Sending home a weekly classroom newsletter to parents is a great way to connect with parents and keep them informed. However, it can be overwhelming to decide the best way to send it. Here are my top 5 recommendations of ways to send home a classroom newsletter.
Click here to read about what to include in a classroom newsletter.
5. Paper Classroom Newsletter
A classic option, and it still works! Creating a paper classroom newsletter and printing it out to send home is always an option. One benefit to this is that it’s tangible so parents can put it on the fridge and remember important updates and things. However, I have found that they don’t always make it home, they get lost, and you have to actually print them out. However, if you have a good routine and parents know to look for them, a paper classroom newsletter is a good option.
4. Remind App for Parent Newsletters
The remind app is a great way to communicate with parents. The free, basic version for teachers offers some nice benefits. You can schedule updates, and even see which parents have read your messages. Parents can respond back, but they don’t have your personal number. However, it’s important that parent numbers are up to date. This is a great, paper free option for newsletters and parent communication in general.
3. Seesaw Announcements for Parent Newsletters
If your school uses Seesaw for sharing student work, then it’s also a great option for sending out your parent newsletter. You can add announcements with text and attach links as well. A huge benefit is that the announcements are visible and easy to find all year, so parents can easily go back to find information. One negative is that they will have to check Seesaw to see it. If you choose this option, I recommend reminding parents to turn notification on on the app.
2. Google Sites for Newsletters
Google Sites can be a great, free option for sharing updates with parents. I’ve shared before how easy a it is to create a teaching portfolio using google sites, and it’s just as easy to set up a class website! This is a great option because you can make it password protected and add any links or resources that you want easily. However, it relies on parents remembering to check it, and let’s fact it, people are busy. Still, it can be a valuable resource and a great way to update parents with a weekly newsletter.
1. Email for Weekly Newsletters
The last option is the one I personally prefer. I like to use regular email to send out my weekly newsletter. Since this is the main mode of communication between myself and parents, it’s a natural fit. When I send out my back to school survey to parents (find a student survey in the free resource library), I make sure to ask for the email they use most frequently. I create a contact list, and then BCC all of the parents each week. Of course, they still need to check it, but ultimately all we can do is make information available as easily as possible and then the ball is in the parent’s court.
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