District Level Communication Guidelines
Through a combination of staff supports, the website, social media, e-newsletters, School Messenger, and printed documents, Batavia Public School 101 strives to keep the entire community up to date with relevant, timely, and high-quality communications.
School and Staff Supports
The communications department will provide guidelines and support for communications. By meeting regularly and providing photo and graphics libraries and pre-made templates, it is the department’s goal to make communications seamless and simple for all staff members and schools.
District Website
The BPS101 website is the central hub and primary source for information about the district and is the authority on its mission. Parents, guardians, employees, and community members should have confidence if important and up-to-date information is needed, it will be found on the district’s website.
Calendar
Frequency: As needed
The district utilizes Google Calendars for event management. These calendars are displayed on the district website and are easily accessible and shared with the community. Every effort is made to continuously keep the calendar up-to-date and accurate.
News
Frequency: Three to four per month
News and celebrations are shared on the district website through the news feed. News items are a celebration of students, staff, or an event that has occurred. High-quality photos or graphics accompany every news story. The news feed is also utilized to announce important events or to educate the community about important district information.
When sharing news about classroom events, the focus is on the student experience. Any stories resulting from a politician’s visit to a school are not an endorsement and will remain neutral in tone and content.
Email Newsletters
Frequency: Weekly (During the School Year)
The district uses and email newsletter, The District Weekly, to consolidate all important District updates into one piece of communication.
Facebook
Frequency: Weekly
Facebook insights show that Facebook continues to be an important platform for parents and staff to receive information about BPS101. The district’s goal is to post one to three items weekly. These posts may include important announcements, news stories, upcoming events, and other similar items.
Twitter
Frequency: Weekly
Twitter Analytics show that Twitter is also another valuable resource for parents, students, and staff to stay current with the district. The district strives to have activity on Twitter every week and at various times. Ideally, one to two original tweets should be generated weekly with a few re-tweets of district and staff posts.
Instagram
Frequency: Weekly
The District chooses to use Instagram as another method to visually share events, celebrations, and the success of students and staff. Photos are posted to Instagram in support of news stories after each article is posted to the website.
YouTube
Frequency: as needed
Video will continue to play a bigger role in the district’s communication strategy. Throughout the school year, videos are created to celebrate events, showcase a classroom activity, or explain a process or program. Additionally, the district streams their monthly Board of Education meetings live on YouTube, with past videos archived for future reference.
School Messenger
Frequency: As needed
School Messenger is used to share the highest priority announcements and emergency messages. There is no set frequency as this is used when needed. These communications are through phone, email, and text messages.
Printed Materials
Frequency: Annually
At times, printed materials are still a necessity and can be used to announce District events or send important information home to parents and guardians. The district creates an annual “School Facts” sheet that is distributed at all BPS101 schools and in BPS101 Kindergarten Meet and Greet packets. It is also available upon request to local real estate agencies. The Batavian includes three pages of BPS101 and affiliate organization information in each issue and is mailed to every resident within the boundaries of BPS101 six times annually.
