Principal Newsletter: Communicating a Schoology Update to Families

Every time your LMS updates, a portion of your parent community loses access to information they were using the week before. A clear, direct newsletter is the fastest way to close that gap.

What Changed and What Did Not

Start here. Families navigating a platform update are primarily trying to find the things they already knew how to find. Tell them what is in the same place and what moved. If the gradebook is now under a different menu, say where. If assignment notifications look different, describe the new format. The frustration of an update is not the change itself but the disorientation of not knowing where things went. Reduce that specifically.

How to Log In or Set Up a New Account

Include step-by-step login instructions every time you send an LMS-related newsletter. Some families still have not set up an account. Some set one up and forgot the password. Some have a new email address since they last logged in. Providing instructions every time is not redundant. It is access equity. The family who finally figures out how to log in because you included instructions again in this newsletter will use the platform from that day forward.

Finding Grades, Assignments, and Messages

Walk families through exactly where to find the three things they care about most. Use numbered steps. Include the menu path in plain language. If your district allows screenshots, include one. Families who try to navigate the platform without guidance and fail are less likely to try again. Families who receive a clear walkthrough in the principal's newsletter are more likely to succeed and more likely to remain engaged throughout the year.

Parent View versus Student View

Explicitly name the difference between the parent portal and the student account. Many families log in to their child's student account because they do not know a parent account exists or how to set one up. The parent account typically shows different information and has different permission settings. If your update changed anything about the parent account specifically, describe it.

Addressing Families Without Home Internet

A newsletter about an online platform needs to acknowledge the families for whom that platform is inaccessible at home. Name the school's alternative access supports. If you provide hotspots, say so. If families can request printed progress reports, include how. If the public library has free computer access, include the address. The goal is that every family, regardless of device or connectivity, has a path to their child's academic information.

Who to Call When It Does Not Work

Provide a specific name and contact, not a generic help desk email. Something like: if you cannot log in or cannot find what you are looking for, call our technology assistant, Ms. Rivera, at [phone] or email [address]. When families know there is a real person available to help them, they are less likely to give up. When the only option is a generic ticketing system, many families do.

Using Daystage for Tech Update Communication

Daystage makes it easy to build a structured how-to newsletter with numbered steps, contact information, and links to support resources. You can track which families opened the message and follow up with non-openers directly before the next time they encounter the platform change without guidance.