3 Ways Principals Make Their School Newsletters Pop

As a principal, you know how important it is to keep parents informed. But did you know that the average person only spends 9 seconds reading an email? That means your school newsletter has to grab attention—and fast!

To help, we’ve gathered three proven ways principals are making their newsletters stand out and keep parents engaged.

1. Come up with a snappy title

To get parents to open your email, you need an eye-catching title. Use your title to inspire school pride, make a rhyme, or come up with a clever pun or alliteration. A fun, engaging title not only grabs attention but also signals that your newsletter is worth reading.

Here are some examples from real principal newsletters:

• “Tiger Pride: The Week Ahead at Central Elementary”
• “Reading Rockets: Launching Into Learning This Month”
• “Falcon News Flash: Updates You Need to Know”

A great title sets the tone and lets parents know that your update is important enough to deserve a special name.

2. Communicate School Values in the Header

Once you’ve hooked your readers with a creative title, use your header or subtitle to reinforce your school’s mission or annual theme. This is a subtle yet powerful way to communicate the core values of your school and remind families of your school’s long-term goals.

For example, if your school’s theme this year is community involvement, your header could say:
“Building Stronger Communities—One Student at a Time.”

Here’s another example of a principal’s newsletter that emphasizes school values in the sub-header:
“Empowering Future Leaders: Updates for the Week of March 15th.”

This approach makes your school’s vision and values more prominent in parents’ minds.

3. Put the need-to-know first

The top section of your newsletter is prime real estate. Since most readers only scan emails, you need to make sure the most important information is right at the top. This could be upcoming events, a reminder, or any urgent announcements.

For example:

• “Reminder: Parent-Teacher Conferences this Thursday at 6 PM!”
• “School Picture Day: Don’t Forget to Dress Your Best on Tuesday.”

This ensures parents don’t miss the essential details, even if they don’t read the entire newsletter.

Here’s a quick tip: Use bold headings or colored text to make these critical points stand out even more.

Why You Should Make Your Newsletter Stand Out

You know what your own inbox looks like—crowded and full of emails competing for attention. Parents’ inboxes are no different! That’s why it’s so important to make your newsletter stand out from the rest. With just 10 seconds to capture their attention, you want to be sure that your key updates are seen and understood.

Need help getting started? Check out this Principal’s Weekly Update Template, already formatted and easy to customize for your needs. Ready, set… grab their attention!

Want to communicate more easily?