School Paper Madness

Welcome Back to school… and 180 days (or so) of endless paper!

Are you ready for the invasion of class work, tests, projects, artwork, schedules, flyers, and newsletters? If not, it's not too late to develop a plan of action to deal with the onslaught of paper.

To start: designate a place for ALL incoming school papers for the KIDS to place the papers. (And not on the counter, entry way, or dinning table!).
This can either be a single in-box for all papers, or designate one per child. If they want the paper signed… Put it HERE. Remind kids to not place incomplete/ungraded schoolwork here, unless it needs your signature.

Next, sort and handle the papers as follows:

A) Papers requiring your attention (signatures, approvals, completion, mark the date events)
After paperwork is completed, either place in an “out-box” for the children to check if they are older to teach responsibility for school papers returning back to school; or if younger, return to their backpacks. Next, put any important dates (holidays, due dates, testing dates, practices, meets, open houses, conferences etc) immediately onto the calendar! By creating and In/Out system for children to deliver and retrieve paperwork for you, you will create a system that creates accountability and is habit building for your children and you!

B) Papers frequently referenced throughout the year (calendars, band/sport schedules, menus, bus schedules, contact info, etc.)
I recommend a school “command center” binder. Use tabs marked either by child, subject (band, menu, bus etc). In this binder place bus schedules, lunch menus, school calendars, band or sports calendars, etc. Anything you need to reference frequently throughout the year. Purge at the end of the school year or at report card time, or as extracurricular activities end during the year.

C) Keepsakes (art, great grades, creative work, certificates etc)
Rule of thumb: Give each “masterpiece” or “90-100%” 1 week on the fridge or other prominent showcase. Then toss. Aim to keep 2 pieces of artistic and scholastic per quarter- focusing on superior efforts, creativity, and personality. Use a large manila envelope/bankers box or try the School folio http://www.schoolfolio.com/ for each child for all the keepsake papers, drawings and small items they bring home from school. Be sure to include: Name, Age, Grade and School Year. Review and "edit" further if needed/desired at the end of each school year .

D) Other. (School Handbooks, testing info, progress and report cards, class rules, photo/yearbook info, and other misc.,)
Create a file with the child’s name and school. This is for less frequently referenced material. This should be purged at the end of the school year. Most will be tossed. Final report cards can be incorporated into “keepsake” storage. Some may roll over to the next year or be forward looking.

By designating and setting up these 4 areas to handle all school related papers, you can quickly decide how to handle, what to keep, where to store, and can quickly retrieve information as needed. Now go forth and conquer!