How to

I am starting a school chess tournament for 3,4,and 5th graders. Any advice?

Uh...what kind of advice are you looking for?

 Well, the club is new and I am not an expert player and have never been in a tournament let alone run one...I thought if there was someone out there who has done this before with young ones it might help me avoid mistakes. For example, 30 students have signed up for the clube but last week only 20 came. If we start a tournament, what do I do with the ones who do not come the first week of the tournament but then come the second week? 

I've never ran one either. I'm sure someone who has ran a tournement will chew me out for such inadequate advice...but...I see three options:

1) You group those who didn't come the first week togeather and let them compete amongst themselves until they are "in the same round" as the rest of the students.

2) You start a seperate tournement for these students...assuming there's enough.

3) You say: "I'm sorry, but you didn't make it on time...I can't let you enter the tournement. But you can play with someone else, and you can certainly sign up when I host my next tournement."

Other than that, I'm not really sure. You're running the event, so you have the power to choose whatever solution seems most viable to you. Just try to be fair about it :)