School's Out!

My daughter came home from school last week with an overflowing backpack. "We cleaned out our lockers today!" she said. Here is what came out of the backpack:

While I love seeing all of the projects, worksheets and doodles she brings home throughout the school year, I was at a loss for what to do with it all. For awhile the "keepers" were tossed into a dresser drawer.  The criteria for "keepers" is this:

• Uses imagination
• Colorful
• Original art projects
• Something with a writing sample to see how she has progressed (plus kids' writing is so sweet!)
• Anything that is a self portrait

Luckily she knows that we can't keep it all. I would have to rent a storage unit!

So back to the pile on my living room floor. I divided it into three groups: trash (Try to recycle as much as you can. Most of the worksheets can be recycled with office paper.), "keepers," and supplies we can use next year or play "school" with.

A couple months ago I found these really pretty storage boxes at Target. I LOVE their Liberty of London collection. I couldn't decide what pattern I liked the best so I bought all three of the contenders. I cleaned out the dresser drawer and put it all in one of the boxes. At least I made sure I wrote the date on the back of each paper before it got tossed into the drawer. Now I just date the new "keepers" as they come home and toss them into the box. One box has been big enough for three grades worth of papers and projects.

Maybe this summer will be paper-free! But with my craft-loving girl, I doubt it!! :-)