The Kindergarten Briefcase

The connection between home and school is huge! And this a conversation that could go on and on...do you have a class website? Do you send home a newsletter? Do you email? How do you stay in contact.

As for me: Yes  I have a website....No, I don't do an actual newsletter anymore, but I do send email updates about our curriculum and upcoming events about every other week. So this has replaced what used to be a hard copy newsletter. In addition, my class website will have dates and info that is useful to the families.

Now what about getting home all the other stuff? You know...their work! Any paperwork from the office or the PTA? Have you ever passed out what feels like a million papers, assignments, reminders, etc... and then after you dismiss them there are at least ten papers on the ground and who even knows how many other things were lost between point A and B.

In other grades it's called a backpack... yes, I know. But I feel in kindergarten and perhaps first grade it is just too hard for them to manipulate and I know that some parents never look in the backpack.

And although it may be great for outgoing papers...what about incoming!? I don't have time to fish through 29 backpacks to see if any parent has sent in lunch money or wants to order a school t-shirt? Right?

So I have a take home folder... again, other grades use these for classwork and assignments and they go home once a week {maybe a Friday Folder.... a Take Home Tuesday or I have even seen  a Weekly Wednesday Update} Again, that works in some cases... but for me I wanted a daily folder... yes, every single day!

{The Kindergarten Helper is from Michelle at Fabulous in First}

I call it a briefcase... and I tell them that just like their mom and dad may have a briefcase that they take to work EVERY day... so do they. Now I will say the word "briefcase" is becoming similar to the word "typewriter." Right? But it isn't obsolete yet and it lends itself to a fun discussion when the briefcases are first introduced.

The top reason I love having these...organization! I don't wonder if things get into the hands of the parents.....The parents know to look in and empty the briefcase daily.

I am lucky to have several parent volunteers who help to keep this process working. Their number one job - empty any incoming paperwork and put these puppies in number order {you can see the number in the top corner of the side with the opening.


I explain to the parents that this "briefcase" is to come to school each and every day. If they have a note, money, order form, etc for me it must be in the briefcase as I will not be checking bags or lunch boxes.

The kids walk in class and put them here:

After the parents or aide {or ME...during my lunch} empty them and put them in order the fill them with anything ready to go home.

 Or a close up shot:

I have tried this a million ways, but I am happy with just my three tabs in back... my favorite is "extra copies."

You know when a parent says... do you have another picture day form? or who knows what they need... and I think... hmm, I probably have that in one of my 18 million piles... well now... all I do is....

take a peek in Extra Copies.. and it saves me time and makes me appear a bit more organized.


The daily folder may seem like a lot of work, but I have found it much more effective than a once a week type of thing with the little learners.

What do you do to make sure those important documents are seen by parents??