Every Sunday, as the clock strikes 6:00 p.m., phones ring and email inboxes buzz around the WCHS community as the new week is ushered in by Principal John Taylor. A school newsletter and recorded phone call with key details is sent out every week to ensure that the school community is well informed about the upcoming events, schedules, holidays and more. All staff members are also able to give their input to ensure all vital information is included.
“Miss Burroughs, my secretary, helps me out a lot because she sends out messages to the staff,” Taylor said. “[She asks] key people like Jesse Smith for athletics, the counseling services team and the SSL coordinator [because] they often have things to add. We let everybody know on Monday and then we remind them again on Thursday to send us anything they want in the newsletter.”
Taylor uses a program called “Blackboard Connect” to send out the recorded phone calls and a program called “Smore Newsletter” to create the weekly newsletters. These programs allow for easy creation and help streamline the process of disseminating information.
“In a perfect world, before I leave school on Friday I record [the phone call],” Taylor said. “I edit the newsletter, record the spoken piece and then upload the newsletter to the email and set it to go out at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. If it’s not a perfect world, which is most weeks, then I usually am doing all of this sometime between noon and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday from home and then upload it.”
Although MCPS and WCHS have been using “Blackboard Connect” and “Smore Newsletter” for many years, they are now in the midst of a transition to a new application called “Parent Square.” Although this change might come with some learning curves, it will streamline communication between the school and its community.
“‘Parent Square’ owns ‘Remind’ and since we’re already using ‘Remind’, we’re switching so that it’s kind of one big seamless application,” Taylor said. “I might be able to automatically send a reminder message in a ‘Remind’ text to kids from when I do the email to parents. They’ve said that there are going to be some better capabilities but I’ll find out more at the Nov. 19 training.”
Although Taylor has done this type of newsletter and phone call everywhere he has been the principal, he was the first to use this method of communication at WCHS.
“The newsletter helps me make sure that I know what’s going on at the school,” WCHS parent Natalie Billington, said. “There’s always useful reminders about APs, changed schedules, interesting events and so many other things. It’s also always fun to see student shout outs when someone has won an award or done well in a competition!”
In a world that is constantly bombarded with information, it is crucial that WCHS finds ways to effectively and clearly communicate with students and parents. Although they are always changing and improving, Taylor has accomplished this task with the weekly newsletter and phone call.
“I think that [the newsletter and phone calls] make people more aware of what’s happening in the building and help them to manage their time and families,” Taylor said. “That’s the goal; to make life a little easier for everybody. One stop shopping is better.”
