At PowerTools, we sometimes liken school culture/climate to a quilt. Warm and comforting, a quilt is constructed of small pieces woven together to create a whole. Similarly, students and staff get a sense of belonging, pride, purpose and vision from a school’s interwoven intentional rituals, structures, strategies, language and events. This year, weaving this quilt has been a challenge, given our physical distance and the multiple traumas that 2020 and 2021 have provided.
The good news: throughout the nation, schools have been doing a great job, thinking out of the box to create connections. This blog will share how Satellite Academy, a transfer high school in NYC, NY, designs their staff and students newsletters to keep the school community informed, connected and celebrated.
Enhance your school’s culture/ climate
through staff and student newsletters.
Staff and Student Newsletters
Satellite Academy generates a weekly digital newsletter for staff and one for students and their families to communicate, celebrate, and create connections. Created using Smore.com’s fun/attractive newsletter template, and sent out via email and remind.com (a text messaging platform), the Satellite Newsletter contains student and staff- specific versions. Here are the sections in their newsletters, with an asterisk indicating sections specific to the staff newsletter. Feel free to adapt, adopt or add sections that would work for own school or classroom based newsletter.
A message from school leaders: an informal missive from the school leaders that frames the week, offers encouragement, and recognizes both school and out of school context.
Weekly Schedule: all of the weekly events, including birthdays are listed here
Staff Spotlight: one staff member is highlighted each week, with information about their role at the school, hobbies, what they love about their job, and other fun personal tidbits (travels, pets, etc). To prepare this section, the staff are asked to complete a Staff Profile survey and submit a photo. ( Feel free to email info@powertoolsforprogress.com if you’d like a template of the Staff Profile Survey)
Best Pedagogical Practices*: highlighting the best practices of the school’s educators helps teachers learn from each other, develop a sense of community, and share the great work they are doing. Educators can contribute this section, and/or it can be written by an administrator who has visited the classroom. Best when accompanied by a photo of student work or related protocols/documents.
Students of the Department (or week): a focus on two students per department who have shined either in attendance, participation/engagement, assignments, critical thinking, or improvement. It’s great to have their photos included as well.
Connection Section: a list of resources such as mental health, food and housing resources, a homework helpline number, and Covid 19-related websites put this vital information right at students’ fingertips. The staff newsletter may also include research-based strategies for staff to try out in their own classrooms.
If you Don’t Know, Now you Know: a random, funny or fascinating article goes here. Past issues have included information about the Cicada Infestation coming this spring (yikes), how watching animals reduces your stress, a recipe for chocolate mug cake for National Chocolate Cake Day, and information about the impeachment.
Student Share: perfect for student poetry, videos, commentary, and tutorials.
Please comment below to share your questions, ideas, and/or details about how your school builds a positive culture/climate.