A classroom newsletter is an important pedagogical tool that bridges classroom learning with school engagement. As a teacher, you can draw on the communicative strength of newsletters to extend classroom learning beyond the four walls of your class and create communicative channels with students, parents, and the wider community.
Classroom newsletters should be students-centered thus empowering students voice by providing them with a venue where they can showcase and share their achievements. They can also be used to boost project-based learning and collaborative team work.
For instance, students can work in pairs to work on particular sections in the newsletter or you can assign different roles for students to do: the designer role for designing and working on the newsletter template, the editor role for editing content, and so on and so forth.
Source: Canva
Teachers and students can use classroom newsletters for various educational purposes including: informing parents about classroom learning, making school announcements, showcasing and documenting students learning, sharing “updates on school policy and classroom rules (a new dress code, for instance), upcoming events such as field trips and fundraisers, important dates like holidays and exam periods, interviews with staff and students, and tear-out pages like surveys or permission slips.”
Below are three important sources of ready-made templates you can use to design your own classroom newsletters. The process is simple and easy: browse through the collections, choose the template you like, and click to edit and customize it.
When you newsletter is ready, you can choose which way to share it. You can print it out so students can take it home or you can share it electronically via email or on social media websites. Just make sure you ask parents for emails so they can get a copy of your class newsletter.
1- Classroom Newsletter Templates from Adobe Spark
Adobe Spark offers this selection of classroom newsletter templates which you can customize to your liking. “There are lots of ways to personalize your classroom newsletter templates. Change up the copy and font Sub out the imagery with your photos. Or browse from thousands of free images right in Adobe Spark. Spend as little or as much time as you want to make the graphic your own. With a premium plan, you can even auto-apply your brand logo, colors, and fonts, so you re always #onbrand.”
2- Classroom Newsletter Templates from Template Archive
Template Archive offers a wide variety of pre-made customizable classroom templates to choose from. These resources are arranged into three main categories: Classroom Newsletter Templates, Teacher Newsletter Templates, and School Newsletter Templates. The site also offers tips to help you make the best of newsletters in your instruction.
3- Classroom Newsletter Templates from Canva
Canva has this collection of visually attractive templates to use for creating newsletters for your classroom. There are over 50 ready-made templates to choose from. There are the Class Weekly, The Digital Dispatch, Classroom Chronicles, The Student Herald. the Classroom News, and many more.
Once you locate the template you like click to open it in Canva’s editor where you can customize it the way you want. Alternatively, you can click on Create a blank Classroom Newsletter to design your class newsletter from scratch. Canva has this excellent guide on how to create your classroom newsletter.
