Principals, PTO Presidents Send Letters of Welcome
By warmly welcoming new students and parents into your school community, you could be gaining active, involved students and parents. You can win points and potential partners with some of these ideas:
Send new members of your school community a personalized letter of welcome. Send separate letters to each new student and their parent(s).
When parents come to school to register their child, be sure to give them a copy of the school's handbook. For parents of new students who are transitioning into your school, you might include the handbook with your mailed welcome letter. That handbook contains the school district's policies, rules, and expectations.
Include a school calendar for the year -- including scheduled vacations and in-service days and special events and programs -- with your letter too.
In addition to your letter, the PTO president might send a letter of welcome and make a personal phone call to all new parents. His or her personal touches might gain new members for the organization and active supporters of the school.
Read more practical tips from George Pawlas…
Pawlas on PR
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Meet Dr. George E. Pawlas
George E. Pawlas has written the
book on PR for school principals -- literally! In The
Administrator's Guide to School-Community Relations, Pawlas presents a treasury of practical
tips and strategies for principals. The book includes hundreds of principal-tested ideas, illustrations,
and templates to help you
create successful school newsletters and other communication tools;
use the media to your school's advantage;
enhance parent and family involvement;
work with the community and local businesses;
deal with crisis situations; and
much more.
Pawlas has been an educator for nearly four decades. He has served as an elementary school teacher and principal, a district administrator, and a state education department consultant. Currently he is a professor of educational leadership at the University of Central Florida. In addition, Pawlas has authored dozens of articles and coauthored three editions of a book on educational supervision. He is a frequent presenter at local and national conferences.
George Pawlas's PR for PRincipals...
George E. Pawlas has written the
book on PR for school principals -- literally! In