A solid school communication strategy is built on consistency. The end of the school year is a time when it can be easy to lose track of small details, but this is the time when it’s even more essential to keep everyone in the loop so that students, families, teachers and administrators can finish the year strong. If you want to keep your school to home communications thriving this spring, read on for our tips for how to streamline your communications at the end of the school year.

Why is end-of-year communication so important?

This is the time of the school year when actual, life-altering decisions are made for and by your students. Will they advance to the next grade? Did they pass their standardized tests? Have they fulfilled their graduation requirements? Will they be required to attend summer school? If you leave families hanging with unanswered questions like these, you’re going to be fielding phone calls in your front office all day long. Having a strong, consistent communication strategy eliminates confusion and repetitive questions.

What should you cover in your end-of-school communications strategy?

Make sure you cover all the most important and relevant topics as you communicate with families and students this spring:

Graduation:

• Credit and course requirements, communicated personally to students not meeting them
• Dress code expectations should allow time for shopping
• Number of attendees allowed per graduate so families can plan
• Schedule for rehearsal & ceremony
• Students who are not permitted to walk or attend
• Don’t forget to take the time to CELEBRATE your graduates in your communications as well! Post about them on your social media, in your newsletters, & on your website to celebrate their accomplishments.

Summer School:

• Students who need to attend
• Students who have the option to attend
• Daily schedule, transportation, & attendance requirements
• Credit recovery requirements for successful completion of summer school

Grade Promotion & Retention

• Be specific about why the student will be retained, and make it clear whether the student may attend summer school in order to earn grade promotion or not.

End-of-Year Events (Prom, Spring Fling, etc.)

• Dates should be communicated early & often
• Cost and any opportunities for financial aid
• Dress code or other attendance requirements

Family Resources Available During the Summer

• Resources for families who need food or other assistance
• Send personal emails from guidance or a student resource department to all families
• Include links to resource websites as well as phone numbers for each organization on your school or district website and in this email

How to Improve End-of-Year Communications

Consistency and transparency are the keys to this process. Use your school communication software to help you spread the word:

• Calendars: Update them often and include the option for site visitors to subscribe for updates and reminders
• Website: Post upcoming events on your homepage, and include a pop-up alert for information that shouldn’t be missed. Build pages for specific events, like graduation, and resources for summer
• Social media: Use your social media to announce events & resources, and include links back to your website for full details
• Mass messaging: Use specific contact lists and groups to get the right information to the specific people who need it.

Keep the lines of communication open during this period, be proactive about posting information before you get questions, and you can end the year on a positive note.

Interested in a school website platform that has built-in tools designed for K-12?

The Edlio CMS offers:

• Calendars with the option for site visitors to subscribe to updates
• Homepage pop-up alerts and News stories to spread the word
• Built-in mass messaging (add-on item) for email, voice, & text
• Social media manager & Newsletter builder right in the platform
• Integrations with Google, Microsoft, and SIS providers

Fill out the form below and one of our experts will contact you to set up a demo where you can see these features in action for yourself: