Your school has a growing list of parents, faculty, staff, and community members to keep up with. The best way to do this is by updating your contact list with all the latest information you can get your hands on. From new phone numbers to email addresses, it’s necessary for schools to stay abreast of changes in their respective communities. This way, the school can reach out to more people and maintain a healthy network of connections. In this article, we’ll go over 10 situations where an updated contact list will be greatly appreciated by your school.
How To Keep School Contact Lists Organized
Keeping your school contact list organized can seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually quite simple. The best way to stay organized with your contacts is by using a contact management system. These types of programs will allow you to easily sort through all the contacts you have, while also giving you the option to import contacts from other sources.
Once you’ve established your list and gotten to know the community that supports it, then you should start thinking about growing the amount of information that’s on file. Some parents, faculty members, and staff members may not put their current contact information online for privacy reasons or lack of technological understanding. By reaching out to them in person or through a phone call, you can get their information and add it back onto your list.
10 Times Your School Will Need An Updated Contact List
A variety of factors go into having an updated contact list. Having one can help you communicate more efficiently with parents, students, and teachers especially when the school hosts important events. When everyone knows how to get in touch with each other, it will be much easier for them to do what’s necessary when the times call for it. Here are 10 times a school would benefit from an updated contact list:
1. Parent Nights
Every year, schools hold events for parents to come and discuss the academic path their children will take during their time in school. It’s important to have a current list of these parents so that you can communicate with them about the latest happenings and encourage them to stay involved and informed as much as they can be.
2. School Meetings
Schools hold all sorts of meetings where they bring together parents, teachers, students, and community members to discuss the current state of affairs within the school. It’s important for each meeting to attract a sizable crowd so that everyone can get involved with the discussion. An updated contact list helps you spread the word about upcoming meetings and makes it more likely for people to attend.
3. Open Houses
Open houses are another one of those events that can bring out a large number of people who need to be informed about school happenings. With an updated contact list, you’ll always have the current information on hand so that these open houses can run as smoothly as possible.
4. Back To School Night/Fall Festival
No event at a school is quite as important as Back to School night or the Fall Festival. Parents, guardians, faculty members, and students need to be there in order for the events to run smoothly. An updated contact list helps remind everyone about when these events are taking place so that they can attend.
5. Field Trips
Field trips are an important part of what makes a school so special. It’s not only beneficial for the students to take these types of trips but for teachers and parents as well. Teachers can use these events to show parents what they’ve been teaching their kids, while parents can get involved by taking part in the discussions and activities that take place on these trips.
6. Conferences/Workshops
Conferences and workshops are another momentous occasion for schools to get together with parents, faculty members, and community members to talk about how things should be run moving forward. These events provide a great way for school administrators to explain their techniques and for parents to voice their concerns.
7. Performances
Whether it’s a play, musical, or an academic-based performance like the science fair, these events are opportunities for students to showcase their work and what they’ve learned during their time at school. Parents are often some of the largest supporters of these types of performances because they want to see their children succeed and encourage them to do the best they can.
8. Holiday Events
The holidays are a time for family, friends, and new traditions. They’re also a time for schools to show off some of the new work that students have been doing all year long. Children sometimes create exhibitions or compositions during their free time that can be displayed for all to see during these special events.
9. Testing
Whether it’s the state testing in March or an SAT practice exam, having a current contact list helps you stay in touch with parents about when their children will be taking important tests so that they can sit down and focus on the work at hand. It also helps to get reminders out about when these tests are so that everyone can be ready for them.
10. Fundraisers
All schools – public and private – partake in fundraisers to generate extra funds for the continued success of their programs. Whether it’s selling candy bars at lunchtime or holding a dance marathon, these events provide parents and students alike with another chance to donate to the school and help support its mission.
There are so many events that take place in a school every year, but having an updated contact list is one of the most important things you can do to make sure they all run smoothly.
Best Way To Reach Out To School Contacts
If you know the best ways to reach out to your school contacts, it will be much easier for you to communicate with them and let them know about important updates. With an updated contact list, you’ll never have to worry about not being able to connect because you don’t have their current information.
The first way that you can reach out to your school contacts is through e-mail. The good thing about e-mail is that you can contact everyone at once and they don’t have to do anything but check their inboxes in order to read the message. It’s much faster than having to track someone down individually, which makes it great for when there’s a lot of information that needs to be passed along quickly and efficiently.
The next way is through the phone. This might seem like an outdated communication method, but many people still prefer to receive news this way. If you’re trying to reach out to a large number of people at once, keep in mind that calling everyone individually is going to take up a lot of time, but it might be the only way that you can get in touch with some of them.
Finally, there’s social media. Social media is a great way to stay connected with your school contacts because it’s quick and easy to use. When you post updates on sites like Facebook or Twitter, people who are following you will see the information immediately, which means that you don’t have to wait around for everyone to get the information. When a lot of time is at a premium, social media sites are a great way to go because they can help you reach hundreds or even thousands of people in just a few minutes.
By finding out the best ways to contact your school contacts and being sure to do so regularly, you’ll be able to share important news with everyone in just a few minutes. If you know the best ways to reach out to your school contacts, it will be much easier for you to communicate with them and let them know about important updates.
SchoolCues is an all-in-one school management system for small schools with limited budgets and resources. Our solutions include admissions and enrollment, online payments, student information system, gradebook, communications, parent engagement, donations and fundraising, alumni management, and more. Schedule a demo with us today.