“I didn’t know the school program was tonight!” “I forgot 4th grade’s field trip was today!” “When did you tell us about that?”
Heard that before? I could put it in NEON letters and have the blimp fly over the school during dismissal yet there will still always be parents and students who do not know what is going on! Admittedly I was that parent once. Life is so busy that we overlook the school newsletter, the school sign, the announcement in the bulletin, email, texts, and the social media posts! All these outlets are great ways to communicate and for most parents it works. However, you hear the most feedback from those parents who do not know, and it is our fault! No really, it is. Our job is to find ways to reach each student and parent and blaming parents for not reading our emails and newsletters does not help our case. Why don’t they read them?
Make it Personal/Consistent
So, this year I vowed to try a new approach. When a parent says they are not informed I always apologize and ask how they best communicate. I make sure they are on our text/email list and know about our Facebook and Instagram pages. It helps that the school secretary and each teacher contribute by posting pictures of each event and student. Once they logon, they are hooked! They want to see what will be posted next. Posting event advertisements with memorable pictures of their precious little one helps jog the memory! It is a balance. Do not overkill to the point that you will be ignored due to so many posts, however; inconsistency can cause you to lose your audience.
Share the Responsibility
Post weekly and do not rely on one person to do the posting. Have multiple people post on social media so you get many different children and perspectives. (Remember to get permission to post pictures of students and do not use their full names.) This helps to engage students from many different classrooms and social groups. It also takes the pressure to communicate off one individual and makes it a shared effort.
Engage Students
Next, do not just engage the parents, engage the students. I know from experience that when one of my children is excited about something going on at school, they continually remind me of the event, time, and day so I will not forget to take them. Tell students about it and get excited, it is contagious! Put older students on the email and texting list. Engaging students and keeping their interest is a great resource to relay information to parents.
Make it Worth Remembering
Make your events memorable, space limited events, so they feel like they are missing out on something great if they do not come. If you call parents in for conferences or meetings, make it worth their while. Parents will want to remember to come to your events or meetings in the future if they are meaningful.
Make it Positive
Positivity is contagious! Make sure you always focus on the positive and make every parent and student feel like they are an important part of your school community. If they matter and they know they will be missed, they will want to show up. Better yet, get them involved! Then the parents and students will spread the word about your event and school. Word of mouth says a lot about your school or event. You want to be what everyone is talking about!
Consistency, making parents feel an event is important, engaging both parents and students in positive conversation, and making them part of the overall school community are all avenues to great school communication. Reflecting Christ in your communication is key. Yes, there will still be those who say they were not informed; however, change your mindset, and think of those inquiries as invitations to find out the best way to engage them in communication.
