W.O.L.F.
Binders
Wonderfully
Organized
Little
Friends
What
is a W.O.L.F. Binder?
The W.O.L.F. Binder is a
three-ring binder that the third graders in my class will use
everyday to help develop their organizational skills and promote
responsibility. Third grade is a big transitional year,
where the students will become more independent and really need a
good organizational foundation to build upon. It
contains labeled folders, pockets and sheet protectors. This
Binder is a way of maintaining effective communication between home
and school. Hopefully this binder will help eliminate
the lost notes and disorganized backpacks.
Why is
it called a W.O.L.F. Binder?
The acronym W.O.L.F.
stands for
Wonderfully
Organized Little
Friends. Our school mascot is a wolf,
so I wanted to create a way to incorporate that!
What
will I find inside?
Inside your W.O.L.F. Binders, you will find these components:
| Money
Pocket |
This is a small,
zipper pouch in the front of the binder. It can be
used for lunch money, field trip money, Binder orders or any
other money that may need to be turned in at school.
Please do not use it to transport any school supplies, it
is not that durable. |
| Take
Home/ Bring Back Folder |
This
is a red plastic folder located behind the money pocket.
The Indian Prairie Assignment Notebook can stay in this
folder as well. The Take Home part may include mail,
notes from Mrs. Pearce or the school, homework and
completed work. The Bring Back part may contain
completed homework or notes for Mrs. Pearce. |
| Labeled
Sheet Protectors |
Behind
the red folder, there are several clear sheet protectors.
These are used to help preserve important classroom/school
information.
Here is what you will find:
- Class List/Daily Schedule
- Lunch Menu
- Weekly Newsletter
- School Calendar/Volunteer Calendar
- Homework Helper:
multiplication table, number grid, etc.
- Handwriting Template
- W.E.B. Log
Other sheet protectors
may be added if a need exists. |
W.O.L.F.
Binder Rules
-
Please do
NOT draw or doodle in your W.O.L.F. Binder. Treat it with
respect. Take good care of your W.O.L.F. Binder, you will
have it all year!
-
Please do
NOT let any of your friends have anything out of your W.O.L.F.
Binder. Our class is SO lucky and special, that we are the
only one to use these binders. You have a unique and
special privilege!
-
Please do
NOT put any supplies or heavy items in your money
pocket.
-
Use your
W.O.L.F. Binder! It is your useful, organizational tool.
If you listen and put the papers and other items into the
designated area, you will be organized! Every paper has a
home...I shouldn't see your backpack a mess.
-
When you
receive a new item, such as a newsletter or spelling list,
remove the old item.
-
Keep it
clean. Try not to eat or drink anything near it (so that
it doesn't get spilled on). Remember, this needs to last
you the whole school year.
-
Bring your
W.O.L.F. Binder home with you every night and bring it back to
school every morning. When you have completed your
homework at home, immediately put it back into your W.O.L.F. Binder.
-
Share your
W.O.L.F. Binder with your family every day. They will be
so proud of your wonderful organizational skills!
Download a
W.O.L.F. Binder contract
here. You will receive
one with your W.O.L.F. Binder.
Create
Your Own W.O.L.F. Binder
Materials
you will need...
-
A 1 inch
notebook per student
-
Sheet
Protectors (5-7 per binder- depends on what you put in your
binder)
-
Labels
(address or shipping labels)
-
Pencil
Pouch (1 per binder)
-
1 Plastic
Folder (1 per binder)
-
Anything
else you feel will enhance your binder!
Recommendations
and Tips
-
This year
I used plain, black binders vs. the clear ones with clear
viewing areas to save some money. The black ones were fine and
are part of our school colors, but the labels I put onto it
fell off easily and in the future I plan to spend the money on
the white binders with view areas.
-
I
personally covered the cost of the binders for this school
year. I get money from our district and money from our
PTA for beginning of the year costs. I plan to use most
of my money from those things to cover the cost of the binders
this year. I have read and heard of other teachers that
have gone to their PTA and got the entire cost covered, others
that have talked to various supply stores and had different
materials donated. It doesn't hurt to look around! My
advice- check the ads and back to school sales if you are
paying for the whole thing on your own. Wal-Mart, Target
and any supply stores (Office Max, Office Depot and Staples)
all run specials throughout the summer, so shop around.
-
I read
that a lot of the people use the 2x4 inch shipping labels.
That is great, but I figured if I was going to make 25-30
binders, I would need 3 sheets of shipping labels for just one
sheet protector in every binder. I planned on labeling
several different things, and to spend the extra money on
shipping labels seemed silly. I used the 1x2 1/2 inch
mailing/address labels since there were 30 per sheet. It
was more economical for me. Plus I use that sized label
for my student's folders and workbooks. Just do whatever
works best for you!
-
These binders have been a HUGE
success! The parents enjoy these binders and it helps
the students stay organized. I will definitely use these
in my room for years to come!
Pictures of
the W.O.L.F. Binder (thumbnails- please click on a picture to
enlarge)
Other
Resources
Enjoy and
care for your W.O.L.F. Binder!
Graphics from
www.thistlegirldesigns.com,Microsoft,
http://free-stock-photos.com/animal/wolf/wolf.html
