The Weekly Newsletter...What a Chore!

Newsletters… ugh! I know they are helpful, but they can be such a chore!! Every. Single. Week. Write a newsletter. It can be so annoying. And sometimes I wonder, do people read this? Is this a waste of my very precious time!?!

This year I decided to change things up. I thought that I could definitely make my newsletters shorter and to the point. Why send home a two-page newsletter each week? It is not necessary!

Another teacher in my school suggested a classroom newscast. The newscast could be the student’s video taped talking and discussing the classroom happenings and events. I thought this was a great idea! So, I decided to take on the challenge.

I started by telling the students to think back on all that we have done over the past month. Then I give them a reflection worksheet where they can write and draw what they thought would be good to share to our families. This reflection piece is key! There are so many times we are so busy, students don’t get a lot of time to stop and think about what just happened. Reflecting on learning, fun events, and monthly activities has really helped my students understand how much they have improved this year! Not to mention being thankful for all that we have done. :)

When the students write and draw what has happened over the past month, I am always impressed with their ideas. From the reflection ideas, I decide who is speaking. Not everyone gets a speaking part each newscast. There ends up being about 14-15 students who speak. When I film the students, I position them around the room. I tell them what they need to talk about in general, but don’t give them a script. (When we started filming in the beginning of Kindergarten my students couldn’t read, so writing a script was not feasible. But throughout the filming process, I feel that the students speak more authentically without a script. It sometimes takes a couple times without messing up, but they do get it.)

When I have completed filming, I put all the video clips into iMovie and create the complete Newscast. I add music in the beginning and end of the newscast and newscast is all set! When the newscast is complete I upload it onto YouTube and share the link with my families. They LOVE watching the finished newscast! We watch the finished product as a class as well.

All and all the newscast is a little more work then writing newsletters, but the learning and reflection gives the students a great experience! I love these newscasts! And to see the transformation from the first newscast to now, it’s amazing!

Try it! Give those newsletters a break and get out a camera! :)