High School First Day of School Newsletter: What to Send to Families

The first day of high school is a significant moment for students and families. For freshmen it is the beginning of a four-year chapter. For returning students it is a reunion with friends and the start of a new year. For families of all grade levels, it is a moment when clear, welcoming communication from the school goes a long way.

The Pre-School Logistics Newsletter

Send a logistics newsletter one week before school starts. This is primarily functional communication, but the tone should still feel welcoming rather than administrative.

Cover: the first day date and start time, any schedule differences between the first week and the regular year, where families can drop off students and where students should enter, what to bring on day one, any forms that need to be returned, and key contacts for common questions.

For high schools with incoming freshmen, consider a separate or supplemental section specifically for ninth-grade families. The building orientation questions that are irrelevant to returning families are critical for families whose student has never been in the building before.

The Principal's Welcome Message

Pair the logistics communication with a brief personal message from the principal. It does not need to be long. Two to four sentences expressing genuine excitement about the year and what the school is looking forward to is enough.

The message should sound like a person who leads the school and cares about it. It should not sound like a press release. Families who recognize a human voice in the opening message read the rest of the newsletter more closely.

The Post-First-Day Follow-Up

Send a brief follow-up within 48 hours of the first day. This communication should be shorter than the pre-school newsletter. Cover: that day one went well, any adjustments to the schedule or procedures based on day one, any reminders for the rest of the first week, and when families can expect the regular weekly newsletter to begin.

The post-first-day send does something the pre-school send cannot: it establishes that the school communicates not just before events but after them. Families who receive that follow-up understand that communication is a priority for this school, not a one-time occurrence.

Setting Up the Year's Communication Cadence

Use the first-day follow-up to introduce your school's regular communication schedule. When will the weekly newsletter arrive? Where will families find important announcements? Who do they contact for different types of questions?

Families who understand the communication system before they need to use it are much less likely to become frustrated when something comes up later in the year.