3 Ways Principals Use Incentives to Increase School Newsletter Engagement

We asked educators to share a school newsletter engagement hack with us.

Turns out almost a quarter of them use rewards! The rewards fall into 3 categories: emotional, competitive, and tangible.

Let’s walk through each 👇🏽.

1. Emotional – a picture is worth, well, you know!

What parent doesn’t enjoy finding a picture of their own child in a school newsletter? Photos add meaning and build connection. Here are a few ways educators put photos of students to work:

• Highlight student achievements.
• Share class or grade-level activities.
• Include shout-outs for special projects or good deeds.

This last one is especially powerful as it builds a sense of pride and inclusion.

2. Competition has its rewards.

Sometimes a competitive incentive is the way to go. Here are a few fun ideas:

• Attendance Leaderboard: Families earn points for reading newsletters, creating a sense of friendly competition.
• Principal’s Points: Parents earn points with the principal by staying engaged, which could translate into unique rewards.
• Community Competitions: Encourage a positive school-wide competition that promotes participation across all families.

These incentives add a bit of excitement, motivating more parents to tune in to every update.

3. Lastly, actual 🏆 for reading school updates!

Some schools provide tangible rewards to kids whose parents read newsletters—think thoughtful, school-based prizes like:

• Extra recess time or lunch with a teacher.
• Access to a special school event or activity.
• Small school-branded prizes or certificates.

Though some may question if rewards for reading are necessary, these educators find that thoughtfully chosen incentives can positively reinforce engagement.

So, if you’re looking for ways to get more parents to read your updates, try one of these 🥕🥕. And let us know how it goes!

Here’s a template to help you get started.