Key Communicator
February 3, 2020 \\\ School Communicators Update
#PublicSchoolsProud
I know I don't have to tell you public schools are important. You know, because it is your work that makes them important. I see you out there doing that work each and every day to make our schools caring, inspiring, and life-changing pillars of educational opportunities. I see you, worried about the students who aren't getting breakfast before school, grading papers on the weekends between your own family and personal obligations, researching and implementing new ways of teaching and learning for students and making a difference. Every day, I am inspired by your work and deeply humbled to get to share your stories.
To celebrate the work we do on behalf of students and our community, I'll be sharing stories during Public School Week, February 24 - 28. I am hoping you will join me in taking the #PublicSchoolsProud pledge and using the hashtag during the week on social media channels to share your commitment to public schools. Here are some great ideas from Learning First if you're looking for more ways to get involved.
Do you have an activity or story you'd like to see covered? Send me the information before or after the event and I'd be happy to include your info on our channels.
These updates are not shared District-wide. Please feel free to forward to anyone who you think would benefit from this information and if you aren't on the email list and would like to be, just email me at sodonnel@pointschools.net and I'll get you added.
Sarah O'Donnell
Director of Communications
Simplify Your School Communications
I know in your day-to-day roles, you need to be very organized. Giving some thought to creating a simple, system-wide plan for your communications can increase the effectiveness of your communication efforts and save you a lot of time throughout the school year.
While it is tempting to try to create communication across a wide variety of methods, it takes a lot of time and attention.
Save time in this process by thinking about your target audiences and their communication preferences. For instance, do most of your families prefer an email, a social media post, or a weekly newsletter to keep them updated? Thinking of who your audience is, what information they are looking for, and where to deliver the content will guide the next part of your plan; your communication methods (adapted from PRincipal Communicator, an NSPRA communication).
Not sure if what your communicating is getting to your audience? Let's plan a time to review your communication goals.
February Communication
February Days to Celebrate:
- Feb 1-29 National African American History Month. Learn ways to recognize this month.
- February 1-29 National Children's Dental Health Month. Visit ADA for resources.
- Feb 3-7 National School Counseling Week. Promotional Toolkit
- Feb 14 Valentine's Day
- Feb 17 National PTA Founder's Day
- Feb 17 President's Day
- Feb 25 Mardi Gras
SPAPSD Current Campaigns:
- School Safety: A Community Conversation
Event Invite - 4K Enrollment
Social Media Kit - Education Connection (our first printed community newsletter since 2009!)
See PDF - We're now on Instagram
Follow us Here - February No School Reminders
Collateral Kit
I will be out of the office celebrating my son's two-year cancer remission anniversary with a Wish Trip overseas from February 18 - 28. During that time, if you need communication assistance, please reach out to the team members below who can offer you excellent support while I'm away:
- For crisis communication guidance, please contact Cory Hirsbrunner, 715-345-5466.
- For media inquiries or assistance, district communication and/or parent communication please contact Heidi Schueppel-O'Brien, 715-345-5444.
- For assistance with or questions about the district website, social media, or requests for photography/video services, please contact the technology department, 715-345-5511.
- For community flyer approval, PeachJar assistance, and other general questions, please contact Lynette Patoka, 715-345-5456.
Ally Accessibility Report
Website accessibility is an important component of ensuring that all web users are able to access the content. Aside from being a legal obligation of a public institution, it is also just the right thing to do.
Accessibility requirements can, however, be overwhelming and daunting. To assist us in maintaining a website that is accessibility compliant, we have recently added Ally. You might have already noticed a few changes as you are browsing or working in the backhouse. Ally provides each user with access to manage content (edit or update a webpage, section or site) a report on new and existing content to check against key areas of the WCAG 2.1A.A. standard for website accessibility.
As we become familiar with the new tool and work out our own best practices, please feel free to use the tool to improve your own site's accessibility score. We'll share training opportunities soon. Learn more about Ally here.
Are Your Parents Using the Mobile App?
It's free and available on Google Play and the App Store. Please help us spread the word in your school communications.
In the News
Is Anyone Listening?
You pick the topic and we'll brainstorm easy ways to kick your communication into high gear for the 2019-20 school year. Let me know if you're interested and we'll get started.
Contact Us
Email: info@pointschools.net
Website: www.pointschools.net/communication
Location: Stevens Point Area School District, 1900 Polk Street, Stevens Point, WI, USA
Phone: 715-345-5444
Facebook: facebook.com/pointschools
Twitter: @pointschools