E-newsletter versus paper?

When my daugher was in high school you could sign up or not for the daily news from the school sent via email. I read it routinely to keep on top of the news. They also had a web site to check on other things. I liked it. I personally don't know what other families did if they didn't sign up for this service or had a computer.

We are inundated with communication in the US post office, work, email and it is advertisements, spam, good, bad and ugly. The good part about email/website is that if your child lost the newsletter in their backpack at least you got the info.

I think I read that 80-90% of Americans have access to the internet. I think the interesting statistic would be how many people check it constantly, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.

Patty

There is a school blog but it is rarely updated, same thing with the school website. In fact, the calender on the website is blank but I got an orange sheet of paper sent home on Friday with a full calender of events during the month.

I think I will have to talk to the principal and IT teacher about the blog and/or website updating. I'm not opposed to creating a new PTO blog in Wordpress (current one is in Blogger) or even updating the current one (assuming they would let me).

The PTO president is ok with me going paperless but I'm having a hard time getting the parents onboard. I mentioned it on the newsletter I sent home but haven't gotten ANY responses back yet.

I will keep plugging away at it though. Thanks for the encouragement!

Elizabeth

@texasebeth ( http://twitter.com/texasebeth )  and My Life, such as it is.... ( http://texasebeth.blogspot.com )

I like the idea of a blog or site. Nothing you'd have to really labor over as corresponding secretary but a place to upload the current calendar of events, reminders and the e-newsletter you're already sending. No parent can say they didn't get the letter or couldn't find the information. "spam-ed the PTO e-newsletter? Check the site."

Plus, when you're ready to pass on the baton, a simple site is an easy thing for your successor to pick up to help the organization in the future.

If you still have families who will need the paper copies, make those available in the main office.

www.SaraInAkko.blogspot.com ( http://www.SaraInAkko.blogspot.com )

Life in the Middle East, with craft and spice

Another note I forgot to add to my comment - an emailed newsletter would also be available for people who don't clean out backpacks every night after school. We only see the little dude on weekends, and don't get PTA updates unless his mom remembers to tell us. We could subscribe to an e-newsletter and stay informed that way, and we'd really like it.

I actually faced this same conundrum with holiday cards - waste of paper, postage, time, effort. Especially when I say virtually the same stuff to each person!

I did an "opt-in" for my holiday newsletter. I sent an email to my distribution list, posted on Facebook, Twitter and my blog. "If I wanted to send you a fun and photo-filled e-newsletter for the holidays instead of a card, would you subscribe?" Those who could not receive my e-missives stayed on the paper-card list. Those who did not opt-in stayed on the paper card list.

I have WAY more people on my e-newsletter list than I ever did on the paper card list, and I work on it year-round with fun and exciting updates from our lives as the year goes on.

I think allowing parents to "opt-in" could solve the conundrum of those without computers, and save some paper!

I'm the Publicity Directory for my daughter's elementary charter school's PTO--have been for 3 years--and we send our newsletter out in email form. As a PTO board we know not everyone reads it (though everyone at the school registered online, so it's not because they don't have internet), but it's a much better way than making 700 copies every week (we include our PTO information in the school's weekly newsletter). With the technology we have now, it's irresponsible to use so much paper and energy to make the copies when it can be done paperless.

I also put together a blog and a Facebook page as two more ways to get information to parents. The more ways you can get information out there the better.

Good luck! :)

Tiffiny blogs at The Bake-Off Flunkie ( http://bakeoff-flunkie.blogspot.com ).