Dear Shayna B.,

First of all, I love your advice. It helps me through my problems.

I have a serious problem at school. I am very disorganized and my papers are everywhere! It makes me feel sad that all my friends are neat and I’m messy. I can never turn in homework on time. Please help me with my problems!

Signed,

Messy Meyer

Dear Messy Meyer,

I am alway happy to hear from a fan. I’m going to tell you something that may come as a shock to you. I am not the most organized person in the universe. I’m pretty unorganized, even bordering on disorganized at times as well.

I’m so glad that you wrote this question. I’ve been meaning to do something about my own problem so this is very applicable to me, as well as many others, I’m sure. Let’s do something about our messiness as we start this new school year. Here are some suggestions that I think will be beneficial for all. As school is full of rules, I made my own. I call them:

The 4 Commandments of Neatness to Success:

1. Thou Shalt Not Bring Home Clutter: Go through your papers at the end of every week and see which papers you need and which papers you don’t need. Make sure to throw out the papers you don’t need. Extra points if you do this at school so you don’t clutter your bookbag with them before the weekend starts.

2. Thou Shalt Not Have a Messy Desk/Locker: Do not shove your books into your desk/locker. You must organize them nicely. If you spill something on your desk, you must clean it right away.

3. Thou Shalt Highlight That Which Is Important: Make sure to highlight anything that is important. This includes, but is not limited to, homework assignments and upcoming tests. If it pops out at you, you’ll be more likely not to overlook it.

4. Thou Shalt Not Forget: Set yourself many reminders of different sorts. You can tape notes on the end of your bed saying, “Remember to take your homework into class.” You can set alarms so you won’t forget.

These are just a few ideas that I think will help. I always say, “New school year, new day. New day, new way.” What this means is, let’s have a fresh start on the first day of your new grade. But if none of these options work, l hear homeschooling is easier.

Best of luck,

Shayna B.

Last week’s word scramble was … You’re unique!

This week’s scramble is … I ANWT OT EB ETAN NAD IDTY.

Shayna is a fifth grader and understands what kids in elementary school are going through. She is happy to help others navigate this tricky time. She can be reached at [email protected]. She is looking forward to hearing from you soon.