Your school newsletter—whether electronic, print, or both—is more than a series of reminders and notices. When crafted strategically, it is a shining example of your school’s mission at work.
Your school newsletter should illustrate the exemplary quality of the school’s education, the student body, and the people who deliver the program. It’s one of the strongest tools you have to influence recruitment and re-recruitment by showing the strength of your community, the value of programs offered, and the caliber of students and graduates produced.
Here are five quick ways you can spice up your newsletter this year while highlighting your mission and purpose.
- Make information easy to find. Create a newsletter template and stick to it. Your readers should always be able to look to the same place and find the information they need, whether that’s a list of important dates, alumni news, featured faculty or staff, or a message from the School Head or other administrators. They’ll come to look forward to these updates and will always be able to find them quickly.
- Generate anticipation for your next issue. For example, ask a trivia question in each issue and then provide the answer in the following publication. The question could center around school history, upcoming events, teacher or student accomplishments, or other things that showcase your school’s success. This can help readers anticipate your next issue to find the answer to your previous question.
- Showcase your latest enhancements. At the beginning of the school year, highlight any campus improvements made over the summer, noting if any were funded by the generous contributions of donor constituents. Keep the updates coming throughout the school year, noting new equipment, updated technology, or anything that helps improve the student experience. Provide before-and-after photos when applicable and highlight how these enhancements tie into your school’s mission. For example, if you highlight a new technology lab, mention how it furthers your STEM initiatives, why this addition supports your curriculum, and perhaps the percent of graduates who go on to pursue STEM in higher education. This illustrates how school improvements support the school’s mission.
- Deliver what your readership wants. Survey your readers to see what they’re most interested in reading. Are they looking for information on facility updates? Classroom accomplishments? Upcoming events? Do they like the content flow? Can they find the information they need? When in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask and then deliver what your audience requests. If you’re emailing your newsletter, you can also use your provider’s data rates to determine what’s working and what isn’t.
- Highlight student accomplishments. This is where your school mission shines. Showcase student accomplishments in math, science, sports, languages, and arts, tying these back to delivering a quality mission to your community.
Refine your newsletter to meet the needs of your audience, using it as a vital communication tool to unite your community.
Additional ISM Resources:
The Source for Advancement Vol. 13 No. 8 Newsletters: Important for Prospective, Current, and Past Parents
The Source for Advancement Vol. 10 No. 1 Crafting Your School’s Newsletter
The Source for School Heads Vol. 14 No. 4 Three Writing Tips for Your “Head’s Column”
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 41 No. 2 Enhance the Content of Your School Newsletter
I&P Vol. 28 No. 11 Cyber News: Designing Your Online Newsletter
