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  1. #1
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    Default For moms with school aged kids. How do you keep track of the paperwork?

    How do you keep track and organized the paperwork that your dc bring home. Up until this year dd1 has been in a private montessori school and has had no homework and the school sends everything it can via email to keep costs and paper clutter down.

    This year (monday) we're starting regular public school and my irl friends have been telling me to keep things organized because there will be six tons of junk coming home with her and i'll need to keep it organized. Any suggestions?

    Do you use a binder or do you just let it collect in a big pile in the kitchen? Or what in between.

    What's the best way to deal with it all?

    I'd like to use the binder and be that organized but honestly I'm more of the big pile on the kitchen counter right now. I'd like to do something a little better so I don't loose things.
    DD1 11/02
    DS 11/05
    and
    DD2 2/09

  2. #2
    Elilly is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Hmmm... I have a 1st grader and haven't really encountered this. Anything that comes home gets done immediately whether it's payment for something, signing up for a field trip etc. I write it all on the calendar and we're a done deal. At DD's school, each classroom teacher has a binder that they complete for each child that holds "special" papers and we have a filing system at home for artwork and papers for each child. HTH. I wouldn't worry too much!

  3. #3
    SnuggleBuggles is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    I try my best to sort immediately and put junk in the paper recycling asap. I have gotten pretty ruthless with it. There was not much worth holding onto. I dealt with any forms that needed to be filled out and returned the day they came home whenever possible. I didn't really wind up with a lot of paper that I would have wanted to file. Sadly he didn't come home from 1st grade with any great works of art. I sheepishly admit that pretty much all of his school work that came home that waas interesting to me is still sitting in a bag in the corner of the dining room waiting to be sifted through and narrowed down.

    Beth

  4. #4
    g-mama is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    I have a magnet w/ a clip on it for each of my kids stuck on the laundy room/garage door. I put papers that relate to upcoming events, field trips, stuff like that in the clip.

    As far as homework: It started out in K w/ getting a sheet that was to be returned the next day. However, it gets more involved as they get older with projects that have deadlines 3-4 weeks out. I have a special calendar hung on the pantry door w/ those due dates written on it in different colors for each of my kids. (In theory, LOL - really just my oldest for now, but this is the long-term plan). Then I have an file by the kitchen table where they do their homework where we keep projects that are ongoing (spelling words brought home on Monday and to be returned on Friday, book reports half-written, etc.)

    That's my solution and it's not perfect. I will agree with your friend. The amount of papers is so completely overwhelming and totally stresses me out.
    Kristen
    mama to 3 wild and crazy boys - ages 16, 13 and 11

  5. #5
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    My son brings home a thick folder with papers in it every Wed. This is in addition to his homework. Most of the stuff in the folder is either ads, or just plain junk. There is so much of it that sometimes the "important" notices get buried in there, and I miss them. I have complained about it, but the school district says they need the ad revenue. I wish I had a good filing system to tell you about, but I don't. Hopefully someone else will come along with a good plan. I would say to stay on top of it as much as possible, because those papers breed!
    Strollerqueen

  6. #6
    SnuggleBuggles is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    They are going to try and have Wed. be the only day all the misc. school papers come home. I have heard that it is not well loved to get that massive array of things and things get lost. I think it will be a pain. Also, I'm like a kid on Christmas- I love looking through ds's folder and hoping there is something new and interesting to read.

    Beth

  7. #7
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    egoldber is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Our school has a "Tuesday packet" and that is when most things come home. To date, she hasn't had many long term homework assignments, although that is supposed to change in 3rd grade. I do try to deal with things immediately. Our school has the students keep a daily agenda starting in second grade, so I don't need to help much with that, all the info about what assignments are due when is in the agenda.

    The problem I have is with graded papers. Since we sort have a low level sense that we could move at any time LOL (virtue of having moved a lot over the years) I feel a need to keep a more complete record her her work at any point in time. I put it all in a bin as it comes home. At the end of each quarter, I go through and purge everything except for the end of chapter/unit tests. So at the end of the year I have only a small folder that just holds all of her tests. The only exception to that is her writing assignment and stories. I keep all of those because they are incredibly cute and I want to make a "book" at some point showing her writing progression over the years.
    Beth, mom to older DD (8/01) and younger DD (10/06) and always missing Leah (4/22 - 5/1/05)

  8. #8
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    I have a bulletin board by the family calendar. The Friday packet had homework assignments, school updates, permission slips, party snack requests, parent-teacher conferences etc. I had to become ruthless about making myself sit down and read through it on Friday, and pull anything that needed a signature to be returned and/or had assignments on it and put in on the bulletin board. Then I wrote the due dates for everything on the calendar and checked the calendar frequently. In spite of this, I had days I had to call my neighbor to find out when something was due occasionally and she (who is super organized) had to do the same with me. Make friends with other parents in your class!
    I'm still working out what to do with the other stuff, graded assignments, art projects etc. I'm thinking I may get a large flat basket to match the homework supply basket (markers, crayons, glue, scissors, pencils etc that are not used for any other purpose) and put that stuff there and then clear it out once a month.
    Alaina
    DS1 12 , DS2 7.5 and DS3 5

  9. #9
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    I have one of those accordian file folders. Each kid has a pocket for school stuff. I do keep important notices with my calendar on my kitchen counter (probably not the best place). But I do mostly try to jot things down on my calendar and then toss. Most completed schoolwork - toss. I tend to keep writing/journals and some special artwork. I do keep class phone lists with my calendar too. And just a little tip: I've kept all my kids' old class lists -- as oftentimes they want a playdate or to invite a friend to a party who is no longer in their class.
    DD1 - 1996
    DD2 - 1999
    DD3 - 2005

    Surfaces are for working, not for storing. - Peter Walsh

  10. #10
    SnuggleBuggles is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by pinkmomagain View Post
    And just a little tip: I've kept all my kids' old class lists -- as oftentimes they want a playdate or to invite a friend to a party who is no longer in their class.
    Yep! I have those from all the way back and I am really grateful that I kept them! eta- there is a school directory though but it's still nice to have for friends that don't go to that school.

    Beth

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