Stoneleigh PTA Communications Guidelines (download full document)
General Suggestions about Communication:
- Suggested Communications Timeline – download to see timing of event planning.
- It is important to get the word out to recruit volunteers, advertise, and increase general awareness of your event. You should also write about it after it has happened and thank your volunteers in the Newsletter, ideally during the same week that your event takes place.
- Please limit your text length – people will read your entire message if it is short and to the point. Be sure to include your name and email/contact information in your email.
- When utilizing multiple communication media, space them out over the course of days or weeks before an event. It will help maximize the effectiveness of spreading your message and avoid inundating families with the same notice multiple times in a short period.
- Social Media is an excellent resource for spreading the word about your event. It has a more narrow reach than the other vehicles so it should be considered a supplemental resource.
Ways to communicate with the Stoneleigh community:
Submit your communications request via the Communications Request Form.
- Stoneleigh PTA Newsletter: Published via email/web weekly on Tuesday, the Newsletter carries brief announcements about all upcoming Stoneleigh academic and PTA events.
- Stoneleigh Email List: A secondary vehicle to be used when your message missed the Newsletter on Tuesday, the email list can be used for items such as final notices about events, changes in time/date due to weather, etc. To demonstrate respect for our parents’ time, we will send stand-alone e-blasts in the following instances only:
- For emergency information (e.g., school closures due to weather)
- Time-sensitive district or school-related information (e.g. changes to MSA or PARCC testing)
- At the specific request of the principal
- Stoneleigh PTA website: stoneleighpta.org is the best forum to exhibit general information about your committee and the additional details of your upcoming events that could not fit in the newsletter announcement.
- Stoneleigh PTA Facebook/Twitter: Facebook posts do not reach as broad an audience as the newsletter, but can be used to supplement other communications efforts.
- Backpack Flyers*: While we try to do as much as possible online, you may want to send out flyers for your event. There are templates for flyers, both half and full page, on the Forms & Templates section of the website.
- Posters*: These may be placed around the school to advertise your event. Please check with committee VP about putting your poster up. He/she will confirm with Mrs. Hollenbeck.
- Stoneleigh Room Parents: Stoneleigh Room Parents are volunteers in our children’s classrooms who signed on to help organize and participate in “classroom activities” (versus PTA events). Therefore, we ask Board members to limit their use of Room Parents as a communication vehicle to class or grade-level specific events as much as possible.
*Prior to printing any hard copies of flyers, posters, or banners, please show your final draft to your assigned VP for proofreading.