What's Involved - Who makes the newsletters?
Your parents will be impressed.
Your School Moments' publications are completely different than the old-fashioned (expensive and labor intensive) school newsletter. Using the ubiquity of the Internet, a broad base of contributors of articles and images can contribute information from many locations to this brilliant organizing software. The program automatically sorts the information, formats the text and pictures and distributes personalized, custom newsletters to your subscribers in Adobe (PDF) format via email.
Implementing the School Moments program takes an initial effort of organization, recruitment and scheduling, but anyone able to surf the web will have no problem becoming confident with this web based program with the online video tutorials, initial phone support and a state of the art web site designed for “Internet dummies!” Once you establish the routine in your school, the program will run like a well oiled machine. Try it in just one class, in several grades, with your entire school or with an association of schools.
Schedule the publication dates that best fits into your school’s calendar: for every month, season, bi-annually, or just one great publication in your school year. Plan according to what works with your schedule, and plan the publications in conjunction with other school events. Use it to promote other school functions, or celebrate events that have already occurred (have students write about the school play, field trip, special assembly program or about a current event).
Students Can Write Articles
Students with keyboarding skills can use their computer time (for instance - once a month) to log in to the secure web site and submit an article (they can copy and paste from notepad). Student/parents can upload pictures to the site's image library as can other photographers in the school. Recruit parent volunteers to take pictures at sport events, field trips, school plays and at the spelling bee. Teachers that enjoy photography will snap a few extra pictures for colleagues that don't have that inclination. Teachers, administrators or your editing team can select pictures from the library and include them with articles contributed by students, teachers and administrators. Multiple images can be included with any article.
Students without keyboarding skills (too young or handicapped) can easily submit an article via dictation or through handwriting and have it put on the web site with the help of their teacher, teacher assistant, or older computer buddy during computer time (highly recommended). Alternatively, teachers may choose to send a writing assignment home, so parents can help. Using the student’s username and password, parents can log in from home and help their child submit an article (for example, “what I did over Thanksgiving”). And don't worry, student entries are never published unless they are first “approved” by teachers or administrators.
At any time before a publication date, parents can log in and preview their child’s articles along with its associated pictures and contact the school to request changes. The site is secure and password protected so only authorized (parents, students and school officials) users can have access. Newsletters are sent only to subscribers that the student personally invites, so there is no worry for an unsafe activity or unauthorized viewing of the student's work.
