Back To School - Organizational Tips From Avery With Giveaway

Earlier this month Avery Dennison Office Products announced its relationship with organizational expert Jodie Watson, founder and president of Supreme Organization and the organization expert from TLC’s “Real Simple. Real Life” television show. Watson shares her expertise in an effort to help kids prepare for back-to-school and stay organized for a more successful and productive year. Recently, Avery Dennison became the first and only school and office supply manufacturer to join Box Tops for Education® which helps parents and communities earn much-needed cash for schools.

“Organizing schoolwork and materials allows kids to organize their minds so they are better able to focus on their studies,” says Watson. “It also helps children to be less stressed. When they know where their work is and are able to find what they need when they need it, they don’t waste time and energy looking for lost or misplaced papers, and have more time to get their assignments done well and in a timely fashion.”

Jodie Watson’s Back to School Organizing Tips, by Grade

Kindergarten – 2nd Grade

• Create a binder to house the best of your child’s school work as they go through the school year. Use a template to create the front cover and spine of the binder with your child’s name, school, year, etc. Use dividers to make sections for homework, artwork, certificates of recognition, awards, projects, etc. Keep papers inside sheet protectors so the work will stay in good condition. Take pictures of any larger artwork or projects they make and place the photo in the binder. Photos can be printed as large as 10’x8” for best viewing. At the end of the school year, you will have a completed binder with all their best work.
• Use permanent markers to write your child’s name and a contact number on their backpack & lunchbox in case they get lost or left at school.

3rd – 5th Grade

• Place a dry erase calendar where you and your child can see and reach it. With a marker write down all the upcoming school dates for the year – school breaks, events, field trips. As you go through the year, use the calendar to track project due dates and help your child to schedule in the days they will be working on long term homework assignments in order to complete them on time. Calendar can also include play-dates, parties, doctor’s appointments, and sports or dance lessons. This is a great way to introduce your child to project management at an easy to understand level. If you have more than one child, use a different color marker for each one to easily differentiate between their schedules.

6th – 8th Grade

• Help your child create a fully personalized, unique binder with Avery Signature Binders to organize their work for the upcoming school year. They could use one binder to hold all of their class work or individual binders for each class they will be taking. Use dividers to create separate sections for each course or class, such as: history, math, science, and/or create separate sections within each class, such as: notes, assignments, handouts, etc. Label each divider with a permanent marker or print labels on your computer so you can clearly see which section is which. Insert a copy of your child’s class schedule into a sheet protector and place at the front of the binder. For each class make a cover sheet with the class name, teacher, room number, location, days/times of classes. Place the class info cover sheets into sheet protectors and insert into the binder at the front of the section for that particular class.
• Encourage your child to use a highlighter to empathize important content while taking class notes or on handouts. This will help them to find relevant content later on when they are studying.

Here are some of Watson’s helpful hints to prepare for back-to-school and get organized for a successful year with Avery Dennison school and office supplies.

• Color-code and label prominently. Use different color binders for each subject and label the front cover and spine. Include a name and contact number in case the binder gets lost or left at school.
• Place a dry erase monthly calendar in the study area at home. Use dry erase markers to note days/times of classes, and when assignments or papers are due. Use different color markers for each class to easily differentiate them.
• Create a desktop file system in your study area at home. Color-code file folders for each subject to match the color-coding system in the binders. Make file folder labels on the computer or using a permanent marker so each folder can be easily identified.

“More than 600 Avery brand products will carry Box Tops coupons, including labels, binders, dividers, highlighters, glue sticks and more,” said Jeff deLeon, group product manager, Avery Dennison Office Products. “Students can get organized and ready for back-to-school while also earning cash for their schools by clipping and submitting the coupons.” In the 2008-2009 school year alone, US schools earned a record-breaking $50.6 million through Box Tops for Education. The cash will be used to fund valuable programs, and purchase supplies, equipment, uniforms and more.

Specific Avery products participating in Box Tops for Education include Avery® Durable and Heavy Duty binders, Index Maker® dividers, Avery® sheet protectors, address and shipping labels, Hi-Liter® highlighters, Marks-A-Lot® dry erase and permanent markers, Avery® glue sticks, name badges, and T-shirt transfers. For more information, visit www.avery.com/btfe.

About Avery Dennison Office Products

Avery Dennison Office Products group markets products under the well-known Avery brand name and is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of self-adhesive labels for laser and ink jet printers, labeling software, binders, sheet protectors, index and tab dividers and other office-, home- and school-related supplies. Avery Dennison Office Products, a business unit of Avery Dennison Corporation, is based in Brea, California.

For more information about Avery-brand products, consumers can visit the Avery Dennison Worldwide Office Products Web site at www.avery.com or call the Avery Dennison Consumer Service Center at 1-800-GO-AVERY (1-800-462-8379). Avery and all other Avery brands and product names are trademarks of Avery Dennison Corporation.

Box Tops for Education
America’s schools have earned more than $300 million through Box Tops for Education since the program started in 1996. Thousands of schools have used that cash to purchase items such as computers, library books, art supplies and playground equipment. Schools can earn up to $80,000 per year, to spend on anything they choose, by clipping Box Tops coupons from hundreds of products, shopping online through the Box Tops Marketplace® and Reading RoomSM, and purchasing items from My Class EssentialsTM registries. To learn more about the program, visit www.btfe.com. Box Tops for Education is a registered trademark of General Mills, used under license.

WIN IT!

One winner will receive a gift basket valued at about $50 containing many of the products that Jodie Watson references in her tips for getting kids prepared for back-to-school including: glue sticks, sheet protectors, binder, Hi-Liters, etc. And of course the awesome Box Tops for Education coupons!

HOW TO ENTER. (MANDATORY)

To enter leave a comment on this post telling me what school supply you never seem to have enough of in your home.

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Leave an additional comment for each entry you qualify for. You must have completed the first entry according to the instructions to be eligible for any bonus entries.

THE SMALL PRINT.

US addresses only please. This contest will end on Thursday 08/27/09 at 11:59 pm est.  If you’ve entered any of my giveaways before then you know that only comments containing all of the requested information will be eligible for entry. The winner must contact me to confirm they wish to receive the prize within two days of my email notifying them they’ve won.  Good luck to everyone!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Filed Under: Education • Giveaways

Tags: Avery Dennison, back to school, Box Tops For Education, organization