How to write a school council newsletter
The newsletter will be central to ensuring everyone knows what’s going on. When I was at school I started and wrote a newsletter that (if I do say so myself) people really looked forward to getting every two weeks. Here are some things I learnt from doing it:
- Have a format and stick to it: decide on fonts, masthead, rough layout, so you don’t spend too much time on this each time. It also helps people to recognise it.
- Make sure you write it for everyone, not just your friends. Include things that you know other people will like, even if you might find them boring.
- Make it funny. If you can make people smile while they read it, they will read again next time. Allow your personality to come through in your writing: write more like you talk, rather than in a very formal, information-giving style. This is written by students for students, so make it sound like how students talk to one another, not how the school talks to students.
- Have a schedule and stick to it. I used to do mine every other Thursday. People knew when it was coming out and expected it, this put pressure on me to get it done.
- Don’t make it too long. One or two sides is fine. If it’s too long people won’t read it and you won’t write it. Make it manageable for them and you.
- Don’t print a copy for each student. If there are 1,000 students in your school just print 250. Get people to hand them out at break/lunch time. People will want to know why they someone else has got one and they don’t. People will ask others to borrow their copy. This creates a buzz around your newsletter.
Please do send us copies of your newsletters. We’d love to see how you’re getting on.
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