Key School Friday Folder “How To” Guidelines

Every week, students bring home a Friday Folder containing work, flyers, forms, and other important communications and documents – a wealth of information is transmitted through the Friday Folders! To make the Friday Folder system work, we need parents to volunteer every Friday to assemble the Friday Folders for the homeroom teachers. Doing Friday Folders for a class can take from 30-60 minutes. (But the more often you volunteer, the better you get at doing them!) Folders generally can be done anytime during the day on Friday. They just need to be assembled by 3:15 so that the folders are ready when the students are dismissed. Check with the homeroom teacher to determine what time he or she opens her class in the morning so that for your planning purposes, you know how early you can have access to the classroom to pick up the Friday Folders and papers.

When you arrive at the school, sign in with the front office and get a volunteer sticker. Check the homeroom teacher’s mail box for any papers that need to be distributed in the folders. Then head to the classroom. The homeroom teachers will have bins/baskets of the Friday Folders and papers. You should take the bins/baskets into the hallway to work on the Friday Folders. (The teachers will be instructing students or doing other work. So, the teachers generally will not be able to have conversation with you when you are there to do Friday Folders.)

The papers will consist, generally speaking, of class work, grade-specific flyers, and school- wide flyers. You will need to put the classwork and flyers into each student’s folder – many parents will first alphabetize the folders to make the process easier. Folders with a sticker of the earth on the cover do not need to get the school-wide flyers -- their older siblings will receive those flyers. This is an eco-friendly way to cut down on the paper that goes home.

Once you have assembled all the folders, you should put each folder on top of each student’s cubby. You likely will need to leave the empty baskets/bins outside the classroom door because the teacher will likely be instructing the students and the teachers ask for as few interruptions as possible. Feel free to call or email me, Corinne Niosi, with any questions at [email protected] or (202) 487-4691. Thanks very much for taking part in Friday Folders – they are a “Key” way for the teachers, school, and PTA to communicate with you!