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BY LINDSEY JOHNSON

CONTEXT OF THE CLASSROOM

CURRENTLY IN A THIRD GRADE CLASSROOM IN COASTAL VIRGINIA
STUDENTS HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ABILITIES, BEHAVIORS, AND INTERESTS
THE PARENTS OF THE STUDENTS HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF INVOLVEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL AND
TEACHER

I HAVE WITNESSED A NUMBER OF INSTANCES SINCE ARRIVING IN WHICH MY COOPERATING TEACHER

HAS DISCUSSED MATTERS WITH PARENTS

WHAT MEANS OF COMMUNICATION ARE ALREADY IN

PLACE?
AFTER DISCUSSING WITH MY COOPERATING TEACHER THE METHODS OF REGULAR COMMUNICATION
WITHIN THE CLASSROOM, I FELT THAT A CLASS NEWSLETTER COULD BENEFIT

THERE ARE SCHOOL-WIDE NEWSLETTERS THAT ARE E-MAILED TO PARENTS ONCE A MONTH (NO PAPER
NEWSLETTER)

COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS ARE OFTEN THROUGH PHONE CALLS HOME, CONFERENCES, AND
THROUGH THE CLASS DOJO APPLICATION

WEEKLY FOLDERS ARE SENT HOME THAT INCLUDE STUDENT WORK AND INFORMATION ABOUT IMPORTANT
DATES AND EVENTS

WHY IS ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION SO IMPORTANT?

PARENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO TRUST AND SUPPORT THE SCHOOL IF THERE IS FREQUENT AND REGULAR
COMMUNICATION (WOOD & FREEMAN-LOFTIS, 2011)

PARENTS OFTEN TEND TO DREAD HEARING FROM TEACHERS IF COMMUNICATION DOES NOT HAPPEN FREQUENTLY
AND IS USUALLY NEGATIVE (WHITAKER & FIORE, 2001)

DAVIS & YANG (2005) STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH PARENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

HELPS TO BUILD A TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP, SINCE RANDOM COMMUNICATION IS OFTEN ABOUT NEGATIVE OCCURRENCES WITH
THEIR CHILD

KEEPS PARENTS INFORMED ON WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE LEARNING/RESPONSIBLE FOR

WHY A NEWSLETTER, SPECIFICALLY?

NEWSLETTERS ARE A NON-INTIMIDATING WAY OF GETTING IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO PARENTS,
WHILE ALSO BEING PERSONAL TO THE SPECIFIC CLASS

ESTABLISHES A GOOD BASE FOR INFORMATION WHILE STILL ALLOWING FOR OTHER INDIVIDUAL FORMS
OF COMMUNICATION IF NEEDED (PHONE CALL, E-MAIL, CLASS DOJO MESSAGE, ETC.)

INCLUSIVE WAY OF BEING ABLE TO UPDATE PARENTS, REGARDLESS OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS (AS
STATED BEFORE, NOT ALL MAY HAVE INTERNET ACCESS FOR ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERS)

HOW I GOT STARTED

INTEREST IN PAPER NEWSLETTERS

PARENTS HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON FOLDERSTEACHERS KNOW THEY AT LEAST RECEIVE THE INFORMATION
INTERNET ACCESS IS NOT GUARANTEED FOR EVERY FAMILY, WHETHER BY CHOICE OR NOT

I FIGURED OUT HOW I COULD SEND HOME A NEWSLETTERWEEKLY FOLDERS

THESE ARE FOLDERS THAT ARE SENT HOME ONCE A WEEK

OFTEN CONTAIN FLYERS ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS AND IMPORTANT DAYS WITHIN THE SCHOOL, AS WELL AS STUDENT
WORK THAT IS COLLECTED THROUGHOUT THE WEEK

WHAT WAS ON THE NEWSLETTER?

INFORMATION ABOUT THE UNITS IN EACH SUBJECT THAT ARE BEING FOCUSED ON IN THE CLASSROOM
A WRAP-UP OF THE PREVIOUS WEEK (INCLUDING ACTIVITIES)
WHATS COMING UP NEXT IN THE UNIT
WAYS THAT PARENTS CAN HELP REINFORCE THE INFORMATION BEING LEARNED
A LIST OF UPCOMING EVENTS/IMPORTANT DATES IN THE NEXT WEEK (AN EXPLANATION OF A SPECIFIC EVENT IF THERES ROOM)
INCLUSION OF COOPERATING TEACHER AND MYSELF ON THE NEWSLETTER
ANY IMPORTANT REMINDERS THAT NEED TO BE REITERATED
AT LEAST ONE PICTURE, PERSONAL TO THE SCHOOL (SO AS TO BREAK UP THE MONOTONY OF TEXT)
A WARM CLOSING STATEMENT

WHITAKER & FIORES TIPS

WHITAKER & FIORE (2001) INCLUDED SOME VERY HELPFUL TIPS FOR WRITING NEWSLETTERS THAT I
MADE SURE TO FOLLOW (P. 47)

I USED PERSONAL PRONOUNS

I WAS BRIEF (IT DID NOT TAKE LONGER THAN 10 MINUTES TO READ)
I FOCUSED ON WHAT CHILDREN ARE LEARNING AND HOW PARENTS CAN REINFORCE IT (WHITAKER & FIORE, 2001, P.
47)

I INCLUDED UPCOMING EVENTS (SINCE THIS WOULD BE DESIGNED TO BE A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER, I HAD IMPORTANT
EVENTS FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS)

I DID NOT INCLUDE A SURVEY, BUT DID ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO CONTACT IF THEY HAD ANY QUESTIONS

WHATS TO GAIN FROM A NEWSLETTER?

TEACHERS SHOULD COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, AND A NEWSLETTER IS JUST
ONE OF THESE MANY WAYS (VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, 2010)

NEWSLETTERS ARE AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO REPRESENT NOT ONLY THE SCHOOLS, BUT THE SPECIFIC

CLASSROOM IN A POSITIVE WAY BY FOCUSING ON THE POSITIVE INFORMATION PARENTS CAN GAIN
(WHITAKER & FIORE, 2001)

INFORMATION WITH A CHANCE FOR FEEDBACK, AS LONG AS ITS NOT OVERLOADED WITH INFORMATION
(DAVIS & YANG, 2005)

IN SUMMARY
I CHOSE THE FORMAT OF A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER SO THAT COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS COULD BE
MORE PERSONAL AND ON A REGULAR BASIS (RATHER THAN ONCE A MONTH FROM THE SCHOOL IN AN
ELECTRONIC FORMAT)

NEWSLETTERS ARE A WAY THAT POSITIVE COMMUNICATION CAN HAPPEN BETWEEN TEACHER AND

PARENT VERY FREQUENTLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR (AND COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP
REGULARLY RATHER THAN SPORADICALLY)

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP PARENTS UPDATED WITH INFORMATION: NOT ONLY WHAT THEIR CHILD IS
LEARNING, BUT ALSO IMPORTANT DATES TO KEEP IN MIND

REFERENCES
- Davis, C., & Yang, A. (2005). Parents & teachers working together. Turner Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children.
- Virginia Department of Education and the Center for Family Involvement at the Partnership for People with Disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth
University. (2010). Improving student achievement and outcomes through parent and family involvement: Tips and strategies for increasing parent and
family involvement in Virginia schools. Retrieved from VDOE website
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/virginia_tiered_system_supports/training/cohort/2012/apr/tips_and_strategies.pdf
- Whitaker, T., & Fiore, D. J. (2001). Dealing with difficult parents: And with parents in difficult situations. New York, NY: Routledge.
- Wood, C., & Freeman-Loftis, B. (2011). Responsive school discipline: Essentials for elementary school leaders. Turner Falls, MA: Northeast
Foundation for Children.