan the Internet praying someone had found a solution in the preceding 12 months that would save me from this hell.  It wasn't just the cost of having "the coolest books" it was the hours and hours it took when the pool was calling my name.

 

So in February 2012 I hopped onto the 2Kool4Skool roller coaster and it surely has been one hell of a ride.  It is not by chance that I find myself at age 43, a single Mum of 3 teenage and tweenage children about to embark on the next chapter of my working life. I have always been the creative one of the bunch, the "arty" one, the one called on to write the cards, shop and wrap the presents and I've owned and run a successful gift and homewares company.  Team the artistic flair with a legal, property and finance background and you get a businesswoman who creates really cool stuff!

 

So as I look back over the last 10 months, at all the planning, preparing, designing, budgeting, borrowing, importing, negotiating, translating, photographing, crying, laughing, more crying, pleading, praying and travelling we are finally there! As I look back further through all my working life, each job, business and experience has led me here, sitting in the roller coaster at the top of the climb ready to take off towards the loop the loop!

 

Getting to this point hasn't been easy and there are some huge thank you's to be said.  To Jack and Co. in China, to Damien, Selina, Bruce, Aaron, Michael, Willy, Vera and Paul. To my amazing friends who have supported every step of the way. To my family who's love and support for me is endless. To my Nepali Brother Pema who has enough love in his heart for every needy child in Nepal and reminds me just how lucky I am.  And the biggest thank you of all goes to Jesse, Brianna and Clancey, the 3 magnificent beings who chose to take this journey with me as their Mother.  You are my inspiration and my motivation. You have put up with me when I have at times been downright manic and you know a hug (and unstacking the dishwasher) makes all the pain go away.  Together we will do great things and change many lives through our commitment to children's education in places where going to school is the exception not the rule and I promise you - you will always have a pencil case that "rocks"!

 

Thanks

 

Kathy (Chief of Kool)

The Countdown Is On!

 We are super excited to announce that our website: www.2kool4skool.com.au

will officially launch on Wednesday 28th November at 8:00AM (EST). 

 

If you haven't 'liked' our Facebook page, pop on over to join in the countdown excitement! You can find us HERE  &

once you have 'liked' 2Kool4Skool.com.au, please be sure to hover over your 'liked' button and select 'Get Notifications' & 'Show in News Feed' so you never miss any of our exciting posts!

 

We'd also love for you to follow us on Instagram, we update product photo's daily on Instagram so you will get to see lots of kool stuff!  Our Instagram user name is 2kool4skool_com_au  if you follow us, we will follow you!

 

 

Twitter is also up and running and you can find us on Twitter @ 2Kool4Skool_ 

 

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Why We Rock!

WHY WE ROCK!

The brand 2Kool4Skool is upbeat, fresh and edgy and is targeted at school age children between the ages of 5 – 15. 2Kool4Skool’s core product range is anchored by creatively designed and printed PVC school book covers in 3 sizes with the aim of simplifying “back to school” book covering.

A select number of the cover designs have been used in pencil cases and transport card/identification card holders. Scratch and sniff name labels have been manufactured to round out this range. All of these products have been designed by the owner, Kathy Brooker and manufactured exclusively for 2Kool4Skool in China using non toxic, environmentally friendly PVC and recycled paper.

Ranges of funky school stationery supplies have been sourced to support the above core product range.

Product is sold exclusively through the 2Kool4Skool online store which forms part of the 3 part 2koo4skool.com.au web site. It is envisaged in the future retail outlets will also be created within the traditional shopping centre environment.

The 2Kool4Skool’s web will encompass 3 web sites rolled into one. One site being the online store. The second site is the 2Kool4Skool Kid Zone. The kid zone is designed to be a safe, family friendly environment in which children interact, play games, enter competitions and both children and parents have access to notice boards and information on Kool Kidz activities.

The 3rd site comprises our social conscience and the basis on which our company is built - Kathy’s burning desire to give back. This is a site dedicated to areas of educational need and the ability to assist. Here you will find Kathy’s financial commitment from every pack of covers to educating children in the 3rd world whether by paying for children to attend school, building schools or supplying computers and equipment. It will give access to how others may wish to assist in this contribution by child sponsorship, donation of old laptops or books the ability to email students within the schools that are supported. The first school to receive Kathy’s commitment is the small school Demazong Academy in Sikkim, the smallest Indian State situated on the Nepalese border.

2Kool4Skool‘s aim is to become the largest and most creative children and teenage stationery supplier in Australia with a household recognised brand with international suppliers to be sourced within the coming years.