Back-to-School Newsletter Guide for Charter Schools

Charter school families made a deliberate choice when they enrolled. They chose the model, the approach, and the community. The back-to-school newsletter is an opportunity to remind those families what they chose and why, and to welcome new families into a school culture that may be different from anything they have experienced before.

Open with the school's mission and what it means this year

Charter schools typically have a distinctive mission statement. The back-to-school newsletter is not the place to reprint it in full, but it is the right place to connect this year's work to the mission. "Our mission is to prepare students for college through rigorous academics and strong character development. This year we are adding a ninth-grade advisory program and expanding our college tour program to include two additional HBCUs."

Explain how the school's model shows up in daily life

Families who chose the school because of its model deserve a clear picture of what that model looks like day-to-day. Long school days, project presentations, expeditionary learning trips, uniform policies, advisory periods, weekly essays, or whatever makes your school distinctive should be described in concrete terms, not just named.

Restate the family commitment

Most charter schools ask families to agree to specific commitments: attendance, volunteer hours, supporting homework, and participating in school events. A brief, respectful restatement at the start of the year reminds families of what they agreed to without making it feel like an enforcement action. "We partner with families who share our belief that education requires effort from students, teachers, and families together."

Introduce any changes from last year

Charter schools often evolve their model based on what is working. If the school added or changed something significant since last year, the back-to-school newsletter is the place to explain the change and the reasoning. Changes that are explained get more buy-in than changes that families discover when their child tells them about it.

Build anticipation for the year ahead

Close with something specific the school is excited about this year. A new program, a visiting speaker series, a community project, a school-wide theme. Families who receive concrete forward-looking content at back-to-school time arrive with a shared sense of what this year is going to be.