Organizing Home Communication Materials

It's Day Four of Organizing Week at Mrs. Patton's Patch.  I must say that Parent Home Communication is pretty simple in our classroom.  

To start with, I use these folders.  Our school orders them for us.  They are durable and if taken care of last the entire school year.  I label the left side with Return to School and the right side with Keep at Home.  The students bring their folders in daily.  Homework is given on Friday and due the following Friday.

When they arrive in the morning, they drop off their folder in the white tub.  This is located immediately as you come in.  I also drop off any notices from the office or myself into this tub.  This way, I don't forget to send important paper home!  As students leave in the afternoon, I check the folder for anything important.  Yes, I wait until the end of the day.  REALLY, REALLY important things,  I ask for as they enter the room.  

Excuse the mess. It's conference week.  

 I'm returning student work that I no longer need.

  

Directly under the white tub are the kids' cubbies.  I have had this my entire teaching career!  It has moved locations, rooms, and even schools.   It is nothing fancy at all.  The slots are cardboard.  Each year, I change out the names which I  labeled with my P Touch.  I teach the students to put their paper there as they complete it.  

Important work that I want to grade or keep as a portfolio piece goes in the I'm Done Box.  This is just a letter tray that sits on top of a shelf.  I have my name on it because it's my cubbie.  Homework on Friday is also turned in there.  Later that day, I go over homework with each student 1-1.  Since, I don't check everything and I tend not to use that many worksheets, this pile of paper is somewhat manageable.  If it gets out of hand, it usually means paper needs to be filed.    

I also communicate with parents via email, our classroom website, and on an individual basis.  I see many families on a daily basis so urgent matters can be handled personally.  

Thanks for taking a glimpse into my classroom.  

Happy Teaching and Learning!