Clipboard Magic

Clipping school year clutter!

By Helen Williams, The 15-Minute Mom

Back to school means back to life for most families. After a break from homework and activities, we’re ready to dive in and get ourselves back on schedule. Staying organized can be a challenge as we try to juggle the demands of school and outside activities, but with the few simple tools below, the job will be easier.

Clipboards

Inexpensive clipboards are the answer to school-year paper chaos. You will need one legal length clipboard per family member. Paint them in each child’s favourite colours and then stamp their name at the bottom. Dedicate a space in your kitchen for the clipboards.

When the kids bring papers home from school, mark important dates on the family calendar and store the paper on the appropriate clipboard. Clip only what you really need – field trip details, piano or hockey schedule, or a birthday invitation.

Put a contact sheet on the front of each clipboard so you can access important information – names, phone numbers and email addresses for the school and the child’s extracurricular activities – at a glance. Click here for a free printable download.

Fridge clips

Use a fridge clip for each family member to keep current information – the kids’ monthly calendars, spelling lists – available. Attach a magnetic name tag to the top of each clip. I use the square heavy duty clips from the local business supply store. Keep the class calendar on the top so you can quickly see what is coming up next. Also have a fridge clip for yourself for permission slips, school newsletters, and anything else that needs immediate attention. Purge your fridge clip daily.

School file

School files for each child are the best way to deal with artwork, report cards, field trip photos and such. Place the files somewhere close to the kitchen for easy filing. I put my family’s files in hanging file folders inside the pantry door. Before the kids head back to school each fall, remove the contents and put them into memory boxes or scrapbooks.

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