[3rd4me]

Do you think it is okay to only update my teacher web-page? I really dislike having to do a newletter for some reason, but I do not mind updating my website......Do you think it's okay to just stick with the teacherweb web-site and not worry about the paper version or do you think I need to ask my parents first if they'd be okay with that?

[musicbean]

Is there someway for you to find out which parents can access your webpage? Perhaps if there are a few that don't have internet access, you could do a kind of copy-paste paper version for them.

[Ilvtching]

I know in my school that wouldn't fly....a majority of my parents do not have computers let alone internet access. I would only do this if 100% of your parents have access to your website. Some people also like to have that paper in their hand. I would get with the parents first.

Amy

[Mrs. JC]

I have a new web page this year. During open house ( the night before school started) I polled parents about the web page. I had a sign up sheet for parents who have internet access at home or at school and who would like to get my weekly newsletter via the hyperlink on my web page. 14 out of 22 signed up. The most common comment was "Most of the time.. Johnny doesn't even get home with the newsletters"!

I copy and paste to "run off" the other 8 copies. I send them home with the students. It does save a lot of time and paper!!
I would send a message in a paper version of your newsletter asking parents to go online and send you an email letting you know if they would be interested in accessing your web page to get your newsletter.

Parents also like seeing the assignments posted weekly.
Good luck!

[fun_friend]

If your parents have internet and email, I would do an email newsletter. The parents are more likely to check email than surf over to your website. For families that don't do email, you can print copies of the mass-distributed email.

You will get very busy with teaching. Creating a newsletter or maintaining a website can be pretty time-consuming. I'd probably stick to a mass email for regular correspondence.

[TootSweet]

I'm not sure which browser you are using, but with Safari I can email not only a link to a webpage, but the contents of the webpage. I use this to send out my email to all of the parents who indicate they are interested in getting the "e-letter". The webpage is actually the body of the newsletter. To back it up, I send home the paper version, too.

Check your school printer options because when I print the website, it gives me the option to reduce to the size of a normal piece of paper. It works really well and prints in black and white.

[SC]

I plan to just send a mass email when I need to get information out. I don't have a lot of time to make an official newsletter or web site. I have 2 families who can't easily check email, so I'll just send home a paper copy for those two. It will save me a lot of paper over the year.

I would check with the families first to see how many don't have access.

[fun_friend]

I think the parents are more likely to read an email rather than click a link in an email to go to a website. I think prents are more likely to visit a website once at the beginning of the year to get a bead on expectations, but thereafter, they really don't. I have tried it both ways. I maintain a schoolnotes.com site which is an online newsletter. I don't get a lot of hits though even when parents are notified of updates. I believe parents tend to read an email.

I could easily give up Schoolnotes and just stick with mass emailings, but every now and then a student or parent from the past clicks on that site and zaps me a greeting email, and that makes it worth it to keep the site going.

[readerabbit]

I would do a survey /sign up sheet of which communication format that parent would like to use and document what that parent chose.
Although I am seeing more emails on the registration sheets I know some of my kids don't even have telephones. So it goes both ways.