Tara is the in-house content lead at Digistorm, tending to all content needs, big or small! When she’s not writing copy or managing the Insights editorial calendar, Tara is passionate about supporting theatre and live music.
Your school newsletter is still likely to be the number one source of information for your students, parents, and even alumni. But, if you’re feeling a little short of content these days, you’re not alone. Given that many award nights, sports carnivals, or other special events have needed to been cancelled or postponed, you might be wondering what to share with your community next?
Here’s the good news: you always have something interesting to share! So before we get into a few school newsletter content ideas that you might like to include in your next edition, let’s do a quick refresh on successful newsletter best practices.
Has your school handed out any major awards lately? Perhaps, one of your students has performed exceptionally well in a recent exam or a piece of assessment. Take the opportunity to highlight your star performers with a special call-out in your newsletter.
Everyone loves an editor’s note — especially if it’s from your Principal or leadership team! Ensuring that you’ve allowed plenty of notice, ask your Principal to write a short piece on any topics or pressing matters they’d like to communicate to the broader community. This is also a great way to continue building your Principal’s reputation as a thought leader at your school.
Parents love to see what’s happening behind the scenes and in their child’s everyday life. Round up some photos from various year levels and share a short description of what curriculum units they’re currently working on. Showcasing the going on’s within your classrooms is a great way to highlight the value and quality of your independent school’s education.
If you’ve recently posted a new article to your school blog, go ahead and do a little self-promotion. Share a link and short, engaging description of your post to encourage your community to click and read. It’s likely that some of your readers don’t even know that you have a school blog, so this can be a great way to get the word out.
Is there a good cause or world awareness day coming up that your school wants to get behind? Show your support and share how you’ll be celebrating it in your school newsletter. If you intend to run a raffle or donation drive to raise funds, be sure to include information on how your community can get involved.
Shine the spotlight on your stellar academic staff by including a short interview with one of your teachers. What led them to teach? Why are they so passionate about their subject? How do they spend their free time? A Q&A is a great, informal way to showcase their expertise and help your community to get to know them better.
The world needs more good news stories now more than ever! Look for students or staff volunteering their time outside of school, caring for others, or spreading a little joy in their community. This is a great way to give these special people a much-deserved shoutout and highlight the strength of character of those who attend your school.
What exciting things are happening in your school’s drama, debate or math clubs at the moment? Extracurricular activities are an important part of student development and a great way to encourage social engagement. You could invite a club President to share a highlight with you for each school newsletter to encourage more sign-ups!
Given the current environment, many students might be feeling a little anxious about the future. If you have a school chaplain or counsellor, ask them to share some information about a particular support topic in each of your school newsletters. Sharing encouraging words and a reminder of what services are available to students (and parents) is a great way to foster a supportive community.
We do not doubt that your alumni are doing some amazing things — they received a stellar education from your school, after all. Keep in touch with your alumni to showcase their achievements in a regular ‘where are they now’ content piece. Your entire community will love hearing about what their former peers have gone on to achieve.
So there you have it — 10 school newsletter content ideas for when you’re not sure what to share. Now that you’re feeling inspired to write your next edition remember to follow our school newsletter best practices, write for your audience and leverage your school app to get more eyes on your newsletter! For more tips and tricks, check out how to improve your school newsletter engagement.