School Year Binders and Free Printables

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Can you believe we've already been back at school for a week? I've already got a stack of papers piling up on my counter from my three kids' classes. To help keep you (and me) from drowning in paperwork, I've created some organizing printables and put together a School Year Binder! Just say "no!" to paper stacks!

Just in the first week, I've gotten classroom policy papers, grading rubrics, book report instructions, homework helps, permission slips, newsletters, PTO papers, etc. With three kids, I know I have to keep this stuff organized or I'll never be able to find it when I need it. Here's my solution: 1. Purchase a three-ring binder. I bought some cheap 1 1/2 inch binders from Walmart so I can personalize them for my kids. 2. Purchase 3M Post-it® Super Sticky Notes, Flags , Page Markers and Adhesive Tabs. (More on these later) I also found these at Walmart back in the regular office section, though they also had a few up front in the Back to School special area.

3. Design and print out dividers to keep my papers organized in sections. Sure I could buy cheap ones and just write on them, but these are much cuter ;)

4. Organize my papers into the following sections:

Papers to Return to School- things like permission slips, order forms, or other communication that needs to go back within a week or two.
Weekly Newsletter and Communications- each child gets a weekly class newsletter that includes upcoming dates, important information, and what they are working on in class. I also get monthly newsletters from the school and the PTO, as well as other occasional communications that I want to keep safe for future reference.
Reading Lists and Book Reports- my children do quarterly book reports, and the instructions are crucial. Since we tend to wait until the last minute, I need to keep these safe until we're ready to work on them.
Classroom Policies and Procedures- at the beginning of the year, we get one from each classroom teacher, each "special area" teacher, and a large handbook from the school. I like to keep these on hand for reference in case of any problems or questions.

5. Finish off with my Post-it® Note Schedule in the very front of each binder. I printed off a template to put the sticky notes on each week. Then I can write down any tests they have, any events going on, or anything big that's due that week so I can plan ahead with just a quick glance. I carry a planner but I'm all about multiple reminders!

The 3M Post-it® Flags and Page Markers are super helpful for me! I use them in two different ways.

First, I attach them to any paper that has to go back to school. I write the date it's due on the flag so that I don't forget! I don't know about you, but filing papers sometimes means out of sight, out of mind. So this helps me pay attention to things that are important.

Second, I use the Post-it® Page Markers to mark anything important on the papers I am keeping at home, so in the future I can easily turn to something I need among all the papers I will have collected by then. It will save me a lot of time scanning and reading trying to find it if it is already marked with a flag!