Where Do You Keep All of Your School Papers???

I have two clips on the side of my fridge. One for each boy. I clip anything important. It works and the papers are not laying on my buffet in my dinning room.

I use stacking trays like they do in an office. It looks official so papers are less likely to be moved or thrown away. Mine is stacked 3 high: now (immediate attn), later (payday) and file (stuff to save for the filing cabinet).

Check at a thrift store for file trays and organizers, even cheaper than walmart.

I have 2 kids in school.
They come home with tons of papers each day, for the parents and themselves. And homework.

I keep it/school papers, that have IMMEDIATE deadlines, on my desk.
My own desk.
NOT where my Husband is or uses.

Now, I also have on our wall, in a room my husband will see.... a laundry line cutely strung up along the wall. THEN, on that line, I will clothes pin things on it... in which my husband needs to see, TOO. Per the kids and papers that come home for parents to sign/see/send money to school for.
That way, my Husband does see it and will read it. Because, it is along a wall... that my Husband frequents and will read it and it is right in front of him. Not in some 'stack' on a desk.
On each paper, on a post-it, I write the "Due Date" on it in Sharpie pen.... and attach it to each 'memo' from school.
My Husband likes the laundry line method. He told me "Good idea..." He will not go through, 'stacks' of papers on a desk.

Then, for each kid, I have a box. One for each kid. IN that, goes all their stuff they bring home/completed homework/anything that the Teacher sends home. So, my kids KNOW it is there. And if they need to look back on something, they can and know where it is.
For my daughter who is 8, I also made for her, in her desk a file system. Because she has a file drawer in her desk. I made a file folder in it, for each grade, and then SHE files away her own papers. Herself. Because I taught her how.
So that is then less paper junk from school, on my desk.

Then for me/Hubby, we have a shared online calendar, via Gmail.
It is free.
And on that I put everything and reminders for him too.
And on it, I put the DEADLINES for everything.

I have hanging file holder next to the front door on the wall.. Not pretty but practical.. Maybe you have a place you pass by each day?

I also always had the family calendar in the kitchen with a huge Clip.. I also placed things there and wrote on the calendar reminders.. Usually they were the tops of forms I had already sent in with money, so I would remember we were supposed to receive a receipt, tickets, merchandise ie. school photos, yearbooks, wrapping paper, etc...

For items that need $ for school. I have a clip for each kid on the fridge. For school papers, I have a bin I place them in until the end of each quarter and then I go thru them. We have had instances where graded papers have come home and then the teacher forgot to record them and we were able to sift thru and take the paper back in. My son, in college remembered why we kept all the papers and even did this himself once in college. It came in handy a few times there too.

I have a two slot sorter that has the mail in front and papers in back. I suppose if I ended up with more than a couple papers in there at once I could use sticky notes to differentiate between kids. So far they have never had anything going out at the same time but school pictures.

i got tired of an ugly stack of mail always piling up on my counter and bought a cute basket. if there is going to be a pile, it might as well be in something cute. we sort through it once a week or so. it doesn't work very well for us though... we still have stacks of stuff on the counter next to the basket, and all over... ack. i can't wait to read all the responses here, i can use the help too!! i HATE papers!!

I know how you feel, papers are never ending. I always say find a home for everything and get in a routine. Once you do, it helps you stay organized. My husband and I try very hard not to have papers on the kitchen counter. I'll get the mail and sift through it. Throw away whats not needed and save the bills for him. He has his own filing system and takes them into his office. If I receive a magazine I'll toss in the rack to be read.
As far as school papers, when something needs to be signed, I sign and my son places in back in his folder to return. If I recieve something that needs a check or can be turned in later I place it in a wall mounted filer on the wall. This way I know it's there and I don't have to search through a stack. When you recieve papers from school, go through them and throw away or place in your bin for a reminder. For elementary age, buy a bin for artwork and/or school work you're saving. I kept a wicker covered chest in our family room and his artwork went in there. When you have company over he could show them his work. At the end of the year I buy a storage container, label and store it in there. It goes in the basement. I know you didn't ask about mail, but thougth I'd share that, too. The main thing is, "find a home" for everything. Good luck!

I have a letter tray stack...it has six shelves. We use it for homeschooling (bottom tray is full of plain white paper, next tray full of the work that needs to be done for the day, next is the school papers we're done with and need to store, next is a few madlibs and Mr. Mystery books, fifth shelf up is a stack of drawings that need to be transferred to storage) and finally we get to the top tray, which is very visible...and in it, the things I need to deal with. I check it every day, and see what needs to be taken care of that day.

My husbands method? He tapes things to the back door so every time he walks out the door, he sees everything he's saving. I don't like having everything taped and/or magneted to my back door, which is in the kitchen, but it works for him. However, I got tired of 50 post-its, realized that wasn't working for reminders, and bought him a "To-Do" white board that also hangs on the back door. It's an eyesore, but it all works for him. :)

A bright colored folder.

My husband goes thru all our mail so luckily I don't have to deal with that. Each of our kids has their own color folder. On one side I keep the work that needs to be done, on the other is notes with reminders, etc. I look at each folder every day when the kids sit down to do homework and I sit next to them and go thru each sheet to see if money is due or something signed for the next day and if so, I stick it right in their backpack so we dont forget. I keep these folders on a little built in desk that is in our kitchen. They are in a paper tray holder that only is for school items so hubby knows not to touch it. Good luck!