Welcome to Back to School Season
The office is abuzz with back-to-school preparations. Teachers are trickling in to get their classrooms ready. Deliveries and paperwork are piling up. You can feel the excitement, school is just around the corner! How can you use templates for communication plans to make this busy time easier?
One of your constant goals is good communication between the school and parents. You have a communication plan in place with several channels available to reach your community in case of an emergency. But what if your communication plan could do more? What if it could help build a culture of engaged parents? What if it could foster a growth mindset and connection?
Statistics on Social Media Users
Social Media is a great, free way to connect with your target audience. There are many platforms available, but Facebook is the most popular social media site in the United States. As of January 2021, there are 190 million Facebook users in the US! While other platforms are gaining popularity, Facebook remains the staple. In May 2021, nearly 71.8 percent of all social media site visits in the United States were to Facebook (1). 73% of Facebook users visit the platform at least once a day. 93% of American users access it at least weekly and 98% visit at least monthly (2). This represents a huge opportunity to connect and engage with your community!
How to Include Social Media Templates in Your School Communication Plan
An important part of your school communication plan is using social media strategically. Timely reminders and engaging posts can help build your school community beyond the physical building. This seems like a simple enough idea. However, in reality, there is not usually a dedicated staff person that has the time or expertise to run your school’s social media. The task falls to someone who already has a lot to do! Many do not have design experience. They might feel uncertain about pulling content from the internet. It can be tricky to determine what is copyrighted and what is able to be shared. Outdated clipart and pixelated images do not send the polished and professional message that you want to convey!
Graphic Solutions
A simple solution is to use monthly Templates for Communication Plans. These templates help you to prioritize communication and help foster school-to-home communication and engagement. You don’t need a lot of time, effort, or design experience! They are fully customizable using Canva*, a free and simple to use design software. The ready-to-use cohesive graphics and fonts can be posted to your school’s Facebook feed directly from Canva if you have the Pro edition. You can also download the graphics and add them to your school newsletter or website manually.
*I am not a Canva affiliate or endorsed by them in any way.
Canva has a lot of templates from amazing designers! However, you may want to consider purchasing a template package so that you have a cohesive look with matching fonts, color, and style.
How to Use a Canva Templates for Communication Plans
1. Set up your FREE account or login from your computer.
TIP: *There is a Canva app that is great for quick edits and posting, but set-up and design work is best done from a computer.
Sign-up for your account HERE.
After verifying your email address, you will be able to set up a team if you choose and indicate what type of work you will be doing with Canva.
The basic level of Canva is free for everyone. All of the elements in the templates you purchase from Amata’s House do not require any additional subscriptions.
Fonts or items with a crown icon can be used with a one-time fee or by upgrading to Canva Pro. You can test Canva Pro free for 30 days. In the meantime, apply for free Canva Pro access for educators HERE or non-profits HERE.
2. Access your template
Click on the link provided to access your templates.
Once you click on the link, it will open with a preview stating “A template created by [the creator] was shared with you, start designing now” Click the large “Use Template” button under the preview image.
3. Open the template
Your template will automatically open and make a copy in Canva that you can start editing as desired.
4. Customize
You can use colors from the design or add your own using the design tools or hex codes. If you do not know the color values of your school logo, you can use a website like Image Color Picker to scan the image and identify the color values.
It’s that easy!
Tell me, what place does social media have in your school communication plan? How are you engaging your community?
Is Canva a tool that you are familiar with? I am thinking about doing some more in-depth tutorials in the coming weeks! What questions do you have?
Contact me about additional options to customize or create graphics just for you!
Additional Resources
Find my August Templates for Communication Plans on Teachers Pay Teachers.
I am launching my blog as part of Kayse Morris’s CEO Teacher Challenge. I would love for you to connect with these additional teacher-creators:
