| As a principal, one of the regular frustrations I had | | | | 8. Mandatory Sign & Return |
| was making sure information I wanted/needed to | | | | On very important documents, I would include a |
| get home into parents' hands actually made it to its | | | | portion at the bottom of the page for parents to |
| intended destination.The amount of papers that go | | | | sign and return, verifying that they did, in fact, |
| home with students today is monumental. Corrected | | | | receive and read the note. This way, we could |
| homework, tests, quizzes, art projects, teacher | | | | pinpoint which families were getting the information. |
| newsletters, flyers from other non-profits, school | | | | 9. Bribe the Kids |
| picture packets, field trip permission slips, fundraising | | | | It's always helpful to get students working for you in |
| materials, progress reports, and report cards- the list | | | | your quest to ensure parents are reading important |
| is indeed substantial. If a family has multiple children, | | | | information. One way to develop your sales force is |
| absolute chaos can break out in trying to sort | | | | to bribe them with a piece of candy or a classroom |
| through all the essential and non-essential notes. | | | | treat. If the kids know they can get candy, they will |
| The following list details some of the strategies I | | | | make sure mom and dad see whatever we ask |
| used in attempting to make sure the things I | | | | them to. If you promise that the kids can get an |
| considered important got home. | | | | extra 15 minutes of recess if everyone's parents sign |
| 1. Be Consistent | | | | and return a form, peer pressure will be used in a |
| People crave consistency and uniformity. Try to | | | | positive and effective way. |
| design your newsletters or letters with a common | | | | 10. Use Teacher Newsletters to Reinforce |
| masthead or logo placement, so parents are trained | | | | Many times, I would ask the teachers to write a |
| to recognize important information from the office. | | | | quick one or two sentence reminder in their weekly |
| Maybe you could get a huge stack of goldenrod | | | | newsletters about an important issue to the school. It |
| copy paper at the beginning of the year and not | | | | can never hurt to get your info out there in as many |
| allow teachers to ever use that color. Only important | | | | methods as possible. |
| bulletins from the office ever are printed on | | | | 11. Utilize the Postal Service |
| goldenrod. | | | | I have a son in the fourth grade, and his school has a |
| 2. Write in Bullet Points | | | | policy to put anything really important in the mail |
| Nothing puts people off more than big blocks of text. | | | | addressed to the parents. While this let the child off |
| To get your points across use bullet points, short | | | | the hook, I think there is a risk for the information |
| sentences, and lots of bolded subheadings, just like in | | | | getting lost in the mail or lumped in with junk mail. No |
| this blog post. It is very helpful to break your | | | | solution is perfect, but the school must find this to |
| information up like this, as people have become | | | | work for them, because they keep spending the |
| trained over the years to read in this kind of a | | | | money on postage, albeit at a reduced, non-profit |
| format. No one wants to read a novel from the | | | | rate. |
| school office. | | | | 12. Staple Multiple Sheets Together |
| 3. Use Humorous Clipart and Headlines | | | | If there were many sheets that I needed to send |
| Since our society has become so visual, I regularly | | | | home at one time, I would staple them together, so |
| tried to come up with a funny headline or a | | | | that parents were presented with an |
| humorous photo to place near the top of the | | | | all-encompassing packet. This type of organization is |
| document. If you are able to catch the parents | | | | much more preferable to a bunch of loose sheets |
| attention with something that will make them smile, | | | | crammed into a backpack. The potential downside to |
| you're halfway home! | | | | creating a stapled packet is that if the student loses |
| 4. Use Various Print Formats | | | | the packet, everything is lost. Just make sure the |
| On occasion, I would create a tri-fold brochure with | | | | teachers are thorough in getting the information into |
| the important document. In general, we rarely, if | | | | backpacks, say a prayer, and hope for the best! |
| ever, sent home tri-folds, so when I did, it really | | | | 13. Use Manila Envelopes |
| stood out to parents. With a program like Microsoft's | | | | I have also gone to the expense of putting important |
| Publisher, you can create a tri-fold brochure in no | | | | information into a manila envelope and handwriting |
| time. | | | | the parent's name with a big, fat sharpie marker on |
| 5. Use Email | | | | the front. This really does get people's attention and |
| For around $20 per month, you can use an email | | | | it keeps whatever is inside from being crushed or |
| service like Constant Contact that will allow you to | | | | generally roughed-up. |
| manage and send mass emails out to your school | | | | 14. Use Voice Mail |
| parents. The system is simple to use with a design | | | | If something were very important, like a fundraising |
| wizard and many pre-made templates for | | | | meeting, I would have a person on the office staff |
| non-computer savvy people. I did this and got great | | | | make a phone call to all the families. This isn't as |
| responses from parents stating that it was so helpful | | | | cumbersome as it may sound. With so many families |
| to have a message from the office delivered directly | | | | gone from home during the day, it's very easy to |
| into their email inbox. I know $20 per month can be | | | | just leave a thorough message. You're not asking |
| an expense, but I found it to be very effective and | | | | them to call you back unless they have questions, so |
| worth every penny. | | | | it's fairly simple. If your school is fortunate enough to |
| 6. Put Forms on the Internet | | | | have one of the automated calling systems, that can |
| If your school has a website, and it definitely should, | | | | also be used very effectively. |
| you should post a downloadable version of your | | | | 15. Post Copies at School |
| important message on it. Many times, families will lose | | | | There is no such thing as overkill when it comes to |
| an important document and need an extra copy. You | | | | an important message. So, make sure to make many |
| will save everyone many headaches if you can just | | | | copies of your flier and post them all over the school, |
| point them to your website. | | | | including the front door of the school. We're talking |
| 7. Institute Friday Folders | | | | total saturation. |
| Many schools do this, but it is still good to mention. It | | | | Conclusion |
| is wise to institute a policy that any announcements, | | | | Many of the most important items on a principal's |
| newsletters, permission slips, or fundraising material | | | | agenda require parent participation. And since the |
| only go home on Fridays (for example) in a specified | | | | parents aren't in the same physical location as the |
| folder. If you cut the parental sorting down to one | | | | principal, effectively delivery and distribution of |
| day per week, you are more likely to get them to | | | | information is vital. Many of the above listed |
| pay attention to what you are sending them. Again, | | | | suggestions work very well in ensuring your message |
| this consistency is a very helpful tool. | | | | is heard loud and clear. |