Storing School Info

I find it so funny that we do certain things and we have this belief about ourselves and think other people won't find our functional routines... beneficial. (I guess is the word?) I was talking to my bestie about this and how for 2 years I have not published a post about back to school things I do because people won't find them useful... or worse, stupid. So it is time to face my fear and just write this post!
I am sure I am not alone in this need-for-control-in-all-things nerd category!

For the 2013-'14 school year I have 5 kids going back to school! That is 5 different sets of contact information to store! And for the older 2 now in middle school having 7 teachers each...that is 14 more records to keep track of. Have you ever accidentally tried to check your child out during lunch? That is a nightmare! So for my 5 children that equals 16 teachers' phone/emails, 2 school's main office numbers, 5 lunch times, 3 recess times, 2 locker combos and  a class bell schedule. Huh? Never really calculated that out before, have you?

Now, where do you keep this novel of information? You might need to have it on your person in case of emergency, right? I hate filling my purse with unnecessary things, so I will not put it there. But I do carry a planner. So that is where it goes in my life.  I love technology and all it has to offer, but it has never replaced pencil and paper for me. I also print a full size copy for my command binder which is stored in my kitchen, and everyone knows where it is located.

Sorry, I didn't put their actual emails as I didn't think they wanted this info public :)

I use a simple spreadsheet-one for the middle school kiddos, one for the elementary kids, and another 2 for the bell schedules of each school. (Why not add a little color if you can? I use my kids' favorite color for their name banner. They think it is cool. ;) To get this information, might require a little bit of work and time but it will surely payoff in a pinch.

Here's what I do... with a pen and paper handy, I call the main office of the elementary. I ask what time the ____(fill in the blank with your student's grade level) graders go to lunch. I ask for all of my kids' lunch time. I then ask what time they have morning and/or afternoon recess. My middle schoolers just tell me what lunch they have and what time it starts. For Middle School bell information, our schools have online registration now, and they give you the bell schedules in PDF format. You can print that at different sizes as well.

Because I print a lot of info for storage in my planner, I have purchased a 7 hole punch and blank printable sheets. Ultimately, it ended up being worth it to me. But you can always print on a full size sheet and trim it down and use a handheld punch if you line up the holes with the rings in your planner.

I store this information in my planner and I use my alphabetical tabs to file information. Here is how I use my alphabetical contact tabs for more than contacts. When I make lists like Master To-Do, or Books to Read, or even a Wish List (nope, I do not have a Bucket List, I know-sad!) I file it under the letter I name it. So if I have this as School Info I file it under the letter S for School Info. (And I have an Organizational To-Do List under O, and a Master To-Do list under M, Wish List under W... yeah I am a nerd that way).

So yeah, this was a really quick post on how I keep all those teeny details in one place so you don't need to worry about them until next year! What information do you keep in your planner? Am I missing out on something big?