How do you keep all of their school "stuff" organized?

Oh, my, I can't keep up with all of it! Backpacks, school papers, notices, events, projects, lunch menus, newsletters and homework. This is all new for us. I have a spot to for the projects and school work that I wnat to save. Other than that, I'm a little overwhelemed. How do you keep track of everything? The teacher is great about sending home only 1 form instead of two whenever possible.


Yesterday was their first full day. I had to put the baby down for a nap as soon as we walked through the door. Then it was a snack for the big girls, empty lunch boxes and then I had to leave for work. I didn't get home until 12:30 AM, got out clothes for the morning, packed snack and lunches then. I peaked in the backpacks in the car before we left the school, so I knew that I only had one form to fill out. I guess I'm feeling a little crazy and looking fo r any tips to stay organized. THANKS!

 

I have always had a folder for each child every school year to hold important papers with school information, newsletters, etc. Calendars go up on the refrigerator as well as any permission slips which need to be signed, etc. (I have a whiteboard with magnets too) and of course backpacks have a special place on the floor. :lol: My kids prefer to do homework at the kitchen table.

 

I've added a big bulletin board in my kitchen. I'll pin up all the recent newsletter, lunch menu and other stuff I need to remember to send back to school etc. Each girl has their own side, since they are in different classed. On Fridays, they usually bring home all of their work they did that week, and I go through it, comment on it and review it with them. If it's not worth keeping, it goes straight to the shredder or the recycling bin. The same goes for all of the other stuff that is just comes home as an "FYI" from school. I expect to hardly receive paper copies in about 4 weeks, once everybody is signed up to receive electronic stuff.

Lunches and snacks get packed in the morning, and we have our routine down from getting up to leaving the house, incl. breakfast, in 40 min. (6:15 - 6:50).

 

It can be overwelming!

I put all forms that need to be completed on a clipboard immediately. I put lunch menus and announcements on the fridge and mark them on the calendar. Homework that needs to be completed by next day gets set out on our "homework table" (it's a long work bench that has worked great for homework and projects). Homework projects that are not due for a few days get put into a plastic file drawer with each of my gal's names on it.

Homework that is completed and graded is put into a plastic bin. Other important forms like immunization records, conference times, order forms etc. are kept in an accordian file.

Hope that helps!

Lisa

 

At this point, I'm still figuring things out, but dealing with things right as they come in the door seem to help. The kids have a folder that they take to and from school every day. Papers on the left side are left at home. Papers on the right go right back to school. I immeadiately check folders and put backpacks by the door. I fill out anything I need to and put it back in the folders. I pull the homework out and put in on my desk. So far they have weekly homework. We try and get it done the first day or two and then I keep it till Friday.

Most of the newsletters are on-line. I also keep getting calendars. The PTO calendar, the library volunteer calendar, the snack calendar, the class volunteer calendar, etc. I copy all of what I need off those onto my main calendar into the kitchen and toss the extras.

Marissa

 

I get three sets of all papers that come home. Ugh!

My strategy is to catch them the minute they walk in the door. They come one by one to me at the kitchen table, empty their backpack of all papers they've brought home, give me their assignment notebooks to review and sign, unpack and put away their lunch boxes, and hang up their backpacks on hooks by the back door.

Once I have the whole pile of papers, I sort through. I keep only what is absolutely necessary, and those I put in one folder labeled with their school name and kept on my kitchen bookshelf. If the newsletter from Brady's class says he needs posterboard by Friday, I put posterboard on my Target shopping list with a date by it and toss the newsletter. I HATE paper laying around! Then I sign and write checks for what I need to, and immediately put those things in the take-home folders in their backpacks.

Then the boys do their 20 minutes of reading, 10 minutes of flashcards, and/or other homework, and then they're free to play. (And a nice benefit of having them do homework right away is I have uninterrupted peace and quiet to sort through all the paperwork!) Lunches get made the night before. I don't lay out any clothes...they choose in the morning. I get them up about 40 minutes before they head to the bus, and we have plenty of time.

 

Back packs get put on their hook in the playroom.

Lunch menus go on the fridge.

Anything needing our attention goes in an organizer like this. Our homework comes home on Monday but not due until Friday so we put it in there along with any permission slips or anything that need to go back. I also put any important notices that come home that we need to remember in there (for example today was food pantry day with a wear your favorite team theme).

Anything else goes in a pile until recycle day and if they haven't asked for it/wanted it then it goes out for recycle when the day comes (every 2 weeks).

 

We get two sets of important papers and then each one of my girls brings mom their own work and homework. They each have a folder and when we get home they both empty the folders and any important papers I take, their work we put aside so dh can see (then it usually gets tossed but if it's really nice and I want to keep it it gets either hung up on one of our walls or put in a folder to be saved), if there is any homework they do it right away so we don't forget about it and it's easier to do it right away then fighting them later. After everything is taken out of folders and then put back whatever needs to be the folders go into their backpacks and the backpacks go into their room. Lunch boxes are also emptied out and put back into the back packs (I make lunches in the morning while they are eating breakfast). Any papers like the school lunches or things that don't have to go back right away goes into a metal paper holder (it has three slots so one for each girl and the other is for extras and when my son starts school it will be for him). In the morning everyone wakes up and gets dressed (they pick out their own clothes in the morning) then we have breakfast, brush teeth, and get our backpacks and put lunches in it. After that we do anything that didn't get done yet like shoes, hair, or extra paper work. So far this is working for us and we usually have 5min or more extra in the morning. I give them about 50min in the morning to get everything done. We have only had 6 days of school so far but this is what we did last year which worked pretty good as long as my one daughter was in a good mood.

 

Thanks for the tips, Ladies! Things got better as the week went on. I really like the idea of keeping a folder for each child. I think I'll buy a bulletin board this weekend. Great tips!