![]() ![]() If you do need to address a serious issue in the newsletter, consider your tone. “If you are having a serious problem with one family following a policy or guideline, it is always best to have a private conversation with them rather than posting a blanket announcement in your bulletin.” ![]() This communication tool should be positive and uplifting, not nagging,” writes teacher Roz Addler at The Empowered Provider. ![]() “It’s never a good idea to rant or vent in your newsletter. Focus on the best parts of the classroom, rather than issues you may be having with a few students or parents. Use your newsletter to convey important information and positive stories within your classroom. This also helps parents who are illiterate or use accessibility tools to engage with written material.Īs you get to know the parents of your students, you can identify additional ways to accommodate them to make communication easier. You can add a QR code that links to a video recording. Include audio or video recordings of the content.Read the newsletter with your students during class so they can tell their parents what is included in the content.Avoid using online translators that might create confusion or change the tone of your message.Todd Finley, associate professor of English Education at East Carolina University, says teachers can take the following steps to increase inclusivity in their classroom newsletters: It’s possible that not all parents in your classroom are English speakers or are able to read the newsletters you send out. The next time a parent has a problem, they might feel more comfortable approaching you instead of keeping the issue to themselves. “Parents and carers are more likely to come to you to discuss an issue, become involved…or offer positive feedback if they feel you are interested and not just the person running the show.” “Always start your newsletters with a personal note,” writes Solomon O’Chucks at Profitable Venture Magazine. This makes you seem human and more engaging. ![]() It’s okay to introduce your classroom newsletter with a quick note to parents or a personal connection with the students. A twice-monthly newsletter might be more reasonable with your workload. It’s okay if you can’t handle a weekly newsletter as long as parents get the information they need. Remember: less content isn’t a bad thing…we’re looking at quality over quantity.” “When parents know when to expect your content, they’ll be looking for it. “Choose a day, time, and frequency for sending your newsletter,” writes Mia Charette, director of demand generation at Finalsite. “If you find you have too much text to add sufficient white space, reduce your font size a little bit.”Ĭommit to a newsletter schedule that you know you can follow - even when your own schedule gets busy. “Adding more white space to your newsletter can easily be achieved by increasing your page margins and the space around individual blocks of text or images,” she explains. “If your newsletter has very little white space – the space on the page that contains no text or graphics – your readers will have a hard time getting through it,” writes Jennifer Gonzalez, former teacher, now editor in chief at Cult of Pedagogy. It makes your newsletter look easier to read. White space can make your newsletter more scannable and less intimidating. “Make it look good, simplify messages, and provide a link to the school website where they can get more information.” Make Room for White Space “Newsletters should look more like an infographic than a novella,” writes Emily Boyle at School Webmasters. Ask a fellow teacher to look at your mock-up and point out what they see first. By adding “quick highlights and bold sections, you can make your newsletter scannable for the parents who read it,” she adds.Įvaluate the format of your newsletter to make sure the most important sections catch the reader’s eye. “Parents want to be able to scan and digest the school newsletter and read the sections they’re interested in,” says Jenn Horton at WeAreTeachers. You also don’t want to overwhelm or bore them, causing them to stop reading. You don’t want parents to get distracted by one piece of information that causes them to ignore the rest. The most important thing to remember in your newsletter is to keep it scannable. If you are developing a newsletter for the first time or want to update your existing one, follow these 12 tips to create a valuable classroom newsletter that will engage both your students and their parents. Even with social media, texting and other forms of communication, many teachers still continue to use print and digital newsletters to keep parents in the loop. In the digital era, these messages have become virtual and have continued to thrive. Classroom newsletters have been used for decades as a way to connect parents with the material their kids are learning. ![]()
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