Arts in Education Week Newsletter Template: How to Celebrate the Arts With Families in September

Arts in Education Week, typically designated in the second week of September, is a national celebration of the role of arts education in schools. It is also one of the strongest advocacy opportunities schools have to communicate to families why arts programs matter and what students gain from them. A newsletter that only celebrates the arts is pleasant. A newsletter that celebrates the arts and makes the case for their educational value does something more durable.

This template covers what to include, how to balance celebration with information, and five topic ideas that make the newsletter worth saving.

When to send it

Send the newsletter Monday of Arts in Education Week. Arts activities and events are typically happening throughout the week, so a Monday send puts families in the right mindset before their child comes home talking about the chorus performance rehearsal or the school art show. If your school is doing any specific evening or family events during the week, include those prominently in the newsletter.

How to structure the newsletter

A four-section structure covers the celebration, the information, and the family invitation:

1. What is happening this week. The specific arts activities, performances, exhibitions, or workshops happening in your school during Arts in Education Week. Be specific about dates, times, and what families can attend or support.
2. Why arts education matters. A brief, evidence-grounded case for arts education. Not just "the arts are enriching" but specific documented benefits: spatial reasoning from visual art, phonological awareness from music, narrative thinking from drama, fine motor development from crafts. Two to three sentences of substance outperform vague advocacy.
3. The arts programs at our school. A brief description of all arts programs available to students, including music, visual art, drama, dance, and any integrated or after-school programs. Many families are not aware of the full range of arts offerings, especially at the elementary level.
4. How families can support arts learning at home. One or two specific, low-barrier ways families can engage with arts at home: listening to music together, going to a free museum, watching a film and discussing its visual choices, reading a picture book and talking about the illustrations. Keep this accessible and optional.

Five topic ideas for the Arts in Education Week newsletter

1. The research on arts and academic outcomes. Research consistently shows that students engaged in arts education demonstrate stronger attention, better memory, higher engagement in core academic subjects, and stronger creative problem-solving skills. A newsletter that cites one or two specific findings makes the advocacy case concretely. Families who see the academic connection are stronger advocates for arts programs than families who hear only that the arts are enriching.

2. Student artwork or creative work featured in the newsletter. If your school has a student art display, a theater production in progress, or a music performance, describe it in the newsletter and include any photos that are appropriate to share. Families who see their child's creative work featured in school communication feel the value of the arts program in a personal way.

3. A spotlight on an arts teacher or program. Feature a brief quote or profile of one of your school's arts educators. What drew them to arts education? What do they love about working with your students? What are students working on this month? A personal voice from an arts teacher is one of the most effective ways to communicate the program's value to families.

4. Connections between arts education and 21st-century skills. Creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking are consistently identified as the skills employers and colleges most value. Arts education directly develops all four. A newsletter that names these connections gives families a contemporary, practical frame for valuing the arts alongside core academics.

5. How families can advocate for arts programs. In many school districts, arts programs are among the first to face budget cuts. Arts in Education Week is a natural moment to encourage families who value arts education to say so to school board members, district administrators, and through parent organization channels. A brief note on how families can make their support known, written without panic or alarm, is a genuine act of advocacy.

What to avoid

Avoid a newsletter that is only appreciation without advocacy. Arts programs are frequently underfunded and understaffed. A newsletter that makes the case for arts education, not just celebrates it, does more good for the long-term health of the programs students depend on.

Also avoid treating all arts as identical. Music, visual art, theater, dance, and creative writing develop different skills and serve students in different ways. A newsletter that acknowledges the range of arts disciplines is more accurate and more inclusive of the diverse arts educators who serve your school.

Sending it with Daystage

Daystage's newsletter format works well for celebration weeks with both event announcements and informational content. Build the events section first so families can plan their schedule, then add the advocacy and home engagement content. Send Monday morning so the newsletter lands before students come home talking about the week's activities.

Advocacy dressed as a celebration

Arts in Education Week is not just a celebration. It is an annual opportunity to communicate to families why arts programs deserve protection and support. A newsletter that does both simultaneously, celebrates what is happening this week and makes the case for why it matters every week, serves the arts programs at your school better than a pure celebration newsletter ever could.