Today, as many families fracture or find that both parents work outside the home, increasingly fewer parents are able to be involved in the classroom. One way to keep parents abreast of "news" from the classroom is to establish an electronic newsletter for those interested in joining your "mailing list." Cheaper and easier to construct than a traditional (paper) newsletter, this correspondence does not have to be duplicated, folded, stamped and mailed!
Getting Started. . . Think of a name for your e-newsletter; it doesn't have to be "flashy," it could be something as simple as "Mr. Smith's Class News." Depending on your degree of savvy with computer technology, you'll want to decide on a format. Will yours simply be typed as a text-only e-mail? Will yours be done in HTML so that it has the colors, photos, and graphics of a "slick" advertisement? Will you alone be responsible for the newsletters, will a student or a hand-ful of "accelerated" learners be priviliged to work on it, or will it be a class project? Once you've decided these things, you've got to "advertise" your newsletter. . .
Soliciting Parental Involvement. . . "Advertise" your newsletter at the beginning of the school year. If your school has an "Open House" or some other pre-school year activity, write the basic information on the board, verbally promote the newsletter, and hand out 1/2 page "fliers." Post a sign up sheet near your door for parents to "join" your newsletter. Ask them what kinds of information would be most interesting and/or useful.
The Initial Newsletter. . . After you've complied your "mailing list," in the first week of school, send your initial newsletter as a "welcome" or "back-to-school" issue. In it, you might want to include a list of any needed supplies that students must bring to class. Another good "article" idea is to give a hint of some exciting things upcoming later in the year, like projects, field trips, goals of the course, etc. Always be sure to include an invitation to parents to help with these activities if they are interested...extra chaperones on a field trip never hurt!
Other "Article" Ideas. . . Why not include other information that would be relevant for students/parents? How about sending parents of 11th and 12th graders ACT/SAT deadlines and links to the registration page and various test practice sites, links to financial aid sites, maybe a "college of the month," where you highlight a particular college in your state or region and include a link to its site.
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