Dr. Kara Stern, Smore Resident Educator

School Newsletter Template: Christmas Newsletter!

It’s beginning to look a lot like... Christmas Newsletter time! If you need a school newsletter that will help you communicate the magic and joy of the season in the days and weeks leading up to Christmas vacation, this template is for you!

Communication

School Newsletter Template: Celebrate the Holidays!

The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas is always a challenge! This holiday template aims to help you with just that. You’ll find links to all kinds of info about how and what the rest of the world celebrates in December...

Communication

School Newsletter Template: National STEAM/STEM Day

It’s actually National STEAM/STEM Day, a perfect day to dive into activities that communicate to all students that they can be innovators, inventors, and even NASA scientists in the here and now, not to mention in their futures.

Communication

School Newsletter Template: IEP for ELL Families

Rethinking school communications so that they’re accessible for everyone makes all families feel welcome. So why not put an IEP on a school newsletter with translation features? Use our template!

Communication

School Newsletter Template: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving itself is an interesting study in communication — how a holiday gets articulated over time -- and the first article in our Thanksgiving Newsletter explores the history of the holiday.

Communication

School Newsletter Template: Native American Heritage Month

With the crackle of leaves underfoot, we welcome in Native American Heritage Month (aka American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month) in November. And yes, we’ve got a school newsletter template for that!

Communication

School Newsletter Template: Using Translation to Engage Families

In the US, one in five students speaks a language other than English at home, which means there are A LOT of parents who are experiencing the disorientation that I’ve felt. This is why translation is so important – it opens the gate to families who aren’t comfortable yet with English.

Communication

School Newsletter Template: Happy Halloween

Boo! I love school Halloween. I know the sugar crash is intense, but the creativity and the spirit of joy is magical, especially after last year! This school newsletter template is in the spirit of making Halloween educational, fun, delicious, and inclusive.

Communication

School Newsletter Template: Parent-Teacher Conference

This year, many schools will be conducting parent conferences remotely. Since some parents and caregivers won’t be accessible by video conference, we’ve gone ahead and created a parent-teacher conference form template for you.

Communication

School Newsletter Template: Indigenous Peoples’ Day

We've created a school newsletter template to help you share resources and communicate around Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Monthly Theme Template

School Newsletter Template: National Bullying Prevention Month

So much of bullying happens in interstitial spaces — those in-between places where there’s no active supervision -- like the bathroom, or Instagram.

Book Report

School Newsletter Template: Spicing Up Book Reports! 📚

I’ve always been a big reader, but wow, the feeling of dread that used to creep into my soul whenever I was assigned a book report... For some reason, nothing felt more tedious.

Communication

School Newsletter Template: Resources for Teaching about Autumn

A school newsletter template for the fall season! This template celebrates autumn as only a teacher can, with resources for the classroom!

Communication

School Newsletter Template: National Hispanic Heritage Month

Every year, we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. This National Hispanic Heritage Month template offers you a variety of resources.

Communication Strategies

Back to School Newsletter Template: Classroom Rules Poster

Here’s a template for you that offers an initial set of classroom guidelines that cover the basics of how we want students to manage themselves and their work, and how they treat others.

Communication

Welcome Back to School Letter

Welcoming faculty back from summer requires a certain sleight of hand: you have to acknowledge that vacation is ending while inspiring your team with the hope and promise of the new school year. Principals as motivational speakers!

Teachers

Meet the Teacher Template

Sending out a Meet the Teacher template to families or students is a great way to start building those all important student-teacher relationships. It gives students an opportunity to get to know you in a way that feels personal (but also in a manner totally controlled by you!)

AAPI

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month | Resources for Educators

Are you getting ready to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in your classroom or school? Would you like a template filled with resources to jumpstart your planning? If so, look no further!

Teachers

Teacher Appreciation Week [2021]

This morning, I woke up to a tweet from a former student. A shout-out to her teacher, “who introduced me to so many unforgettable books & made me feel seen & as though I had something to offer.” Words that validate my life choices; I’m grateful she took the time to tell me.

Teachers

Tech and Equity

If equality means everyone has the same opportunity, equity means everyone has access to exactly what they need to succeed. This is just as true for the tech tools we use in our schools or classrooms as anything else!

Teachers

Five Tips for Getting Parents to Open Your School Emails | Parent-Teacher Communication Tips

Are you sick of hearing, “I didn’t get that email?” I was too, in my principal years. Especially when I could tell that someone HAD received the email! Check out these parent-teacher communication tips!

Earth Day

Earth Day Activities for Kids

Earth Day 2021 is upon us! This year’s theme is Restore Our Earth, and as spring busts out all around us, it’s the perfect time to think about what steps each of us can take to protect the big blue marble we call home. Enjoy these Earth Day activities for kids!

Students

Fostering a Culture of Student Leadership

This National Student Leadership Week, let’s remember that every child is a leader; we just have to give them the opportunity, and the freedom, to be one. Ready to get started? Here’s a template full of helpful resources for fostering a culture of student leadership at your school.

Students

In-School Learning is Returning!

Do you have that one resource that’s your go-to? Back when I was a school leader, one of mine was Dr. Michael Thompson, a psychologist whose books on boys, middle school students, and managing parent relationships got me through many a school-based drama.

Mindfulness

Smore Templates: Yoga and Mindfulness in the Classroom

Simply put, mindfulness is the practice of teaching students to calm their thoughts -- it is mental and emotional preparedness for learning.