School Newsletter for the First Month: September Template for Principals
September is the most attended month in principal newsletter history. Families who only open two newsletters all year usually open the August welcome back and the September newsletter. What you say in these two sends shapes the entire year's communication relationship. Here is how to make September count.
What September offers that August cannot
The welcome back newsletter is written before school starts. The September newsletter is written after four weeks in the building. That is a significant difference.
By the time you write the September newsletter, you have:
- Walked every classroom at least twice
- Had real conversations with students and teachers
- Seen what is working and what is not in the early weeks
- Identified which families are engaged and which are not yet
- Dealt with the first few challenges or conflicts of the year
Write the September newsletter from that vantage point. It is more credible and more interesting than any theoretical promise written in August.
Section structure for September
- Principal message: what you have seen in the first weeks.Two to three paragraphs. Specific observations. A teacher who surprised you. A moment from a classroom. Something you are still working on. This is the section families remember.
- How the first weeks went: honest assessment.Any logistical challenges addressed and resolved. Attendance data for the first month. Anything that did not go as planned and what you did about it.
- Upcoming dates in October. Conferences, fall events, any early dismissal or professional development days.
- Attendance and engagement reminder. September is the right time to set attendance expectations for the year. Brief, specific, data-based.
- How to get involved. PTO meetings, volunteer opportunities, back-to-school night follow-up if applicable.
- Contact information. Your email, front office number, counseling office. Every newsletter.
Writing the honest assessment of the first weeks
Most September newsletters describe the first weeks as wonderful and exciting. A more honest assessment, even if partially positive, builds more trust:
'The first three weeks were better than I expected in most ways. Drop-off took some adjusting but settled down by week two. Our fourth-grade students are settling in faster than any class I can remember in this building. Where we are still working: our after-school pickup is too slow. We are adding a second staff member to the dismissal line starting Monday.'
That paragraph tells families three things: the principal is paying attention, problems get addressed, and the school communicates honestly. All three are trust-building.
The attendance section: brief and data-based
September is the best time to establish attendance expectations, before patterns have formed. A short paragraph with your current attendance rate, your goal for the year, and the 'two missed days per month equals chronic absence by February' math does its work quickly. Keep it non-punitive. Frame it as information families need, not as a scolding.
Daystage makes September the easiest newsletter of the year. The template is already in place from the welcome back newsletter. Update the principal message, fill in the October dates, add the attendance data, and send. Families receive it inline in their email, in a format they already recognize.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the goal of the September principal newsletter?
Three goals: establish the communication tone for the year, give families the practical information they need to navigate the first month, and begin building the trust relationship that makes families responsive when you need them in harder months. September is your highest-open-rate month. Use it to demonstrate value, and families will keep opening.
What sections are most important in the September newsletter?
The principal message, the key October dates to calendar, any updates on how the first weeks went, attendance expectations, and how to reach the school. September families are oriented and attentive. You can cover more in this newsletter than in a typical monthly send.
Should the September newsletter address any concerns from the first weeks?
Yes, and this is what separates strong communicators from cautious ones. If the first week had a challenge, the traffic pattern was confusing, the cafeteria lines were long, the first days were noisier than expected: name it in the September newsletter and tell families what you are doing about it. Honest early communication builds trust. Silence about known problems erodes it.
How do I make the September newsletter different from the welcome back newsletter I already sent?
The welcome back newsletter is logistics-forward. The September newsletter is observation-forward. In September, you actually have something to report: you have been in the building with students for three to four weeks. Write about what you have seen. What surprised you. What you are proud of. What you are still working through. That content is unavailable until the year actually begins.
What tool helps principals send newsletters efficiently?
Daystage handles the September newsletter the same way it handles every other monthly send: duplicate the template, update the sections, and send. The branding is consistent, the delivery is direct to family inboxes, and the September newsletter establishes the format families will recognize for the rest of the year.
Adi Ackerman
Author
Adi Ackerman is a former classroom teacher and curriculum writer with 8 years in K-8 schools. She writes about school communication, parent engagement, and what actually works in real classrooms.
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