12-+Parent+Newsletter+Reflection

I love the idea of having parent newsletters! I feel that they are absolutely vital to teachers. A newsletter is a quick and easy way to inform parents what their child is learning. It is also great to remind them about upcoming school and class events. Making sure that the newsletter is bright, colorful, and full of pictures will make it an "easy read" for the parents. I have heard of very few parents who do not mind sitting and reading a 3-4 page "newsletter". However I feel that most parents would toss such a lengthy newsletter to the side. If we keep the information concise and make it easy on the eyes, then the parents will not have such a hard time reading through it.

I also believe that providing parents with newsletters is another way of showing them that I am a capable teacher. When they see a newsletter that is interactive they know I am responsible, taking the time to make sure they are informed and kept up-to-date about their students' education. I am also displaying my knowledge of the plethora of resources available to me. By adding my e-mail address, class website, and school phone number to my newsletter I am showing the parents that they have multiple ways in which they can contact me. I am showing them I am available and that I am there to meet the educational needs of their students.

While newsletters are a little time consuming I believe they are a necessary asset to any teacher. With helpful tools such as Microsoft's Publisher I was able to create my newsletter (even go back and make quick changes) in less than an hour! Publisher has a way to save it as a PDF file, and as a jpeg. Being able to change it into these different mediums makes it easier to use! I can print the newsletter, save the template for a later date, upload it as a picture to a website (like I did), and even send it in e-mails as a PDF if the parents would like! Despite newsletters being a little time consuming, I believe they remain are a great, simple way to let students and their parents know that I care! In this particular case, the benefits outweigh the cost!

