School Stuff - Newton,IA

I weed out the incoming every week.

I recycle the usual stuff: gazillion worksheets, etc.
I keep the unusual stuff: art projects, projects and pick a few tests to keep.

I always have to do it when DS is not home b/c EVERYTHING is special to him! :)

I keep an under the bed bin for each grade but they are in the basement on shelves.

As soon as my kids turn their heads, to the trash most of their stuff goes!! Nice huh?!?!? They are only 3 & 5, but I cannot save everything. I don't want the junk and they will replace it tomorrow with new stuff. Sure, I have had to deal with some tears or have had to dig out something every now and again, but not too often. And once they set it back down, back into the trash it goes. The pieces I want to save, I date and put into a tote.

I have a accordion folder, I think that is what they are called. has paper size slots for each grade

I mainly toss at the end of the week, they never notice--out of sight, out of mind. I keep a few keepsakes for each grade.

I do a first level filter when it comes home (is it really that good/cute/etc.) My kids are younger so that is easier to do b/c some of it is just scribbles. We also live away from grandparents so I mail a lot of these 'gems' to grammy and grandpa!

I also read once that a good way (and I will be doing this when they get older) is to save what you want throughout the year in a bin and then at the end of the school year you pick a number (3, 5, 10, etc.) that you EACH get to 'pick' to save for their forever box.

I love this b/c it serves two purposes, it keeps the clutter down and more importantly it helps teach the child about organization, learning to edit, gain an understanding that 100% of everything really isn't 'important'. It sets boundaries, and helps build an understanding w/in the family that there are choices to make and that some of them will be harder than others. All of which will come in handy when the choices/ decisions are of greater consequences when they are older. Think of it as a skill building exercise!!

I take photos of many of the art projects (and then we toss them) Once a year or so i go through the totes and try to keep special writing [rojects and other select items to demonstrate their progress. Every day math worksheets and writing worksheets? Toss them!

I keep it in a tub only until the end of the year. Then I keep 5 max papers as a reflection of that year. Art projects are harder for me to get rid of. I like to take pictures of them and then get rid of them. One album of pictures should be easier to handle.

I feel your pain, as my oldest is in K and papers were already starting to take over the house. Advice the K teacher gave me was to go through the days folder with your child and let them tell you what they want about them. Let them pick one to hang on the fridge, put the assignments in the recycle and any projects in a big ring binder, so they can flip through any time they want. At the end of the year, throw out everything but those that have something your child described written on them, or things that will be fun to remember. Scrapbook them, or scan and print them out in a photobook.

I have this issue. My friend told me that she takes pictures of everything then throws it away. She does keep some of the originals though. She made a really nice picture book of all of the art work. It just became too much with 3 kids to keep everything.

Super favs go on the fridge for a while, then to the basement. 95% gets trashed. When they bring it home, we oooh and aaah over it, talk about it, but the second their little backs are turned, it's trashed. My mother hoarded ALL my stuff and my little brother's things from when we were little... I'm determined not to be like that. Not every scribble is save-worthy ;) Save what truly touches your heart!!

I had one area in the hallway where I would hang up their artwork or maybe a paper or project that they did a great job on. I felt this was a good way to show them that I was proud of their accomplishments. This area was ever changing and when something new came home, the old item got tossed. I would only save a few items from each year, which are stored in a large rubbermaid tote in the basement. Taking pictures of projects is a good way to keep a memory of an art project.

I have kept every paper and art project since the beginning of the year-1st grade. Surprisingly, it all fits in a large drawer and still isn't full. Obviously, teacher isn't a big worksheet fan-thank goodness! When the year is over, we will sit together on the floor and make 3 piles-keep, maybe, recycle. It only goes in keep if one of us can't live without it. I, also, have a expandable file folder and one section, only one, is labeled 1st grade so all the keep must gfit in. The stuff that's maybe goes in a pile in the hall closet and the no gets recycled immediately. After a few weeks, my son will forget the maybe pile and I'll dispose of it when he's out. Large art projects go in an art folder, but still only one or 2 for the whole year. Let's kids practice good decision-making skills.

If I really think it's great, I take a picture of it before I throw it away. (You could actually keep almost everything this way in a digital file.) 99% of the stuff I end up just tossing (after a spell on the fridge.) I am very careful to make sure they do not see it go out--often folding up the papers and putting them in a bag in the trash. To me, there is a huge difference between what my kids say is important to them and what really is. I try to determine what will truly matter to them in the end and keep only that. They really don't have the perspective at their age to determine relative importance. So I try to strike a balance between respecting and honoring them and their accomplishments and believing their every instinct about what is important.

my idea would be to scan things and save them digitally. im glad you are recycling; that is a great idea! :) at least its free (right?)

They go in a rotation ... you keep ONE bin for each kiddo that is to last from now until they are DONE with school. Once it is at max capacity things need to get weeded out before something else can go in. The constant art/papers get Fridge time ... A's get two weeks, B's get one, Art gets one, then it goes in the bin or the recycle bin. I tossed most of my own things once I got to a certain age and found a small treasure of things my mom did keep that I do still have, but I mean a manilla envelope of things is what she kept and by the time she gave it to me I forgot all about most of them. So, give things fridge time, and keep one bin for each kid and let them be active in the process it will teach them how to purge because kdis are packrats by nature