How to Organize the Mountains of School Paperwork

I have 3 kids in preschool and elementary school so I also get buried in paper. It's better this year because Carmel schools switched to email instead of sending home the school newsletter and flyers each week. But it's still a mountain.

As soon as the kids get home from school/preschool, I take their folder. All papers coming home come in a folder and everything going back to school goes back in that folder. I sort the paper into 2 piles - stay at home and do something and return to school. I try to take care of the 'do something' ones right then, unless it's homework, and put it right back into the folder and back into the backpack. The 'stay at home' stuff gets looked at and then put into that child's hanging file (longer explanation below).

For each school and activity (ice hockey, boy scouts, preschool, etc), I have a simple folder. All the papers for that activity that needs to be referenced stay in that folder -- school directory, student handbook, cub scout schedule, game schedules, contact lists, etc. The folders are different colors to make grabbing them easier and are stacked in a drawer in our kitchen near the phone/built-in desk. I thought about a binder, but I prefer having them all separate so if my husband is taking the cub scout folder to a den meeting, I still have the rest of the info.

Now back to the hanging folder. We have a small hanging file basket in our kitchen desk area that we use as an 'action' area. Each member of our family has a folder there and there's a folder for each month. So if I have a doctor reminder postcard for 6 months away I put it into that month's folder so I can forget about it but not lose it until then. When I sort the mail, all my husband's mail goes into his folder. The kids' schoolwork goes into their folder, etc. It keeps the counter cleared off.

When the kids' folder gets full (every couple weeks), I sort through and find the papers I really want to keep. Those get put into the 'school bin' as we call it. Each child has a plastic hanging file bin with lid we got at Office Max. There's a folder for each year - 2 year old MDO program until 12th grade. Everything for that year goes into the folder -- worksheets, art projects, certificates, awards, etc. When the folder starts to get full (every few months), it's time for a purge. I do another big purge in the summer and only keep the really important stuff. There's enough room in the bin to keep things like 3D art projects if they are small. The larger ones get a picture taken and printed out and the photo is put in the file.

One thing we do with the papers we decide to throw out (flyers, newsletters, worksheets, whatever) is re-use them if they are blank on one side. We have a stack of 'recycle' paper next to the computer printer. If we're printing out something we're not keeping like internet coupons or coloring sheets for the kids we use that paper instead of a "clean" sheet of paper.

It took a few years to find a system that works for us but so far this is the best and is working like a charm. I no longer feel like I'm run over by paper!

5 moms found this helpful

All my sns work from school gets put into page protectors and into the three ring binder, in the order it comes home. This keeps the house from being cluttered with his wonderful work and allows us to see progress over time. His preschool teacher showed us this trick...it worked great for two years of preschool and so far has kept things need this year. (Excpet the second year we ended up with 3 two inch binders somehow...Hmmmm...) :)
As for all the other papers, if they need filled out I do that the night they come home and immediately send them back. Example: The open house day before school sent home order forms for pictures, spirit wear, market day, emergency medical forms and volunteer forms. I think I filled out 10 papers that first night and wrote 3 different checks. I sent them all in the first day. Then I don't have to worry about if I forget to fill out a paper that is due that day, if it came home it's already done. I write all dates down on the calendar(s), both home and my to-go one. On one of my calendars I write as much details as I can (event, time, place etc). Unless the paper has information that I haven't written down and yet still need, I throw it away. I keep the few papers with important information on them in the front pocket of his binder, view them every night to make sure we aren't missing anything or there's something else I should be doing and clean out that pocket.
Best of Luck!

3 moms found this helpful

I have 4 in school this year but we have actually started homeschooling so i have a whole new mess to organize, but anyways. Here's what worked for us,
1. you don't have to keep everything, keep the important papers that they will need to be able to look back over, toss the rest, use your binder for art work or special papers they "want" to keep. that first year we kept the reading lists of words, any practice books they brought home and any little printouts that they were to memorize or learn.
2. Anything that goes back to school gets signed and goes back in the book bag that same night, this goes for homework, permission slips ect. that way you aren't misplacing them or rushing around the next morning.
3. after a few years my kids now each have a box under their bed, it holds all the art binders from school, little projects, ect. all the stuff they want to keep just to keep. once it's full we go trhough it and either organize or toss things, the key here is that the box will not be getting any bigger. and now that i am homeschooling i have found a use for all those handouts and books and lists i've saved, and for everyone else they come in handy over the summer to brush up and review the things that they learned.

2 moms found this helpful

I have three in school and extracurricular activities and one in daycare parttime. I have one accordian folder (I think that's what it is called) that each child has a section on, and them each child has a regular folder and a manila file folder. Important things I might need to look over later (teacher emails, lists of important dates, etc.) go into the accordian folder, things that need to be worked on (monthly homework assignments and so forth) go into the regular folder and memoirs go into the manila folder.
Another thing that I just started this year that I am loving is that as soon as they walk in the door I get all of the papers out of the backpacks and clip them together and put them on the fridge, that way when my husband gets home we both know right where everything is and we can go over everything together, after the kids are in bed. Last year remembering to tell each other things about schools was a big problem in our house, and so far this is a good solution for us.

Good luck
~J.

2 moms found this helpful

I have a file cabinet, with hanging folders. I put a file folder in for each school year, for each child, then another one for general school stuff for the year. I put in all the stuff they send home, plus copies of anything I send in such as notes to the teachers. Then at the end of the year, I go through each folder and keep the report cards, a few examples of the child's work and anything I feel may be important and throw the rest in the trash.
I have a seperate file cabinet with a large manila envelope for each child for each school year, and i put the year that has just ended in there and start again for the new school year.
I also keep copies of birth certificates, immunization records and such in these folders because someone is always wanting them and then I know where to find them. I, of course keep the originals in a fire safe.
Hope this was some help...I happen to be an organization freak!
L.

2 moms found this helpful

Chances are your school will go to a mail carrier system where you choose which child to send things home with. For our school that takes a while to organize because they parents have to send it back If they don't you should maybe suggest that idea to save paper they might like it. There are a few things you can try. I have a file system with numbers 1-31 on them if there is a paper that needs to go out back on the 2nd then I put it in there and check that number folder daily as each day of the month passes. I also have folders with the names of the month if they need to be store later on example (October). You can use this for all you filing needs for everything in your home. I also have a folder for my kids, husband, things to follow up on, and a few other things. If you are more of a in sight person for the kids I use wreath magnets on the side of my refrigerator with each kid's name. They are VERY strong and hold a lot. That way you can look for something right in your kitchen. The number one thing I do for my three kids in school is look things over and send them back immediately if I can because you will forget! Hope that helps!

1 mom found this helpful

Important papers: such as school/building, child's schedule and transporation are filed a school district file which I update each year and a relative could find in an emergency.
Permanent file: Report cards, shot records and health forms by child.
Forms, events, volunteering: I attempt to keep up with as they happen - like many of you, I process and pay them as soon as I can, throwing out the original once posted on calendar, or file in hanging folder by child for temporary storage until the event or party.
Memories: When my girls were young, I wanted to keep every piece of artwork they made. I soon found out they can make more art than I can store, so we picked a special few for each year. I now scrapbook their school years, including a class photo and individual portrait, along with any significant awards or events (Choir concert program, field trip I went on with them, photos shared by other Moms, etc.) Scanning allows you to shrink down much of what you want to keep into a manageable size.
Special memories: The handprints and special "Mom" presents are in a scrapbook for me. Dad has a few pages as well. If it is really that special a memory, think about preserving it in a frame or scrapbook - I'll be happy to share ideas and products with you. My mom-owned business offers direct shipping to your door.
P.S. My girls also did great summer camps, so they each have another album entitled "What I did on my summer vacation" and they also have (scrapbooked) birthday albums. We cannot keep it all, but together we can try to have it all.

1 mom found this helpful

Hello L.. The first thing I would do is ask the school to only send one. If they are in the same classroom it should be very easy, if they have different teachers, select one child (probably the girl since they generally love the papers) to receive the paper. That eliminates half of your papers lol I have three kids in school and with thier papers I save them for no longer than one week. I have two folders, each child gets one side. I put papers in there I think I might need and the saver papers. Last year I was drowning in papers since it was my now 5yo first year of pre-school. One or two days a week I go through the folder and most of the weekly papers get tossed. (while they are at school or in bed of course, elsewise they would have a fit :) If it is something I definatly want to keep (like a hand print or something) I immediatly put it in my scrap book drawer on my desk with a date on the back. Hope that helps!

1 mom found this helpful

i use a filing cabinet, i divided it into 3 groups. art, math, & reading. the things that were too big to go in the filing cabinet, i have a cardboard box with a lid and set it in there. my son is in 1st grade now, so he doens't bring home as much as he did in kindergarden. i also put alot of his art work in a scrapbook, for example, they color & pasted the stages of caterpillar to butterfly, that was deffinately a keeper in the scrapbook. he likes going through it & seeing how many things he's done & how much better he can stayin the lines now & how his handwritting has improved.

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I put aside what I want to scrapbook for my twins, then throw the rest away. If you get anymore good suggestions, I would love to know what they are! Good luck.

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Go through the papers with your checkbook and your planner. If there's something you want to participate in, mark it down in your planner and throw it out. If there's something you have to pay for, write out the check, get it all ready to be turned in, and throw the paper away. There's no need to keep most of the papers you receive. I receive papers all the time and once I have my planner marked and checks written I never have any papers I need to store. If you start keeping 3 ring binders, you'll never keep up on what's what anyway, so I wouldn't even try that method. Just throw it out!!

1 mom found this helpful

I mark everything on the calendar as soon as I get it. If it needs payment, I pay it right away and toss keep the paper for about 2 weeks or until I get the item. I let my child pick any pictures and papers that he wants to keep. I have framed a couple of art pieces and mixed them in with the wall of family photos.

You have 13 years of school to contend with. When my son was in pre-school, I kept everything. I realized at the end of the year that I don't have the room to keep everything. I have a few stories or papers from each year that mean something. Every year they have had a journal or story that he has written and that is what I keep. He is in third grade and he doesn't mind me tossing his papers now. I think if you have the room, keeping the papers is cool. I just didn't think that I wanted to be finding places for that many papers.

Good Luck in your organization!

1 mom found this helpful

I heard from another mom that she takes digital photos of all the kids artwork and burns them to disc or uses them as her screen saver to save space. I haven't tried it yet , but it sounds like a good idea . We just picked our favorites and midterms/ report cards and filed them. Hope this helps.

1 mom found this helpful

Deb T. sounds very organized! :)

5 of mine are in school this year - grades 1-10. I also get duplicate papers all the time. I weed through them so I have only 1 of each, then take care of it right away. If it is a reminder date, I write it on the calendar and discard the paper. If it needs a signature, I do it right away and put it back in the backpacks. If it is important fyi, I put it in a folder labeled for this school year and keep it in the cabinet with other important paperwork. Usually every other time I'm putting papers in the school yr folder, I purge the ones that I don't feel are important anymore. I rarely save things/art work for sentimental reasons (anymore!)

If the back of the duplicate papers are blank, I let the little ones color on the them, or I use them to make lists on.

The three ring binder is an awesome idea. I categorize by school work, sports, need done and junk. This really seems to help me and all the kids do!

If the papers have general info, only save if you need to, and when no longer needed, throw them away.

Homework, or art, etc... save one here and there and maybe have a small chest in their rooms to put the keepsake things in.
I happened to find at a garage sale, what might actually be a small wooden toy chest, but it is perfect for the keepsake papers. It is probably about 2 ft. long and 15-18" wide and tall.
If you can't find one in stores, that might make a good idea for Christmas. Find someone who makes wood projects and tell them what you want.

We use a lot of file folders and a file cabinet. There are a lot of books about catagories, etc, but I'd just make ones for the stuff you need to keep. We also have a box for each child...one of the othes fold out cardboard boxes you get at Staples, etc. That can old stuff they want to keep...books, papers, etc. Then the important info stays with our other family records, etc in the file cabinet. I have a basket on my counter as the "collector" where everyone can drop papers in when they get home from work, school, etc. Then once a week or so, I go through them and file them or attend to them if they need attention right away.

Mostly, I think, just find something that works for you. There are also large expandable files that might work for bigger volumes of stuff, too. But in my mind, if you invest a little money, you'll be more likely to keep on top of it. My mother in law always used plastic bags or something like that....she was always looking for stuff! But, get good organizational stuff and you'll be more likely to stick with it!

Good luck!!!

Hi L.,
We get some papers that are exact, 2 of our girls are in school, one is in elementary and the other is in middle school. Our youngest will be starting preschool next year. Anyhow, we have those big plastic binders, when we get weekly homework (graded papers) and information that must be kept, we put them in the binders. Basically turn it into a scrapbook of school work, including art for that grade. I started this last year, so most papers were either tossed or are kept in boxes at this point. I have their report cards in as well as awards and other really cool papers in their binder. So when they don't remember something that they would like to go back and check out, there it is!! On top, its really cool memories. My dad would save every single paper of ours that we did at school...Can you imagine, from Kindergarten to High School, all the academics that we did, and all the extra work and rewards and awards that were kept..plus there was 6 of us girls!! So he had probably 12 to 14 boxes full of GARBAGE!! LOL....but I don't think I'm gonna be that bad. I only keep a page for each class (good & bad), depending on that week. Than I throw the rest away. Sometimes we add our remarks to the paper as well, and in the summer time we have the girls study what they did that year. All their art and crafts gets kept as well, we either hang it up or we put them in a binder as well. Good Luck!

I have a 6th and a 4th grader. I have a stack of papers for each child for keepsake school work on the shelf of my front closet. then I have a folder for school, one fore sports, and one for child care. I keep all the papers for these areas in their separate folders. At the end of the school year, the keepsakes get stored in large plastic containers (one for each child) and I'm ready to start a new stack for next school year. The rest of the homework/schoolwork goes in the recycle bin. I also empty out the folders at the end of school year.

I hope the paperwork thaat you threw out did not need to bereturned to school. As an aviad volunteer I know soe of the paperwork needs to be made out for each and every child in the family. Somtimes in part because they are in differernt classrooms or different parts of he buildings. When I go on firld trips with classes I carry the emergency contact info just for my group. If there is 2 children from the same family they are not always together even though we are basically going to the same location. One may be on a different bus. One group goes one way another to the totally opposite side of the place we are visiting. If I had to hunt down the teacher to get help a child could possibly die. Please believe me the teacher hate all that paperwork too but there is a valid reason for it.
I would strte like you stated with a 3 ring notbook and do subjects. Just like in the classroom. You will not believe the number of times I personally have helped a child do the same work because it didn't get turned in.

I have a bin for all of my son's papers. Everything goes in that bin. At Christmas time, we go through all the papers and decide which ones are "special" enough to keep. We then at the end of the year, do the same thing and then put all of those papers,crafts,report cards, etc. in a binder and label it Kindergarden, 1st grade, 2nd grade, etc.

Hope this helps!

L.,
Hahah, I have to laugh because I am in the boat beside you!
I am 38 and have twin boys in preschool. Their school is sooo great about giving me just one of everything. They do that for all of us twin moms. Now, the school papers for my other two, K and 3rd, well, I haven't figured it out either, so I am no help there. I think I am going to hire an organizer and then I can go from there! Maybe I'll get my husband to get me one for xmas. :) Good luck.