I found these tips for going back to school the "green" way. I thought they were pretty interesting, especially about asking the kids to turn off the computer at the power strip when done using it. I've read before that doing this can save you up to $100 per year.

Anyone else have back to school green tips?

http://www.democracyfornewhampshire.com/node/view/4546

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

Support your teacher's efforts to conserve paper. Must every little homework assignment, permission slip, fundraiser, lunch menu and event announcement be copied onto a full-sized sheet of paper and sent home with every single kid - IN MULTIPLES?!?!?! Really, I check the school's website for announcements. I'm up to date on what is happening. Let me sign one permission slip for the whole year and get it over with - or better yet let me do an electronic signature. Let me pay for events or fundraisers with an electric funds transfer. Let me even do the book orders, school photo orders, school lunch orders that way. Instead of writing a note to explain an absence, let me e-mail the teacher. Have the kids write down their homework assignments in a dayplanner. The teacher can e-mail me, too.

There is so much paper that is generated at school. Every September I can feel the avalanche coming.

At the end of the school year, tear out all the used pages in the multitude of notebooks that they use and use the leftover paper at home. Or perhaps, let the kids re-use last years notebook that still has lots of paper in it.

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Very interesting concept- schools going "semi-paperless". And wouldn't that truly help the school's budget, if most of this could be done via e-mail? I wonder if there are legal issues involved for field trips- needing a signature on paper for each event? But other things, reminders, school photos... seems like those would be fairly easy to do on-line.

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

I have two kids in school now and have double of all the info coming home!! I know my dd's teacher let's them use leftover papers and handouts to draw on or she will reuse and print a new letter on the back of the old one....love it!!!! My husband belongs to a local Masonic fraternity....I am totally amazed at how much mail they send....and the letters are usually about how much money they need because they are running out!! I wonder why...he has even received letters to let him know to watch for a future mailing!! hellooooooo how much sense does this make!!!!!

Our brownie troop is going to start a recycling program at their school...challenging each classroom to recycle and see which classroom recycles the best....we also paired up with our electric company last year and handed out donated energy efficient lightbulbs...two to every family in the school....

I have 3 in school so I get triple everything. It's very annoying. I do recycle them at home but would love it if I only got one or better yet an email.

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At your school's parent council meeting - or equivalent - you could suggest that they institute a "letter-carrier" rule. Our two schools have a designated letter carrier, either the oldest OR the youngest child in each family, and they are the only one to ge the general school letters. Of course you'd still need to get letters and notices from the individual teachers, but it would save getting some of it in duplicate and triplicate. I also DREAD the paper avalanche - more so because I am a Brownie leader and we have so much paperwork we have to give the parents as they register their girls. Well, good luck to us all getting the schools to change for the better! We need to do something to improve the way it is now!!

That is an excellent idea- thanks for sharing!

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

I was just thinking about this! I have two boys, so the I had two thick school policy books sent home, two school lunch program, the list goes on. I will also suggest that they do the "mail carrier" system or better yet allow the parents to opt to get these things paperless though their email. Thanks for the inspiration!