As I’m walking through the metal detectors, I leave my lunch box on the table to get checked. Not realizing it at the time, I walked away before picking the lunch box up. It happens every day to us harried students. Many forget treasured (or not so treasured) items in classrooms, the lunchroom and the gym. The vital question is: where can we get them back?

If you lose something, travel down to the second floor and pay a visit to Ms. Kyra Jackson, North Atlanta’s attendance officer. It’s there in her office where you might be able to spot your missing watch, shirt or gym bag. But, you better hurry up. Unclaimed items are eventually donated to local charities like Goodwill.

There are many unorthodox items that can be found down there as well. Curious to know what? Beyond the expected items, Jackson said she has found oddball things like a male student’s underwear, false fingernails and a female student’s hair weave. Mostly North Atlanta’s lost and found has items like clothes, lunch boxes, shoes and makeup kits. Many items are delivered there by school custodians who find things in classrooms. With permission from a teacher, students can go to Jackson and collect their items during the school day.

“I think our students are so caught up in school and their minds are so fixated on the things they need to get done that they don’t think about material things,” Jackson said. “And you know what? They’re right. School is more important and all of these things can be replaced. But they should still come get their things.”

Jackson suggests students write their names on their belongings, as identifiable items are easier to return to their rightful owners. Your most valuable items should be left at home or on your person. Doing so ensures you won’t forget your item and have it picked up by a custodian or some random individual who might not give it back.

So if you’re looking for your lunchbox, your favorite jacket, or that science binder you really need (it’s got your notes in it, after all!), you might want to go see Ms. Jackson and check out the school’s lost and found.