Keeping Them Organized...

Take a trip to Ikea! (I miss that store....we moved from MN and don't have one close by now.)

We got the extra large organization boxes to put school paper work in. I just clean out the backpack and do a quick sort. I fill out papers immediately and put back in the folder to send back, put the completed work in the big box, and then that leaves just the assignments to complete.

One calendar is better than 4. It's easy to over look something if it's all spread out. I know some moms color coordinate things on the calendar or use that function on their Outlook type calendars.

Whatever you use for the flyers (corkboard or fridge), keep it streamlined and cleaned off as often as possible. I use strong magnet men for each kid's important papers that need to be used often.

And then go to Ikea......for me, if for no other reason. ;-)

Boards didn't work very well for me. At least not alone. A cork board (that you can divide into sections for each child) might be good, but you'll need somewhere to put papers that have to be signed/returned also.
(from picture day payments, to field trip permission slips, to sign ups to bring this or that, to graded papers, etc... there will be TONS of stuff that has to go back by x date---for each child).

What I never managed to remember to do (until I did online virtual school last year) was to get a vertical slot thingee. I don't know what you call them, but for homeschool (not quite the same needs) I got the vertical magazine holders and set them on my desk. Each child's folders for various things went into it, for easy access. Along with my own daily planner.

For returning papers and such to school, what I think would be ideal would be one of those mail/letter things, that you keep track of bills with. 30 vertical slots just wide enough for a few pieces of mail each (or something like that). You could label slots M-F for each child, and put any paperwork that needs to be returned in the appropriate slot. Set it under the corkboard near your exit for school. As you head out each morning, you can check (or the kids can) to see if anyone has anything due that day.

You do end up with flyers and things that really just need to be stuck on a cork-board until the event is over. You could probably get a dry erase calendar with the cork-board strip across the bottom. Use the calendar to write stuff on the appropriate dates, and the cork strip to tack up the associated flyers (with all the details pertinent to the events). Then have the slots underneath on the counter for things that have to go back to school.

As for papers coming home? I have 2 drawers in a side board that are full of such items. Every year I think: "I need to go through that stuff and trash most of it", but I never get it done. I saved almost all of my son's kindergarten papers. I was glad later, because it gave me hard evidence of his handwriting struggles and exactly what he was (and wasn't) doing... when my brain just couldn't remember the details any longer. :)

And when they are older, they might enjoy reading some of their short stories and sentences, etc.

Fridge works too! Get the huge magnets made by ACCO and decorate them with each child or just put their names on each. Tell them they are responsible at some point in the day after school (you pick that time) to show mommy everything. Everything they have for you to look at, sign, keep, goes on the fridge(for your review when they have gone to bed).
Sit them at the table after they have cleaned out their bags and go over their days and what is expected....homework, test. projects. You have to get yourself a calendar book and organize as well. Whatever is on their schedule, is now on your schedule. Consistency is key, so try and instill this new behavior as soon as you can and daily. For example; Once they are home, tell them what to do, hang up jackets, change clothes, small snack and come sit with mom at the table. Tell them what you expect of them and always be there to help. By 2 weeks, they should know what they need to do and all you should have to say is, ok guys, I'll see you at the table in 15minutes. It's a kind of conference that you all have at the same time, everyday and you discuss whatever necessary. When they are off to bed, you review whatever is on the fridge or you can review it while you are in "conference." Worked for me and my 3. Don't forget, you need a calendar for you too. Good luck!

I'm a mom of 5, soon to be 6. My kids are 12th, 9th, 1st, Preschool, & our baby is at home with me. I have always had a family calendar easily accessible to everyone in the kitchen (our families Grand Central). Every appointment, even mine & husband's are written there. For homework, I used to used a whiteboard, but I would eventually forget to write things down so I use magnet clips for the "homework" side of the fridge (everyone gravitates toward the fridge). Any immediately important papers are clipped there at eye level to the owner. Later date papers are attached to the calendar for me & husband or in the back of the child's "clip file". I make copies of anything important to file away. I go through backpacks after school & after kids' bedtimes if necessary. It's really just have a little "desk station" near the door with "inboxes" & our eye level clips. I also check the calendar every evening & send reminder texts to my teens. My system may not work for everyone, but it works very well for us.

Hooks on the wall for backpacks, baskets for each kids little things like books etc.. a 3 drawer unit for homework or papers to be signed, a cork board for flyers that need to be remembered and a giant calendar.

I have a kindergartner, 1st grader & 3rd grader, YIKES

When they come home, they put all paperwork, schoolwork in a 3 tiered office paper holder (from Ikea), each kid has a 'slot'.

When it's time to do homework, I sit each kid down and put their homework in front of them. Every evening I go thru all the other paperwork & sort thru. I hate clutter, so I trash the garbage right a way.

Completed homework goes in a large plastic 3 drawer cart (it's large 21x15x24) from Walmart. It needs to be big for those big projects and end of last school year it got filled. At the end of the school year, I will go thru it & keep what I want.

I also have a large cork board (ikea). I keep calendars, schedules, etc on this.

I'm sure I will tweak things in the future but this is really working for all of us right now. Good luck

I bought the magnetic pockets, the plastic kind. Homework for the next day gets done immediately. Projects, practice and spelling tests go in another. And then I have another one as a catch all...the lunch calendar, volunteer requests, etc. Under that we have a dry erase board that we switch out monthly. Seems to work rather well. It's cheap and doesn't take up a bunch of space. When my three year old hits school age, she'll just have her own color pockets.

If you want something the kids can see and access, I'd get one or two dry erase calendars. The ones that are about 3x4 feet for one month. Fine point dry erase markers and a different color for each kid. That can help you keep track of appointments and assignments.

I am more techy, so I would set up a calendar online. Yahoo is free and you can set email reminders to send however far in advance you want.

As far as papers, sort immediately and toss what you don't need. An accordion folder can help you file keep items quickly and you can purge as needed.

We have a paper wall calendar for the whole family, as well as my carrying a planner/book-style calendar in my purse - I keep them matching with each other. It has several "lines" in each extra large date square, and I have a 4 color pen so each of us has a color ( purple, green, pink, blue) for our items and then we use black for whole family things.

As for folder/paperwork stuff coming home from the kids, I go through it every day right when we get home - completed/graded work goes in a big "memory box" ( one for each kid in the basement) to be sorted at the end of the school year, long term things to use or remember go on the side of the fridge and get written on the calendars ( school lunch menu, flyers, invitations), homework and any permission slips etc. get done immediately, and put right back in the folders in the bakcpacks, on the hooks right by the back door. I only have Kindergartern and pre-k so far, so not too much of that, yet!