How to Start a School Newsletter

Sample Newsletter

How to Start a School Newsletter. A school newsletter is a great way to help build a learning community and keep the parent population informed about all the happenings on campus. The newsletter can either be run by the PTA or the school administration. I have been publishing our school newsletter since 1996 and it gets easier every year. Once you have your template perfected it is really just a matter of pasting the text into the new newsletter and changing the dates and calendar.

Things You'll Need

• a computer with internet access
• a good proofreader

Instructions

1. Purchase and familiarize yourself with a desktop publishing program. I like Macromedia Freehand but there are many options such as Illustrator, Printmaster--you can even use Microsoft Word.

2. Alert the other committee chair people about your deadlines for articles and pictures.

3. Create a template for your newsletter. This allows you to just plug in the new information as opposed to starting from scratch each week. Be sure that you "save as" right after you start so that you do not erase the template when you go to save your work.

4. Simply copy and paste the articles that people email to you into your template.

5. Send the newsletter to your proof reader. You should have another set of eyes take a look at the newsletter before it goes to print.

6. Save the newsletter as a pdf file and email it to everyone instead of printing it out.

7. Secure a sponsor each week to cover printing or computer costs. Our newsletter sells a $150 ad on the last page (quarter page) to cover printing and technology costs.