6 School Newsletter Ideas To Keep Parents Reading
Remember the days when school newsletters were crumpled relics that parents unearthed from their student’s backpack at the end of the week/month/year? Those days are over! Most school newsletters are delivered to parents via email and/or posting to the school blog, so you’re essentially competing with other websites for parents’ attention. The bar has been raised!
The layout of your newsletter is vital. We’ve all seen chaotic and distracting websites or online articles which you can’t navigate away from fast enough. Your school’s visually appealing, organized, and creative newsletter layout will simultaneously invite parents to learn about what’s going on while creating a positive impression of your school.
6 School Newsletter Ideas To Keep Parents (and students) Reading
#1 Word Count. Keep things as to-the-point as possible so busy and distracted parents can find out what they need to know quickly. Also, keep in mind that many parents might be second language learners or struggling readers themselves.
#2 Organization. Any written article or bit of information should have an introductory paragraph that efficiently states the main points and finishes with a miniature conclusion. This way, parents who only have time to skim can quickly absorb pertinent information.
#3 Less-is-more. Colors, and sizes, and fonts – oh my! It’s hard to not go crazy and use every design option available, but not at the expense of the information you’re providing.
Experts recommend using 1-2 fonts and only 3 font sizes to differentiate titles, subtitles, and text.
#4 Visuals. Humans are visual creatures; smartphones and tablets aren’t popular for nothing. Make sure your newsletter incorporates large, eye-catching pictures or graphics with subtitles to keep their eyes scanning and to sum up main themes/ideas.
#5 Videos. Go one step further and include some video links. Not only will parents enjoy watching students and teachers in action, it will make parents feel more involved in your campus and their students’ day-to-day academic life.
Videos can also be a wonderful way to feature faculty members in an interview or spotlight moments.
#6 Have Fun. Don’t forget to add personality and have some fun. Parents and students will enjoy reading something with a personal touche and a little humor.
These 6 tips can make your school’s newsletter something that parents look forward to reading month after month.
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February 19, 2013 @ 5:25 pm
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