MPTO Communication Guidelines

• Our primary channel of communication with Montclaire parents
• Emailed to all parents every Friday
• Principal’s Message is included (district requirement)
• MPTO blurbs appear after the school news, ordered by date/priority

Process

• Submit your blurb online
• Due: Wednesday at midnight for the following Friday
• Blurbs can run beginning 3 weeks ahead of your event 

Notes

• Non-profit organizations not connected with Montclaire may occasionally run blurbs in the Friday Bulletin, but they must first be approved by the school office. Submit them as usual, and, if approved, they will run in the school's section of the Friday Bulletin. (This option has historically been limited to only Girls on the Run and the Winter Coat drive.)
• For-profit organizations may NOT run blurbs in the Friday Bulletin.

• Of course we want to "go green," but sometimes a paper flyer may be the best way to ensure your message goes home with students
• Great for events where you want participants to turn in a registration form
• Remember that parents are busy; minimize the friction points to getting your message across:
  • For MPTO events, DO place the MPTO paw print logo on your flyer (get the logo here)
  • DON'T fold your paper, bury key dates in text, include extraneous decorations
  • DO use bright paper, big fonts, and focus on the call to action
  • DO include:
    • Date of event and / or due date
    • Pricing
    • Contact details: URLs / emails / phone numbers
    • Exactly what you want people to do!
  • DO feel free to contact communications@montclaire.org if you'd like any help with your flyer
• Include a PDF of your Friday Folder Flyer when submitting your blurb for the Friday Bulletin. We can link to it from the Friday Bulletin
• Each event is allowed ONE flyer. Time it thoughtfully! Our experience has been that advertising too early isn't effective
• Peachjar: As of March 2015, Peachjar is only for enrichment providers so flyers from one school cannot be sent out to other schools.
  • Schools and PTAs are not able to post on Peachjar yet.
  • Non-MPTO events can submit their flyer for inclusion in Peachjar mailings.
  • Peachjar cannot be used for one-time events.
  • Email Sandy Madeleine at the District Office for more information

 Process

• For all MPTO events, submit your flyer to communications@montclaire.org by 5 pm Monday for inclusion in that week's Friday Folders
• Flyers will be approved by the MPTO President and the school Principal. Approvals should happen on Tuesday so that you can begin making copies. Submitting earlier is encouraged too!
• After approval, make copies and distribute them to teacher boxes
• For MPTO events, you may use the photocopier in the back room. Ask your MPTO Board Member for the copy code
• Class counts are posted by the large copier
• Material must be in teacher boxes by Thursday at noon for distribution that Friday

• A self-service channel of communication that we will continue to promote this year
• Open to current and former Montclaire parents and staff
• Only group members may post and view posts
• Great private way to post images
• Very helpful for time-sensitive information dissemination

 Process

• Go to http://www.facebook.com/groups/montclaire 
• Join the group, if you haven't done so already, then wait 1-2 days for approval
• Once approved, you can post whenever!
• Members receive notifications of all posts via Facebook (web and mobile)
• Feel free to invite your Montclaire parent friends by email

• We have lots of space and are always looking for ways to fill it up with something visual!
• Creative ideas are very welcome!

 Process

• Campus Operations will be happy to brainstorm ideas with you! Email communications@montclaire.org for more info
• We will try to schedule an available board for you
• Once the board is ready for you, you may use butcher paper and paint in the copy room to create your display. Do not use supplies marked "for teacher use only"
• Remove your display once your event date passes

• The calendar drives changes to the marquee and the school website home page
• All relevant Bulletin blurbs with a date will be added to the school calendar
• Email communications@montclaire.org if you'd like your event or deadline added to the calendar

• Here are 2 sandwich boards: one is a white board and one uses chalk paint
• The front office can help you find the boards and the appropriate markers

 Process

• Talk to MPTO Communications or email communications@montclaire.org to give a heads up if you want to do this
• You may use the appropriate markers, butcher paper and paint in the copy room to decorate your sandwich boards. Talk to Kristin about what you have in mind! Do not use supplies marked "for teacher use only"
• Take out sandwich boards anytime in the morning and please return them by 4 pm. Please do not leave the sandwich boards out overnight!

• A great way to talk to parents/students about your event and answer questions in person
• Set up at a lunch table for registration before or after school
• The kindergarten lunch tables are most visible

 Process

• Talk to MPTO Communications or email communications@montclaire.org to give me a heads up if you want to do this; just let us know where and which dates and times
• Bring: a tablecloth, signs, flyers, and yourself! For events with multiple displays (such as at Back to School Night or Open House), please plan to bring your own card table!

• Early in the school year there may be some events we want to promote specifically to new families
• Example: The Montclaire 5K, which returning families hear about in the spring. We like to send a special communication about it to new families in the fall

 Process

• Forward your email to Kinder Playdate/Orientation Leads (for new K families) and Hospitality Leads (for new grade 1-5 families)

• External PR includes publications such as the Los Altos Town Crier and Cupertino Courier, as well as neighborhood groups.
• Good for events that are open to the community. The PR Chair, Debbie Crouse, has contact details for the schools editors of these papers as well as parents willing to forward messages to their local neighborhood groups
• Good example events are anything that is school-wide such as WATSA, the Montclaire 5K, the Science Fair, or something that is unique and interesting such as iPads in the classroom

 Process

• Please contact the PR Chair, Debbie Crouse, for assistance
• Send photos of events that are closed to the outside community to Debbie, and she will submit to papers. Photo must be accompanied by names and permission to be published of any persons in the photo

Room Parent Emails

• A weekly blurb that highlights short reminders of school-wide information events and deadlines along with class/grade specific news for the upcoming week only
• Room parents send out these emails over the weekend (Monday at the latest) via their classroom distribution lists (Yahoo group, etc.)
• The purpose of these emails is to give parents brief reminders about events coming up that week only
• You do NOT need to do anything special for your event or deadline to be included here. Your event or deadline will automatically be included in these emails if it is coming up during that week

Marquee

• The marquee is changed every 1-3 weeks and includes high-priority upcoming events listed on the calendar
• You do not NOT need to request your event go on the marquee if it's on the calendar
• Some events like RSVP deadlines will usually not go on the marquee, because we always have more events than space to list them on the marquee!