School Communication Strategies

Do first things first.

Think - Consistent, transparent, and compassionate communication, and don’t forget to celebrate the little things!

We’ve rounded up all the best practices that we are hearing...
 

Parents are feeling so much anxiety…

〜 Reach out to parents and let them know what your school’s plan is (even if it is not 100% there yet).
〜 Less is more… Create a single source of information (Covid19 webpage) instead of sending various emails, and when you do, point them back to the dedicated hub space.
〜 Assign a Communication Supervisor to be in charge of all content management.
〜 Centralized communication -> make the information available in other languages according to your school’s needs.
〜 Use the pop-up feature on your homepage to broadcast your latest updates and keep all visitors informed.
〜 Maintain an updated parent email list.
〜 Create video messages to build trust and provide a human element, rather than sending a written message.

It’s a tough time for teachers…

〜 A quick survey ("how are you feeling today?"), will help you pick up early stress signs from teachers/students.
〜 Set up a diverse group to come up with a set of ideas.
〜 Communicate teaching expectations.
〜 Standardize virtual office hours for everyone (e.g., 11:00).
〜 1:1 Zoom calls with families to communicate what is expected of students.
〜 Provide work from home resources using your staff intranet, including a staff FAQ, links to any distance learning tools and guides.

Students have needs as well...

〜 School is so much more than academic content → Create a virtual community using technology so that students connect with each other, sharing their experiences and frustrations.
〜 Social media to engage students → Instagram stories or Insta-live can motivate students to ask questions, allowing the school to address them in a lighter tone, or video contests that you can share on Facebook.
〜 Consistency in the email subject line (school - teacher - subject).
〜 Use video; people prefer to watch things rather than read stuff.
〜 Update attendance practices - counted through engagement (video chat participation, assignment completion).